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Podcast: Ultrarunning History
Episode: 69: The 100-miler: Part 16 (1976-1977) Max Telford and Alan Jones
Description: By Davy Crockett
In the 1970s, the sport of ultrarunning received very little attention in the mainstream media. In April 1974, Park Barner from Pennsylvania, the top ultrarunner in America at the time, did appear on a local television show. The episode was entitled, “The Loneliness of the Ultra-Distance Runner.” He also later was on CBS's PM Magazine. But the ultrarunners who really succeeded in getting the attention of the public were those who rarely participated in formal races and instead put on endurance stunts that were attention-grabbers.
The most prominent runners had the help of skilled marketing resources to keep their...