Dick Beardsley

Dick Beardsley is a lauded American long distance runner. A few of his accomplishments include tying for first place in the first inaugural London Marathon in 1981; winning Grandma's Marathon later that year in Duluth, Minnesota, setting and holding the course record for 33 years; and a close finish with Alberto Salazar running the Boston Marathon in 1982, a race memorialized in the book "Duel in the Sun." Following a series of accidents and subsequent surgeries, Dick became an addict. He has been sober since February 12, 1997. His memoir "Staying the Course: A Runner's Toughest Race" was published in 2002. Dick is now a motivational/inspirational speaker and a fishing guide, and he and his wife Jill own and operate a bed and breakfast in their town, Bemidji, Minnesota.