Words of wisdom: “A runner who tells you the training is always easy and always fun hasn’t been trying hard enough. Goals can be elusive which makes the difficult journey all that much more rewarding.”

One of the most charismatic runners in history, Salazar won both the New York City and Boston marathons. He won NYC three consecutive years (1980-82) and set the world record of 2:08:13 at New York in 1981. Born in Cuba, Salazar moved to Wayland, Massachusetts at a young age with his family. He began running with his older brothers and by the time he was in high school, Salazar was one of the best runners in the country. While still in high school, he trained with older, more experienced Boston-area runners like Bill Rodgers. “That was a great experience for me,” says Salazar, “because I learned not to be intimidated. If you are, you’ve already lost.” At the University of Oregon, Salazar cemented a reputation for toughness and determination which suited him well when he stepped up to the marathon. Although he had a brilliant marathon career, it was short-lived as he was plagued by injuries and illness. His last victory came in 1994 when he won the famed Comrades Marathon in South Africa—a 53-mile race. Salazar, now 48, lives with his wife Molly, two sons and daughter Maria in Portland, Oregon. His youngest son is a professional soccer player in Australia. A member of the National Long Distance Hall of Fame, Salazar is now a respected coach of such stars as Galen Rupp, Dan Browne and Adam Goucher.