Jeff Galloway, Olympian and pioneer of run-walk method, dies at 80 - ESPN

Jeff Galloway, a member of the 1972 U.S. Olympic team who for decades inspired elite athletes and countless everyday runners by promoting a run-walk-run strategy, whether in a marathon or just a neighborhood jog, died Wednesday at age 80.

Galloway had a hemorrhagic stroke and died at a hospital in Pensacola, Florida, daughter-in-law Carissa Galloway said.

His influence was evident in the final days of his life: Throngs of people posted videos online, hoping for Galloway's recovery from emergency neurosurgery and thanking him for advice that boosted their confidence and took them to race starting lines.

Galloway's family announced the surgery on Feb. 20 and invited the public to express support.

Jim Vance, an elite endurance sports consultant in San Diego, said Galloway was a «pioneer» in getting people to run.

«He removed the barrier to entry, which was mostly mental,» Vance told The Associated Press. «Running isn't supposed to be a suffer-fest. It should be something peaceful, something enjoyable, so people can enjoy running and not dread it.»

Galloway survived heart failure in 2021 and was still hoping to complete another marathon after logging more than 230 during his lifetime.

«My mission now, at the age of 80-plus, is to show that people can do things that are normally not done, and can do them safely,» he told The New York Times in December.

Galloway's run-walk-run method began in 1974 when he agreed to teach a running class through Florida State University, two years after competing in the 10,000 meters at the Olympics. He figured it might attract customers to Phidippides, his new store for runners.

«None had done any running for at least five years. So we started walking with a few one-minute jogs,» Galloway said