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Hal Higdon
FROM HAL: My greatest running achievement was winning the 3000 meter steeplechase at the World Masters Championships in Toronto in 1975.
KR Mini-Interview
 Hal writes and paints. KR: Which sports did you play at the age of ten? HAL: Every playground sport: baseball, touch football mostly. We didn't have organized leagues back then, so it was mostly a matter of someone bringing a ball and we'd pick sides and play. KR: Did you participate in any training for running? HAL: I didn't start running until I was a sophomore in high school (age 15) when I went out for track. There was little running activity for kids back then, but I once won a sack race at a Halloween party at a local playground. KR: Did you run during your playtime? HAL: The only running I did was associated with other sports, but I did a lot of long distance swimming (up to a mile or more), since I lived only a few blocks away from Lake Michigan. KR: How many hours or miles did you spend or cover on running and other sports? HAL: We didn't measure miles or count hours when I was age 10. We just went out and did whatever we did. BIRTHDAY: June 17, 1931 FUN FACT HAL: I used to be a cartoonist before turning to writing. I still paint and sell my art. GREATEST RUNNING ACHIEVEMENTS HAL: Winning the 3000 meter steeplechase at the World Masters Championships in Toronto in 1975, the first of my four world titles in that event for runners over 40. The American record I set that day still stands a quarter century later. GIVING BACK Hal has been celebrating his 70th birthday by running 7 marathons in 7 months in honor of various charities. See halhigdon.com/7-7-70.htm for more info. BOOKS Hal is the author of many books, including texts on training for various distances and a children's e-book which can be found on his Web site. Hal is also a Senior Writer for RUNNER'S WORLD magazine. OTHER LINKS Time of Wonder | halhigdon.com | History of the Steeplechase | Back to LOOK and SEE How they RAN Index  It's the steeplechase! Legend has it that the steeplechase was invented when it was too muddy to have a horse race. So an event was created where men ran over jumps and through the water. We're not sure about the legend, but we do know that the event seems like a lot of fun. Sometimes kids can run modified steeplechases. The Race for the Cure in Vermont has a steeplechase for kids every summer. Maybe I'll see you there this year!
Please email goodrow@infi.net with comments on this column. 
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