Jeff Galloway, the Atlanta-based running coach whose “run-walk-run” method helped millions of recreational runners complete their first marathons, died on Feb. 25 from complications from a stroke and brain bleeding. He was 80.
Runner’s World, which first reported his death, described him as “probably the most influential single contributor to the evolving running movement in America.”
Go Deeper in The New York Times: “50 Years Ago, He Was an Olympian. At 80, He’s Just as Happy to Finish Last.”
Galloway’s ties to Atlanta were lasting. A graduate of The Westminster Schools, he won the inaugural Peachtree Road Race in 1970, a race he helped create, and later opened Phidippides, one of America’s first specialty running stores, in the city.
A 1972 Olympian in the 10,000 meters, Galloway is best remembered outside elite circles for democratizing long-distance running. His run/walk method, sometimes called “Jeffing,” encouraged runners to take timed walking breaks during training and races. The approach allowed countless people to finish marathons who otherwise never would have started one.
His 1984 book, “Galloway’s Book on Running,” became one of the best-selling running guides ever published, and he eventually wrote more than 20 books on the sport.
His father, Elliott Galloway, who founded The Galloway School, died in 2008 after competing in his 35th Peachtree Road Race.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara, and their two sons, Brennan and Westin.