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Dick Beardsley speaks to Fun Run participants
There isn't much that hasn't already been said about Dick Beardsley. Among running fans, his 1982 Boston Marathon Duel in the Sun with Alberto Salazar has reached epic proportions, as has his troubled life of drug addiction and recovery. After hearing Beardsley speak to runners after Fleet Feet's Spring Fun Run, there's only one thing to say that might add to the discourse: Dick Beardsley lives up to his hype.

That "hype" of course is a reputation within the running community as a legendary, dedicated runner, talented and entertaining speaker, and a warm and welcoming person. Beardsley, coach and spokesman for The Arthritis Foundation's training program Joints in Motion, spoke Monday night to a roomful of runners at the Mystic Celt, 3443 N. Southport. His speech followed Fleet Feet's Spring Fun Runs from Piper's Alley and Lincoln Square.

Beardsley told the story of the 1982 Boston Marathon where he and Salazar ran nearly side-by-side during the entire race. They both set course records, but Salazar won in 2:08:52. After a leg cramp, a leg-cramp-curing pothole, and a run-in with a spectator trying to stuff dollar bills in his shorts, Beardsley took second place by only two seconds.

"I truly believe the good lord looked down and said, 'I'm gonna make this race real interesting,'" Beardsley told the crowd at the Mystic Celt.

The front pack started with 20 runners. "At mile 17, there were two guys left in the race," Beardsley told the audience, "The world record holder, and, as the Boston Globe called me, 'Dick Beardsley, the country bumpkin from Minnesota.'"

Beardsley and Salazar were running at world record times. Neither Salazar nor Beardsley would ever run as fast again. Beardsley still holds the record for the fourth-fastest marathon time by a U.S. runner.

Around mile 20, Beardsley said, his legs just gave out. To keep going, he tried a trick that every runner who was listening Monday night has probably tried at least once: he tricked himself. "I was able to convince my mind to convince my body to run one more mile," he said.

That one mile turned into five miles, and he kept up with Salazar until the end. Beardsley said he knew he still had to give the race everything he could, and if he did that, he would still consider the race a success. When Salazar was crowned with the laurel wreath, Salazar held up Beardsley's hand in victory.

When Beardsley talks, either publicly or one-on-one, he is nearly always smiling. When he signed books after his speech, Beardsley made a point to spend at least a few minutes (sometimes 10 or 15) with every person. He shared training tips and asked runners about their own lives and goals. He's the kind of person who is so energetic and positive that you'd think he has had a perfect life. But you'd be wrong.

Duel in the Sun, the new book by John Brant about the 1982 race, delves into Beardsley's addiction to painkillers following a tragic farm accident. The situation was worsened by the death of Beardsley's father. Beardsley has since recovered from his addiction, is a professional motivational speaker and runs a fishing guide service in Detroit Lakes, Minn. He still runs regularly.

"The neat thing about that day, that neat thing about runners that I absolutely love...when [Salazar and I] crossed that finish line we collapsed into each others arms and congratulated each other on a job well done," Beardsley said.

To hear Beardsley speak tonight, Tuesday, March 21, head to Momentum at 6:30. Beardsley will be celebrating his birthday, so to reserve a spot and some cake and pizza, call 773-525-7866. Momentum is located at 2001 N. Clybourn.