All The Miles Mattered

The coach who created a distance-running dynasty | the rise of a friendly rival | a fleet-footed antagonist who flamed out too fast

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Episodes

Episode 0: Trailer

Tuesday Aug 16, 2022

Tuesday Aug 16, 2022

Come along for the run! Subscribe to All The Miles Mattered wherever you get your podcasts. Episode 1 drops Oct. 23! Music credits: Emil Axelsson, "I Think I Was There"; Sum It, "Magnetic Eye". Episode produced by Agent Fitz himself, Brian FitzGerald.

Episode 1: The Lore of Largo

Sunday Oct 23, 2022

Sunday Oct 23, 2022


Why did one otherwise nondescript suburban high school achieve otherworldly success in boys cross country in the 1970s and 1980s? This is the start of a show about the coach who created a distance-running dynasty, the rise of a friendly rival across Tampa Bay, and the challengers who made a run at the ruling teams, one led notably by a fleet-footed antagonist who flamed out too fast. Music credit: Ditch Diggin' by Jingle Punks; Largo Band of Gold

Thursday Oct 27, 2022


Largo coach Brent Haley rode the wave of the running boom in the United States in the 1970s. He recruited in PE classes, he created a T-shirt incentive program and he got runners, year after year, summer after summer, to develop the will to prepare for greatness. It wasn't just Largo guys who were putting in the miles, as current Florida State coach Bob Braman and former sportswriter Bill Ward explain. Oh yeah: One of the guys in this photo is nicknamed Moose. Music credit: "Love" by John Gillespie, used with permission; Bill Rodgers footage by Ambrose Salmini
 

Episode 3: 1975

Thursday Nov 03, 2022

Thursday Nov 03, 2022


Brett Hoffman, Mike Warre, Bob Braman, three runners who grew up amid the running boom, met on the new course at Largo's Taylor Park in a highly anticipated and hotly contested 3-mile race. The times they ran in fall 1975 came from the miles they ran in training, sometimes earning them more than funny looks when they hit the road at odd hours. Their recollection of that era and the times they posted show why all the miles absolutely mattered. Music credit: "Summer of 1984" by RKVC

Thursday Nov 10, 2022


Before Brent Haley became the leader of the cross country program at Largo, he knew had the makings of a coach. How and where he found out was surprising. Music credit: "Good Friend" by Audionautix; Haley interview credit: FL Runners

Episode 5: The Roadrunners

Thursday Nov 17, 2022

Thursday Nov 17, 2022


Coach Haley built a culture at Largo, an expectation of success. He also was willing to share running advice with anyone. But it's not a past-tense thing. Coach Haley continues to give workouts and advice to anyone willing to listen. Music credits: "Control" by I Was Totally Destroying It, used with permission; "A Certain Podcast" adaptation by BK Productions

Friday Nov 18, 2022


Coach Bobby Ennis wasn’t much older than his athletes when he started coaching at Leto High School in the late 1970s. His teams quickly set a standard for success in the Tampa Bay area and throughout the state. This episode takes a look back at how his team concept was formed and how he connected with the runners who would become the Long Red Row. Music credit: You Are The Only by Track Tribe.

Episode 7: An All-In Kid

Friday Nov 25, 2022

Friday Nov 25, 2022


MyLan Moffat was a dominant distance runner from the outset at Largo. Moffat won state 4A track titles in the mile as a freshman and sophomore. A competitive streak and a desire to put in daily work were two reasons she ran ahead of the competition. This episode also features a sneak peek at a key plot point in the story. Footage credits: Vision Cable, N.C. State University, Olympics.com. Music credit: Finland by Track Tribe.
 

Friday Nov 25, 2022

Basil Magee ran a nation-leading time in the mile his senior year at Largo. Two years earlier, he had never even run the mile in a track meet. Magee's rapid rise, his rivalry with a future Olympian, and the birth of the Long Red Row are the focus areas of this episode. Music: Walk With Me by Track Tribe. YouTube of the Kinney race in 1979: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI87ye5pew0
 

Episode 9: DeLand Airport

Friday Dec 02, 2022

Friday Dec 02, 2022


"We try harder" wasn't just the slogan of rental car company Avis. It was adopted by the Leto cross country program as it tried to break through against Largo. In the early 1980s, the stage was set for the Long Red Row. Hear the recall of Coach Ennis and others, specifically about that November 1982 day in DeLand.Music credits: Largo Band of Gold, BK productions, UT Vol marching band
 

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All The Miles Mattered

Find us on Facebook and Twitter (@XC_Dynasty). And, coming soon to YouTube: Classic clips from several races mentioned in the show.

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The Long Red Row

Leto HS won five state 4A cross country titles in the 1980s alone.

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A rivalry is born

This is mainly a team story, but there's an individual focus as well. In May 1986, an unlikely challenger rose up and did the unthinkable in the 4A state meet's 2-mile.

Copyright 2022 Neil Amato - all rights reserved.

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