Dan Schlesinger
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dan Schlesinger is an American lawyer and artist who was a former long-distance running athlete. He was the third-place finisher at the 1982 New York City Marathon[1] and was in the top 10 finishers at the 1983 and 1986 Boston Marathons.[2][3]
Schlesinger ran for Yale University, where many saw him as a rising star in the track and cross country sports. He set a record time in the six-mile run (which was previously held by Frank Shorter).[4] Unfortunately, Schlesinger's progress faced setbacks. First he fell ill, and then he faced injuries.
He returned to health and finished fifth in the 1975 New Haven Big Three title race (behind co-winners Craig Masback and Larry Tractenberg, who tied).[5] After moving on to Oxford, he set a record in the 5,000-meter race at the Harvard-Yale vs. Oxford-Cambridge matchup.[6] He then took time off while in the midst of his studies and injuries.
But he was back running again in 1981 while living in South Korea as a translator. He raced the Seoul Marathon and finished ninth in 2:17:59.[6]
The fall of 1982 came with a major breakthrough for Schlesinger, then studying at Harvard. He had trained in South Korea while working as an interpreter, so many didn't know if he would be a competitor at the Oct. 24 New York City Marathon. His mother thought he had a chance to finish 10th; he laughed her off.
But he kept up with the leaders in the race of nearly 14,000 runners, and by the end it was clear he was a contender. Despite being a true dark horse competitor, he finished third, behind Alberto Salazar and Rodolfo Gómez. Schlesinger had become a 2:11:54 marathoner. He flew back to Harvard the same day of the race, and the following morning he was sitting in a desk next to his surprised classmates.[7][8][6]
His training included 120-mile weeks. Through the New York winter, he ran outside in layers of sweatpants, though he often ran without socks.[9]
He was a recognized as a top runner at the start of the 1983 Boston Marathon, and ran a 2:11:37. His place was eighth—it was the deepest field ever run at Boston; 84 men broke the 2:20 barrier.[10][11] He was hoping and training for an Olympic bid, but at the 1984 Olympic Trials Marathon in Buffalo, New York, he did not finish.[11]
By 1986, he was back at Boston, where he finished 9th.[11]
In 1987, he was in Duluth, Minnesota, and won the Grandma's Marathon (so named for the main sponsor, Grandma's Restaurant). In his race to the finish in 2:16:00, he put on several surges to drop hometown favorite Dick Beardsley.[12]
In 1988, Schlesinger trained for the Staten Island Half Marathon, aiming to run with the leaders again. This time, he led the pack and broke the tape in 1:05:09.[13] In the same year, he was selected to be on the American team to compete at the ASICS Ekiden along with Ross Donoghue, Jim Flynn, Charlie Bevier, and Bill Krohn.[14]
In 1985 he set a record in the half marathon at the Maccabiah Games in a time of 1:05.56. The record still stands.