Marathon Race Directing - A Love/Hate Relationship

This week on the podcast Beards and Dun get together after a brief hiatus to swap stories about training and staying active during the harsh Midwestern winters. Beards gives us an update on his health, and they also touch on some current events; what does baking soda have to do with running?

Beards and Dun sit down together to give everyone a quick update on what's been going on with Beards and to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers, and donations to the GoFundMe that was set up for Beards. Stay tuned as Beards and Dun will be back soon with more full length episodes. If you would like to make a donation you can donate to the GoFunMe directly from our website or you can search Dick Beardsley at gofundme.com.

This week on the podcast Beards and Dun sit down to talk with John Conley, Race Director of the Austin Marathon for 19 years. John has seen it all and learned (sometimes the hard way) what it takes to pull off the massive undertaking of coordinating all the moving pieces that go into the planning and execution of a marathon.

Some people set a goal to run a marathon. Gary Saxton set a goal to run a marathon after he turned 50. Not only did he run one marathon (or longer) after age 50, but he ended up running 100 of them! Some people say they don't have time to train. Gary is an inspiration; he underwent major back surgery and had a heart attack while accomplishing his goal. His book: 100 Marathons After 50 has valuable life and running lessons for everyone. 

Beards and Dun get a chance to sit down with the the one and only Toni Reavis on this weeks episode of the podcast. Toni is a pioneer in the world of running broadcasting. From starting the Runner's Digest radio show in 1977 to hosting ESPN's Road Race of the Month through the 80's and 90's, Toni truly is the "voice of running" in the US. Toni has met and interviewed pretty much everyone who is anyone in the world of running, and is one of the most knowledgeable individuals in the world of all things running.

This week on the podcast Beards and Dun have the privilege to sit down with the real life Walter Mitty, Bart Yasso. Bart personifies to a tee, the adventurist personality type. Working for Runners World starting in 1987, Bart developed the ground breaking Runner's World Race Sponsorship Program, which ultimately involved 7000 races and four MILLION runners per YEAR. From a Bun Run with a nudist colony, developing the the Yasso 800, and a "mile high" mix up, the stories Bart can tell could be an entire podcast series on their own.

This week on the podcast Beards and Dun got the pleasure of visiting with running legend Benji Durden. With modest high school and college credentials, Benji went on to become an Olympian and a Road Runners Club of America's Hall of Fame member. His running career includes being ranked in the top ten American marathoners for SIX consecutive years and being ranked 7th in the world in 1982.

This week on the podcast Beards and Dun get to know a new friend, Mike Beeman. Mike has run the Boston Marathon an impressive FOURTY SEVEN times consecutively! Starting out as a basketball player and later achieving a personal best time of 2:35:42 in the marathon, as well as twice running the length of New Hampshire (248 miles) for the Make A Wish Foundation, Mike has some amazing stories to share.

Beards and Dun get together this week alongside Beards' college coach John Fulkrod. Coach Fulkrod was the men’s and women’s cross country coach, men’s and women’s track coach, and tenured chemistry professor for 38 years between the University of Minnesota-Waseca and Duluth. They discuss Coach's career as well as reminisce with stories from his time as Beards' coach.

Despite some technical issues Beards And Dun manage to get a conversation going with former SDSU Coach Jay Dirksen. Jay coached for SDSU from 1969 to 1977 before coaching in Illinois, Missouri, and 28 seasons for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, retiring in 2011. Jay has won numerous marathons including the inaugural Paavo Nurmi Marathon, The Drake Relay, and the Twin Cities Marathon just to name a few.