FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ian Monahan
Elite Racing
800-311-1255
Elite Racing and Running World Mourn the Loss of a Beloved Friend
In Memory
Michael Long
(March 14, 1942 – July 18, 2007)
By Toni Reavis
SAN DIEGO, Calif., (July 19, 2007) - Family, friends, and those touched by
the life of one of the running industry's most beloved personalities are
mourning the loss of Michael Long, athlete recruiter and coordinator for
Elite Racing, Inc. Long passed away unexpectedly at his home in San Diego,
Calif. early Wednesday morning. He was 65 years old.
"Our family at Elite Racing and the running family worldwide have lost a
true friend," said Tim Murphy, founder and CEO of Elite Racing. "In the
many years I worked with Mike, I saw him differentiate Elite's musical
marathons through his kindness, generosity and love for the athletes."
Long was found at his home Wednesday morning by Tom Bedford, son of London
Marathon director Dave Bedford. Tom was living with Long while serving an
internship at Elite Racing. The cause of death is still unknown, though
family and friends believe Mike suffered a heart attack.
Tom Bedford was only the last of literally hundreds of runners the world
over who were hosted by Long at his Mission Beach home. It was this quality
of openness and hospitality to running and its people that endeared Long to
so many.
"This is not one man dying," lamented 2000 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon champion
Belay Wolasha of Ethiopia upon hearing of Mike's passing. "This is a
thousand men dying."
A native of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Long moved to San Diego in the
1970s, making his home in south Mission Beach. A standout wrestler while at
Michigan State University, Long became an avid runner during the initial
running boom of the 1970s. He completed several marathons including the
1983 Boston Marathon, when he ran his personal best time of 2:54:00.
Long began working at Elite Racing in 1990 after retiring as a stockbroker,
and soon took on the duties of elite athlete coordinator. With his Irish
twinkle and easy charm Long's passion for life and the sport was marked by
the embracing quality of his work, which took him around the globe to
recruit athletes for Elite Racing's growing stable of events. Not just in
the business of running, Long's sincere human touch earned him friends
everywhere, and many of the world's finest distance runners counted him as
a close friend.
After meeting Irish mile legend Eamonn Coghlan along Mission Bay in 1979,
Long began a close relationship with the top Irish runners. In 1984 he
housed Irish Olympian Jerry Kiernan for two months prior to the Los Angeles
Olympics, beginning a tradition of opening his home to runners over the
years. The legacy Long leaves behind is a testament to the joy he brought
to those he touched.
"Mike wasn't only a true ambassador for Elite Racing, but a great mentor
and a sincere friend to many people across the continents," wrote Kenya's
Godfrey Kiprotich, who met Mike in 1996. "When I shared the tragic news to
my family, my son asked me if he is the same Mzungu (white man) who was
ready to teach him how to swim in one of the hotel pools within Eldoret. We
will miss his annual visit to Kenya, his smiley face, hugging his friends
in every corner of the globe."
"There won't be any comfort for those who were close to him, but nobody
could feel better about how he lived his life than Mike," said Mary
Wittenberg, president and CEO of the New York Road Runners. "There could
never be a better person who did more for others."
In 2006, Long began working with a group of colleagues to establish the
Entoto Foundation. In what will become part of Long's lasting legacy, this
non-profit organization will continue to help deliver medical assistance to
Ethiopians who do not have access to appropriate treatment or surgery.
Donations to the Entoto Foundation may be sent to Elite Racing, Inc., 5452
Oberlin Drive, San Diego, CA, 92121.
"To hundreds of Kenyans and Ethiopians Mike Long was the face of America,"
said running agent Brendan Reilly. "And we couldn't have asked for a better
ambassador."
Mike is survived by a son, Scott, of Carlsbad, California, two
grandchildren, and a daughter, Erin, in Seattle as well as his brothers
Alan, Bruce, and Bill.
More than a sport, running has always represented community, a sense that
everyone who laced up their shoes and made the attempt was connected
through the effort. No matter what differences may divide us, be they age,
race, religion, or nationality, running transcended all those differences,
linking all who suffered and celebrated into a shared communion. Mike Long
represented that cohesion in its most endearing form. He was the best we
had. We will miss him beyond measure.
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