WELCOME! In the second-ever Vegan Marathoner Podcast, we are meeting Top and Rose Taylor, in Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
Top is a United States Marine, having served in both the Korean War and Vietnam War. He was then a longtime Marine Corps Junior ROTC instructor and coach as well as legendary cross country and track coach at Louisvilleās Seneca High School*. He coached me from 1993-96. Topās influence is a major reason I am still running today.
Top ran cross country for Louisvilleās Shawnee High School. He continued running for decades and is known today for typically wearing cotton racing shirts from the 1980ās & ā90ās.
Rose is a Masterās runner extraordinaire who at one point held 4 regional records in the Kentuckiana area (Kentucky and southern Indiana region). 2 of her records still exist and are posted on the running board hall of fame at the Iroquois Park racing course, in South Louisville. She also won her age group in a National Masterās Cross Country Championship. Rose helped cheer me on in most if not all of my cross country races from 1993-96. Right alongside my Papaw.
TWO NOTES RELATING TO THE SHOW:
* Yared Nuguse is the Louisville athlete named whose name we could not think of off the bat. He was Kentucky State Champion in cross country, before going on to run for Notre Dame and then won a bronze medal in the 1500m in the Paris Olympics ā24.
* Bobby Curtis is the runner from Louisvilleās St. X high school who won 19 (!) Kentucky State Championship titles in track and cross country. He went on to run for Villanovaāwinning the 2008 NCAA 5000m titleābefore going pro.
Our time with Top & Rose is great, but Iād also like to include you in the convoā¦
**What stories would you like to tell about your running?
**Where are your favorite places to run? Favorite races?
**How long have you been vegan, or vegetarian?
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