Jim Ryun [Born 29th April 1947 in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Racing Weight 76kgs, 6ft 2inches tall. This gave him a sleek appearance, with an impressive stride.
To my mind, he was the ‘the greatest miler’ who never achieved an Olympic gold medal. In the three Olympics he ran in, his best by far was coming second in Mexico on 20th October 1968. The first six of the twelve finishers in the final, were, 1] Kip Keyno of Kenya in an Olympic record of 3:34:09 2] Jim Ryun USA 3:37:08 3] Bodo Tummler West Germany 3:39:00 4] Harald Norpeth West Germany 3:42:05 5] John Whetton GB 3:43:08 6] Jaques Boxberger France 3:46:06.
Now for the reasoning behind Ryun’s position in Mexico. John Whetton, a European outdoor and indoor champion said to me ‘Ryun is undoubtedly one of the greatest milers that has ever lived. In 1968 he did lose the confidence he once had, following illness. I am convinced that the result might still have been the same at sea level, with Keyno the winner, only because Ryun lacked confidence, more especially at altitude, where he thought it was impossible to run any faster than 3:39:00 for 1500. If he had showed the same tactics that I did, going with them, he would have won and beaten Keyno hands down. With 300metres to go, Ryun was still behind me, but by that point Keyno was close on just 200metres from the line’.
The year before, on July 8th 1967, the United States versus the British Commonwealth meeting in Los Angeles: Ryun achieved a new World record for 1500metres, in 3:33:01 and Kip Keyno was second in 3:37:02 with Alan Simpson third in 3:41:07.
A race I saw at the White City stadium on 12th August 1967, was when Jim Ryun won the mile in 3:53:08, with Kip Keyno second in 3:56:00. I talked to Jim Ryun after that, at the Lancaster Gate hotel and I asked him which of the World records he achieved, did he find the most challenging – 1:44:09 [800metres in 1:44:02] in 1966, 1500 in 3:33:01 or 3:51:01 for the mile [both in 1967]. ‘I can’t say either one of them was harder than the other, because they were all different situations, after which I felt tired, but not exhausted. Herb Elliot’s 3:35:05 in Rome in 1960 was a very good record for 1500 and I thought it would be another year or so before it would be removed from the books. To take it out by such a big margin was a great surprise to me [3:33:01]’. In his mile world record in 1967 he was followed home by his friend, Jim Grelle, who ran 3:56:01.
It was after his great success and World records and more towards the end of his career, that he ran against an in form fellow American, Marty Liquori, over a mile in Philadelphia. They ran together a 1:51:00, 800metres, both sprinting in to the finish. Liquori ran 3:54:06 to Ryun’s 3:54:08.
Did Jim Ryun’s coach train other athletes? ‘Bob Timmons trained Archie San Romani junior, who was a very fine athlete and he has had a number of swimmers and track athletes too, but they never made it to World level. He developed them from nothing, to be great athletes, but not World class. Regarding myself, I took up athletics because I couldn’t make the team at anything else’.
Ryun’s fastest mile times as a teenager: On September 7th 1962, he ran 5:38:00, at 16 in 1963, he ran 4:07:00, 17 year old in 1964, 3:59:00 and at 18, 3:53:00 and at 19 ran 3:51:03.
Jim Ryun discussing his beginnings: ‘I started in Wichita East High School, at the age of fifteen, with cross country over 2miles and then went into the Spring for the track, where the longest race for me was the mile. I fell into the event, which was something completely new to me and I knew very little about anyone’s accomplishments. Bob Timmons was my coach and I would not have come so far, so fast without him. I started training quite hard very young, as I say, without him I would not have matured physically as fast’.
After his athletics competition days, which included at the University of Kansas, he went into Politics as a Republican and a member of the U.S House of Representatives for Kansas Second District. He was in office from November 27th 1996 to January 3rd 2007.