Jeff Galloway, Runner Who Competed in 1972 Olympic Games, Dies at 80

Jeff Galloway, the former Olympian and prolific marathon runner whose pioneering “Run/Walk” training method inspired and motivated a new generation of runners, has died, according to family members. He was 80.

After suffering a hemorrhagic stroke, Galloway died on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at a hospital in Pensacola, Fla., his daughter-in-law Carissa Galloway told the Associated Press.

Despite running from a young age — finding success in high school and college — Jeff considered himself an “unlikely Olympian” when he qualified for the 10,000 meters in 1972, according to Runner’s World.

He failed to make the final at the Games in Munich, Germany. After the disappointment, he returned home and pivoted, becoming a retail store owner, author and mentor to aspiring runners.

In 1974, he began teaching his “Run Walk Run” training method at his running store. The method advised participants to run and walk at intervals matched to their fitness levels, alleviating stress and injuries, ultimately making the sport more accessible and enjoyable.

“Through this class, I saw an opportunity to help non-runners enjoy the benefits of running,” Jeff recalled on his website.

He continued, “During the class, I discovered that none of my students had been running for at least five years. About one-third had never done any regularly scheduled exercise during their lifetime. During the first lap around the track, I realized that walk breaks would be crucial if I wanted each class member to finish either a 5K or 10K without injury or exhaustion.”

Also known as the Galloway Method, the approach was “pioneering,” endurance sports consultant Jim Vance told AP.

“He removed the barrier to entry, which was mostly mental,” Vance said. “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.”

On Friday, Feb. 20, upon the announcement that Jeff had undergone emergency neurosurgery, family members started a forum for fans and devotees to tell the running guru about the impact that he’s had on their lives.

In the week since it launched, hundreds of runners have uploaded videos and photos.

Hamstrung by a heart disease diagnosis in 2021, Galloway moved slower in his later years, but shared last month in an interview with The New York Times that he was not easing up on his lifelong journey to inspire.

“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 said.

Jeff Galloway, the former Olympian and prolific marathon runner whose pioneering “Run/Walk” training method inspired and motivated a new generation of runners, has died, according to family members. He was 80.

After suffering a hemorrhagic stroke, Galloway died on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at a hospital in Pensacola, Fla., his daughter-in-law Carissa Galloway told the Associated Press.

Despite running from a young age — finding success in high school and college — Jeff considered himself an “unlikely Olympian” when he qualified for the 10,000 meters in 1972, according to Runner’s World.

He failed to make the final at the Games in Munich, Germany. After the disappointment, he returned home and pivoted, becoming a retail store owner, author and mentor to aspiring runners.

In 1974, he began teaching his “Run Walk Run” training method at his running store. The method advised participants to run and walk at intervals matched to their fitness levels, alleviating stress and injuries, ultimately making the sport more accessible and enjoyable.

“Through this class, I saw an opportunity to help non-runners enjoy the benefits of running,” Jeff recalled on his website.

He continued, “During the class, I discovered that none of my students had been running for at least five years. About one-third had never done any regularly scheduled exercise during their lifetime. During the first lap around the track, I realized that walk breaks would be crucial if I wanted each class member to finish either a 5K or 10K without injury or exhaustion.”

Also known as the Galloway Method, the approach was “pioneering,” endurance sports consultant Jim Vance told AP.

“He removed the barrier to entry, which was mostly mental,” Vance said. “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.”

On Friday, Feb. 20, upon the announcement that Jeff had undergone emergency neurosurgery, family members started a forum for fans and devotees to tell the running guru about the impact that he’s had on their lives.

In the week since it launched, hundreds of runners have uploaded videos and photos.

Hamstrung by a heart disease diagnosis in 2021, Galloway moved slower in his later years, but shared last month in an interview with The New York Times that he was not easing up on his lifelong journey to inspire.

“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 said.