Jeff Galloway, a member of the 1972 US Olympic team who for decades inspired elite athletes and countless everyday runners by promoting a run-walk-run strategy, whether in a marathon or just a neighborhood jog, died on Wednesday at age 80. Galloway had a hemorrhagic stroke and died at a hospital in Pensacola, Florida, says daughter-in-law Carissa Galloway, per the AP. The Olympians influence was evident in the final days of his life: Throngs of people posted videos online, hoping for Galloways recovery from emergency neurosurgery and thanking him for advice that boosted their confidence and took them to race starting lines.
Galloways run-walk-run method began in 1974 when he agreed to teach a running class through Florida State University, two years after competing in the 10,000 meters at the Olympics. He figured it might attract customers to Phidippides, his new store for runners. "None had done any running for at least five years. So we started walking with a few one-minute jogs," Galloway said on his website. "I spent some time with each group, during the runs, to adjust the frequency of walk breaks so that no one was huffing and puffing—even at the end. Walk breaks kept the groups together." Galloway believed walking during a run reduced the risk of injury, conserved energy, and kept confidence afloat.
His recipe for racing seemed to work: He walked through every water station during the 1980 Houston Marathon and finished with a faster time, 2:16:35, than his previous run-only 26.2-mile races, the New York Times reported. He shared his running philosophies through books, websites, and retreats. Galloway was also the official training consultant for runDisney, a series of races at Walt Disney Co. resorts. Galloway survived heart failure in 2021 and was still hoping to complete another marathon after logging more than 230 during his lifetime. "My mission now, at the age of 80-plus, is to show that people can do things that are normally not done, and can do them safely," he told the Times in December.
Many admirers went online to offer tributes after his recent surgery, which Galloways family announced on Friday. Jim Vance, an elite endurance sports consultant in San Diego, said Galloway was a "pioneer" in getting people to run. "He removed the barrier to entry, which was mostly mental," Vance says. "Running isnt supposed to be a suffer-fest. It should be something peaceful, something enjoyable, so people can enjoy running and not dread it." Galloway is survived by two sons and six grandchildren.
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