People tend to think long distance runners are crazy. They say things like: "you run an hour and a half in the pouring rain with your shirt off? you're insane!" or "you're going to run tonight for 5 miles, even though you just finished a 5K race? crazy!".Imagine what they'd think about the guy on the left, Joe Detmer. Detmer makes all of that light, cheerful "craziness" look like child's play. You think a standard decathlon with 10 events in two days sounds intense and rigorous? How about a double decathlon, a mind-boggling 20 events in 2 days. If Detmer hears your "Coach, I can't do both the 800 and 1500 with only 2 hours rest", it's safe to say he is fully justified in giving a haughty snort and mimicking a chicken.
In two days Detmer competed in the 100, 200, 400, 800, 1,500, 3,000, 5,000 and 10,000. He was your entire track team, sprints, mid distance, and long distance. Oh yeah, there's one thing: that's just the flat running events. He also heaved the hammer, discus, shot put and javelin, hurdled his way over the 100m hurdles, 200m hurdles, 400m hurdles and 3000 meter steeplechase and leaped in the high jump, long jump, triple jump and pole vault. You could call that a good two days of work. Detmer was your entire track and field team- running, jumping, hurdling, and throwing. People often debate what is the hardest running event in track. Is it the 800, 400m hurdles, or the 3000m steeplechase? Detmer should know because he did them all.
I think if all I had to do was give a half-hearted effort in 20 events, I might not make it- yeah.... I'd probably pass out midway through day one. Well, Detmer, on the other hand, not only did all 20 events, but he set a new WR with some very legitimate marks.
Here are his results in order of completion:
day1 100m: 10.93 Long Jump: 7.30 200m hurdles: 24.25 Shot Put: 12.27 meters 5k: 18:25.32 800: 2:02.23 High Jump: 1.98 400: 50.43 Hammer Throw: 31.82 3000m Steeple: 11:22.47
day2: 100m hurdles: 15.01 Discus Throw: 40.73 200m: 22.58 Pole Vault: 4.85 3k: 10:25.99 400m hurdles: 53.83 Javelin Throw: 51.95 1500: 4:26.66 Triple Jump: 13.67 10K: 40:27.26
Analysis: First of all, this guy can sprint. His 100 through 400 marks could win or contend for many D3 conference championships. He can do the vertical jumps too- his high jump/pole vault marks would do the same. The horizontal jumps are excellent, and his long jump (24 feet) is competitive even in D1. He's a decent thrower, and the distance marks are understandably of a little bit lower quality. Yes, he ran a plodding 40:27 for the 10,000, but that was his 20'th event so you can stop your snickering. His mid-d marks are solid, especially for a guy who can probably bench four times what your typical 1500 specialist does. A 4:26 after 17 grueling events by an all-around decathlete? This guy also has great hurdling ability. 24.25 for the 200m hurdles and 53.83 for 400m hurdles are great marks in and of themselves let alone in a 20 event marathon/suicide event.
Detmer was deservedly awarded USATF Athlete of the Meet for this insane accomplishment. After 20 events, I suspect any celebrations probably took a backseat to 16 hour nights of sleep. Detmer probably also provided a stimulus to the local economy by consuming six Rex Ryan-sized portions of food after each day. Or he bankrupted an "all-you-can-eat" place. Either way, Joe Detmer is some collosal combination of legendary and crazy.
So, now you know the next time someone calls you crazy for anything you do, they're wrong because you're not. Unless you're doing a bicentennial*
*http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=2267046
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