Can you imagine going into your first marathon with no race plan, no experience, and good but mostly non-specific training?
That’s exactly how Australian running legend Steve Moneghetti began
his marathon career at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh,
Scotland. The result? A bronze medal and probably nobody more surprised
than Steve himself.
Steve began running almost by accident on a random invitation from a
neighbor to take part in a youth cross country race. That seemingly
inauspicious invitation was the spark for a career that spanned from the
1985 World Cross Country Championships through the 2000 Olympic
Marathon.
In that time of rapid and dramatic shifts in information and opinions
about the sport of running, Steve was notable for his steady results
and faith in himself, his coach, and his program.
Throughout his entire running life, which continues to this day,
Steve has, first and foremost, maintained his love of the simple act of
running. He shares his belief that the mistake that many runners make is
making running too complicated
A few of the things that Steve and I discussed included:
Steve’s background in running and the exact training program that took him to the top of the running worldThe specifics of the workout known around the world as the “Mona fartlek,” how it came to be, and how it is still used todayHow Steve dealt with the many and varied innovations and shifting opinions that were introduced to the sport during his careerSteve’s opinion on the current state of running as a sport and how he thinks it can be improvedWe’d like to thank Steve for his time and wish him the best of luck in the future.Running Is Simple – Don’t Complicate It: An Interview With Steve Moneghetti