Old school press photo of Joan Benoit-Samuelson

I just noticed that there are a lot of vintage press photos of runners and racers on eBay. Many are photos that I have never seen. I guess these are photos that the press, newspapers and magazines, receive and can choose to edit and print in their papers. They are now selling them off and it is noted than many have not been seen by the public before. I thought this photo was most interesting and not for the content, but for the decision making process as to what the press saw as important. Here is a photo of Joan Benoit from a 1978 race that she won over Mary Shea and Ellison Goodall. It is not the "tall" one that matters, nor the winner who is a "track star", instead it is the "blonde" runner. Yup, they circled that one and you can only guess that a close up of Ellison made the paper the next day! All three were excellent runners in the late 1970's - 1980s. Joan showed that she was at an entirely different level in 1980!

Here are a few other of the more interesting photos I found looking around today.

Frank Shorter in 1972 with a Florida Track Club shirt
without an orange
.

Franks Shorter in 1972 sporting an awesome mustache!

Frank Shorter 1973 looking very thin.

Bill Rodgers

Henry Rono nipping Alberto Salazar at the tape in that famous 10,000 meters race one week before Salazar won Boston at the Duel in the Sun.

Race favorite Rob DeCastella tripping over the starting line at the 1978 Boston Marathon.

Gate City Strider teammate and friend Walter Swanbon as the winner
of the Boston Junior Marathon in 1972.