17: Barry Magee (1960 Olympic marathon bronze medalist)

88 year old Barry Magee was, in his own words, only a “decent runner” compared to his training partners in the 1950s. Then again, his training partners were Peter Snell and Sir Murray Halberg. (Barry’s best 5000m time was 13.39 so you be the judge about his talent or lack of!!).

The three Arthur Lydiard coached athletes went to the 1960 Olympic games in Rome. Expectation was high for Snell and Hallberg (which they both delivered on, winning gold within an hour of each other). But Barry was not even expected to be anywhere near the podium for the marathon.

Due to the heat in Rome, the marathon time was changed to late afternoon meaning it finished in the dark (running on cobblestones with no streetlights). This meant Barry had no idea that he had won the bronze medal when he finished in pitch black in what has gone on to be known as one of the greatest marathons of the century!

This is an exhilarating story of a golden era of New Zealand athletics, and it was an absolute honor to sit with Barry and have him reminisce.

He still coaches to this day and can often be found at the finish line cheering on his athletes. He is a man who has devoted his life to running. This is a must listen for any history buffs or running nerds.

Big thanks to the sponsor of this episode, the incredible HUAWEI WATCH GT runner. With this sexy device, you will have access to more data about your run than Magee, Snell and Halberg ever had!! If you want to find out just what this watch can do, you'll find more info here: https://tinyurl.com/2p9arp7p

Thanks very much for listening.

Cheers, Dom

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