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Rhode Island Runners Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame – 2023
Tom Grundy
Two time winner of the Ocean State Marathon. Dominated the Rhode island running scene in the late 1970’s.
Patti Dillon
Patti Dillon has held the World Record in the marathon and American road records in the marathon, half marathon, 30 kilometers, 15 kilometers, 10 miles, and 5 mile (now 8 kilometers).[2][4] Described as “one of the most dominating American female road runners of the 1970s” and “the queen of U.S. women distance runners”,
Dillon won five of the first six runnings of the Ocean State Marathon (1976-1979, 1981) and four consecutive at the Honolulu Marathon (1978-1981). Included among the many races she has won are the Montreal International Marathon (1980), Crim 10 miler (1980, 1981), the Crescent City Classic 10 km (1980, 1981), and the Rio de Janeiro Marathon (1985).
Geoff Smith
Geoff Smith is a British long-distance runner who won the Boston Marathon in both 1984 and 1985. He was born in Liverpool. He represented Great Britain at the Summer Olympics twice, in the 10,000 m in 1980 and in the marathon in 1984.
Smith’s best time in the marathon was 2:09:08, when he finished second to Rod Dixon in the New York City Marathon in 1983, his first attempt at the marathon distance. Smith only lost by nine seconds. He won the 1984 Boston Marathon by over four minutes.
He ran a sub-four-minute mile in 1982, recording 3:55 minutes in Wales. In 1982 he won the world class Bermuda 10K on a very hilly course in a record time of 28:14, although many world class runners have attempted this race over the years since, none have been any closer than 54 seconds behind this record.
Ray Nelson
A great RI athlete who dedicated so much of his time to coaching other athletes and certifying courses all over New England.
Janice Cataldo
Winner of the Naragansett 10 miler three time and former course record hold of the Block Island race. Winner of the Manchester road race.
Hall of Fame – 2022
Bobby Doyle
Bobby Doyle began his legendary running career at Hope High School as a junior in 1966. Within five months he became the state’s premier high school distance runner. His achievements earned him an athletic scholarship to the University of Texas at El Paso. In his sophomore year, Bobby earned All-American honors as a member of the 1969 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championship Team. After college he continued to race competitively , forming the Johnson & Wales A.C. with many of his closest friends.
Career Highlights
Boston Marathon: 5th 1985, 7th 1979 (2:14:03), 12th 1978
Represented the USA at the 1979 Pan American Games in Puerto Rico
Seven time winner of the Ocean State Marathon
Competed in the 1980 and 1984 Olympic Marathon Trials
Won numerous marathons spanning three decades
Anne Hurd
Anne set Ivy records in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters at the outdoor championships in 1979. She also placed sixth in the 10,000 meters in the outdoor track nationals in 1979, eighteenth in the national cross country championships in 1980, and fourth in the Olympic Trails (10,000 meters) in 1980. She set a record in the indoor track American Collegiate three-mile in 1980 – a record previously held by Joan Benoit. In April of 1980, Sports Illustrated magazine featured Hird in its “Faces in the Crowd” section for setting an American women’s record in the Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Road Race with a time of 55:34 – eight seconds off the old record.
Hall of Fame – 2019
Gerry Beagan
Gerry Beagan was the first inductee into the Rhode Island Runners Hall of fame in 2019.
