Dick Hooper
Irish long-distance runner and Olympian
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Richard Hooper (born 26 August 1956) is a former long-distance runner from Raheny, Dublin, Ireland.
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality | Irish | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 26 August 1956 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 150 lb (68 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Running | ||||||||||||||||||||
Event | Marathon | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Raheny Shamrock Athletic Club | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Career
He represented Ireland in the Olympic marathon in Moscow 1980, Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988. He also represented Ireland four times in the European Championships - in Czechoslovakia 1978, Athens 1982, Stuttgart 1986 and Split 1990.
He is a three-time record-holding winner of the Dublin Marathon in 1980, 1985 and 1988 and he set his personal best time at the 1988 Irish National Championship in Wexford, clocking 2:12:19 finishing in 2nd place behind John Woods. He went on to win a record six national marathon championships winning his last in 1998 at the age of 42.
He is the younger brother of marathoner Pat Hooper,[1][2] and, having had a career in banking, also worked as a coach, and an athletics commentator on Setanta Sports and Irish TV.
Achievements
- All results regarding marathon, unless stated otherwise
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  Ireland | |||||
| 1978 | Irish National Marathon Championship | Tullamore |  Gold |
2:23:19[3][4] | 18 June 1978 |
| 1978 | 1978 European Championships in Athletics | Prague | 29th | 2:21:01[5] | 3 September 1978 |
| 1980 | Dublin Marathon | Dublin | Gold |
2:16:14 | 26 October 1980 |
| 1980 | Irish National Marathon Championship | Tullamore | Gold |
2:16:27[3][6] | 8 July 1980 |
| 1980 | Moscow Olympics | Moscow | 38th place | 2:23:53[7][8][9] | 1 August 1980 |
| 1981 | Irish National Marathon Championship | Cork | Gold |
2:15:37[3][10] | 7 June 1981 |
| 1982 | Irish National Marathon Championship | Limerick | Gold |
2:12:56[3][11] | 6 June 1982 |
| 1982 | 1982 European Championships in Athletics – Men's Marathon | Athens | 11th place | 2:20:51[12] | 12 September 1982 |
| 1984 | Irish National Marathon Championship | Cork | Gold |
2:14:39[3][13][14] | 23 April 1984 |
| 1984 | Los Angeles Olympics | Los Angeles | 51st place | 2:24:41[7][15] | 12 August 1984 |
| 1985 | Dublin Marathon | Dublin | Gold |
2:13:48[16] | 27 October 1985 |
| 1986 | Dublin Marathon | Dublin | Gold |
2:18:10[17] | 26 October 1986 |
| 1986 | 1986 European Athletics Championships – Men's marathon | Stuttgart | 16th place | 2:17.45[18] | 30 August 1986 |
| 1987 | 1987 Dublin Marathon | Dublin |  Bronze |
2:14:36[19] | 25 October 1987 |
| 1988 | Irish National Marathon Championship | Wexford |  Silver |
2:12:19 PB[3][20] | 24 April 1988 |
| 1988 | Seoul Olympics | Seoul | 24th place | 2:17:16[7][21][22] | 2 October 1988 |
| 1990 | 1990 European Championships in Athletics – Men's Marathon | Split | 23rd place | 2:32.36[23][24] | 1 September 1990 |
| 1998 | Irish National Marathon Championship | Killenaule | Gold |
(2:22:08)[3][25] | 19 April 1998 |
| 1998 | New York City Marathon | New York City | 34th place | 2:22:46[26] | 1 November 1998 |
