The highlight of my weekend at Grandma's Marathon in Duluth was meeting the incomparable Dick Beardsley. Dick was an unstoppable force in American marathon running between 1980 and 1982. He raced often, with as few as 6 weeks between marathons, and fast, with a PR of 2:08:53. He's most famous for battling Alberto Salazar to the line in the "Duel in the Sun" at the 1982 Boston Marathon, but in Duluth they love him for the Grandma's Marathon course record of 2:09:37, set in 1981. Dick told me his watch broke in the middle of that race and he had no idea how fast he was running until the race was nearly over.
After his running career ended, Dick survived several life threatening accidents and a serious addiction to pain medication. He emerged from those hardships with a new lease on life and a desire to pass along his message of hope to people everywhere. Dick started a charity ( www.dickbeardsleyfoundation.org ) to help addicts get clean. He speaks to groups around the country and can often be found at major road races, sharing his story and lining up at the starting line. He still runs very fast and looks fitter than guys half his age. If you ever get the chance to meet the man, or hear him speak, do not pass up the opportunity.
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