131: Tom Osler - The Serious Runner

April 2, 2023·27 min·2 clips

Tom Osler proved his run-walk theory by covering 100 miles in 18 hours without leg stiffness.

This episode is a tribute to running legend Tom Osler, hosted by Davy Crockett of the Ultrarunning History podcast. Osler was a mathematician, national champion distance runner, and influential author from New Jersey who passed away at age 82. His training theories, particularly on walk-run strategies and base building, profoundly impacted distance and ultrarunning. Osler ran in over 2,100 races, starting as a self-taught teenager in Camden who discovered his endurance by out-jogging friends in a field. He was mentored by elite runner Jack Barry and inspired by local Olympian Browning Ross, whom he first saw win the National 30-kilometer Championship in Atlantic City. In 1967, Osler won the modern era's first American 50-mile championship in Poughkeepsie, beating legendary runner John Tarrant in freezing rain. He privately published his seminal 29-page training booklet, "The Conditioning of Distance Runners," in 1967, later expanded into the classic "The Serious Runner's Handbook," which sold over 55,000 copies. In 1976, to test his run-walk theory, he completed a 24-hour run on a track in Glassboro, New Jersey, covering 114 miles. Alongside fellow ultrarunner Ed Dodd, Osler co-authored the influential 1979 book "Ultra- The Next Challenge," which compiled historical pedestrianism research with modern ultramarathon advice. He earned a Ph.D. in mathematics, published over 150 academic papers, and taught for more than 54 years at Rowan University. A surprising insight is that Osler's early running shoes were often Converse cross-country shoes or even Hush Puppies, as proper running shoes were not commercially available. He frequently faced police suspicion and was once tackled and detained while training on roads, which was considered unusual behavior in the 1950s. His 24-hour run experiment proved his walk-run method's effectiveness, as he experienced no post-race leg stiffness, which he credited to the frequent walking breaks. The historical scrapbook that inspired his book with Dodd was a gift from a dying pedestrian to a medical student, eventually passing through Browning Ross to Osler. Osler believed ultramarathons could be less tiring than standard marathons if one mastered mixing gentle running with walking. Even after a stroke and artery blockage, he continued running races nearly every week until a hip replacement in 2017 forced him to stop. The tone is educational and reverential, presenting a detailed biographical narrative filled with historical anecdotes and direct quotes. Its style is conversational yet meticulously researched, weaving personal stories with the broader context of running history. This episode will deeply appeal to runners, especially ultramarathoners and students of running history, interested in training philosophy and pivotal 20th-century figures. Listeners seeking fast-paced drama or contemporary running commentary might find its detailed, historical focus less engaging.

As heard by us

A measured tribute to Tom Osler that ties his racing, teaching, and writing into one lasting influence on ultra running.

This episode gives Tom Osler a careful, grounded tribute, tracing him from Camden mathematician and former national champion distance runner to author of Serious Runner's Handbook and winner of the first modern era American 50 mile championship.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

For when you want ultra history with a mathematician's mind behind every mile and every training theory.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Ultrarunning History