• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Click here to download the  free ebook of Alberto Juantorena’s  detailed training workouts leading up to the 1976 Montreal Olympics

SpeedEndurance.com

Success in Track & Field ... and Life

  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
  • Track & Field
    • 400 meters
    • 800m & Mile
    • 1/2 & Full Marathons
    • Long & Triple Jump
    • Hurdles
  • Training
    • Weight Training
    • Abs & Core
    • Injury Prevention
    • Shoes & Spikes
    • Masters
  • Coaching
    • Freelap Friday Five
    • Interviews
    • Sports Nutrition
    • Sport Psychology
  • Archives
  • Shop
    • My account
    • Checkout
    • Basket

Bill Bowerman, NIKE, PRE and… Harry Jerome?

You are here: Home / Track & Field / 800m-Mile / Bill Bowerman, NIKE, PRE and… Harry Jerome?
26
SHARES
FacebookTwitter

June 19, 2009 by Jimson Lee 1 Comment

Last Updated on March 10, 2013 by Jimson Lee

YET another successful Harry Jerome International Track & Field Classic is under our belts.  In case you missed it, you can view all the races and interviews on Flocast.org.

Harry Jerome was the most decorated sprinter between the Percy Williams (1920’s) and Ben Johnson (1980’s) era.  One of the many highlights was his bronze medal in the 100 meters at the 1964 Olympics.  I’ll get to his WR later.

Rumour has it that Canadian Marathoner Jerome Drayton, who won the Boston Marathon in 1977, changed his name from Peter Buniak in honour of Harry Jerome and Paul Drayton.  Yes, the irony of a distance runner idolizing sprinters!

Behind every successful athlete lies a successful coach.  The corollary is “Behind every successful man lies a successful woman” but we can save that for another post.

So who was his coach?

Would you believe Bill Bowerman?

Who the heck is Bill Bowerman?

When you think of Bill Bowerman, you immediately think of NIKE, the University of Oregon, and Steve Prefontaine.  Two major Hollywood movies about Steve Prefontaine helped raised his stature.

But before Bill Bowerman (and NIKE for that matter) became a household name, he was the head coach at the University of Oregon from 1948-1972.  He won four NCAA team championships (1962, ‘64, ‘65, ‘70), and 24 NCAA individual titles including coaching 33 Olympians.

Along with the shoes and coaching distance athletes, including NIKE co-founder Phil Knight, Coach Bowerman was well versed in the sprints and throws.  Discus thrower Mac Wilkins and Canadian Sprinter Harry Jerome were among his many world record holders and Olympians.

See also  Coach Says Bolt Could Have Run 9.52 in Olympics

In the video below, Dr. Doug Clement discusses his collegiate years at the U of Oregon, and the influence Bill Bowerman had on his life outside of Track.

Dr. Clement also mentions Bowerman was an all around coach and not just distance events.

Here is the video from Flocast.org


Some remember Bill Bowerman as the pioneer for the jogging boom in America during the mid 1960’s, thanks to New Zealand’s Arthur Lydiard.

Harry Jerome under Bill Bowerman

Harry Jerome attended University of Oregon on a track scholarship from 1960 to 1964.  Under his tenure, Harry set or equalled 6 world records, 7 in total.

  • 100 meters – 10.1 seconds (EWR – set by Willie William in 1956)
  • 100 meters – 10.0 seconds (EWR on July 15, 1960  – set by Armin Hary one month earlier on June 21)
  • 100 yards – 9.3 seconds in 1961
  • 100 yards – 9.2  seconds in 1962 
  • 4 x 110 yard Relay – University of Oregon – EWR
  • Indoor 60 yards – WR
  • 100 yards – 9.1  seconds in 1966

NOTE: the unofficial wiki page on wikipedia.org states Jerome held the 100 meter WR in 10.2 seconds.  This cannot be correct, as 10.2 was set by Jesse Owens in 1936 and 10.1 by Willie William in 1956.

I am constantly reminded of Harry Jerome and Percy Williams when I workout at Brockton Oval, and pass by the Harry Jerome statue in Stanley Park seawall in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.  In fact, during the fund raising gala for this 9 foot bronze statue, Bill Bowerman came to Vancouver and gave a keynote address.

See also  Sally Pearson WR Hurdles at the London 2012 Olympics?

It is no secret that special bond between Jerome and Bill Bowerman went beyond the coach and athlete relationship.

Harry Jerome died in 1982 at the age of 42, and Bill Bowerman died in 1999 at the age of 88.

Category icon800m-Mile,  Events & Conferences,  Featured Story,  Track & Field,  Videos Tag icon100 meters,  4x100,  Arthur Lydiard,  Interviews,  Nike,  Olympics,  relay,  speed,  Videos

About Jimson Lee

I am a Masters Athlete and Coach currently based in London UK. My other projects include the Bud Winter Foundation, writer for the IAAF New Studies in Athletics Journal (NSA) and a member of the Track & Field Writers of America.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Recommended

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xbs-aWxyLk

Shop Our Store

  • Bud Winter (9)
  • Championship Productions (6)
  • Clyde Hart (2)
  • Derek Hansen (1)
  • Electrical Muscle Stimulation (2)
  • Jim Hiserman (6)
  • Jimson Lee (4)
  • Uncategorised (0)

Articles by Category

Products

  • Jim Hiserman - Developing 800m Runners: Identifying, Categorizing and Developing 400m-800m Type Athletes $42.99 $39.99
  • Private Coaching - Monthly Plan $600.00 $525.00
  • Jim Hiserman-Developing-Distance-Runnersv2 Jim Hiserman - Developing Distance Runners Volume 2: A Systematic Approach to Developing Individual Success within a Dynamic Team Culture $34.95 $29.95
  • Feed-the-Cats-Clinic-3-Pack-701 'Feed the Cats' Clinic 3-Pack $64.99
  • Tony Holler's Feed the Cats": A Complete Sprint Training Program Tony Holler's "Feed the Cats" Complete Sprint Training Program $49.99
  • Bud Winter and Speed City presents Arthur Lydiard 509x716 Bud Winter & Arthur Lydiard MP3 [Download only] $9.99

RECENT POSTS

  • IFAC 2022: The Return of In-Person Conferences (with Virtual option)
  • Here is our 400m Discussion Recording… over 2 Hours Long
  • The Best Free Coaching Book – post Beijing 2022 Olympics
  • The Ultimate 400m Track Webinar for Coaches & Athletes
  • NACAC Athletics Coaching Science Series 2022
  • Top Six 400m Predictor Workouts (Number 4 is my Favourite)
  • Best 6 Podcasts for 2021 (and Beyond)
  • Why Karsten Warholm’s 45.94 400mH WR is my Highlight of 2021
  • Sprinting: 10 Research Articles for Effective Sprint Training [Part 23]
  • Pressure in Sports – Reflections from Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Copyright © 2023. SpeedEndurance.com is owned and operated by Aryta Ltd. Privacy Policy
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy