A detailed look at his life.
Born to Dr. & Mrs. George A. Sheehan, Sr. The oldest of 14 children. He grew up in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and spent summers at The Reservation (family summer house) in Long Branch, New Jersey.
Spent his formative years at Brooklyn Prep running for legendary coach Bob Giegengack who would move on to Yale where he coached Frank Shorter in the 1960's. Sheehan's other formative experience was being locked in his locker by the upperclassmen. First test of his theory, “there are no bad experiences.”
A top miler for the Jaspers. Ran a 4:19 mile when the world's record was 4:06. Had the misfortune of having to compete against Leslie MacMitchell, the top runner in the college ranks. Sheehan won a lot of silver medals but the team won many championships. A member of the Manhattan College Hall of Fame.
Follows his father's path to become a cardiologist. Graduates Long Island College of Medicine.
Marries Mary Jane Fleming, daughter of Peter Fleming, considered by all who knew her as the most beautiful woman they had ever met. As college classmate, Gene McCabe, wrote, "In a typical whirlaway finish, George came from well off the pace and amazed the entire east coast when he won the hand of Mary Jane Fleming."
Serves in World War II in the South Pacific on the destroyer U.S.S. Daly George (top row, fifth from the right) and his Navy Physician-Training Class prepare to ship out to the South Pacific 1944. His ship would endure kamikaze attacks and landed at Nagasaki just days after its destruction from the atom bomb.
Twins born on Christmas Eve, 1944. He receives the news while serving in the Pacific. 10 more children were to follow (totals: 7 boys, 5 girls).
Establishes medical practice in Red Bank, NJ. He would later partner with Dr. Charles Kelly to handle the demands of a growing Jersey shore area at Riverview Hospital.
One of the Founding Fathers and originator of the plan to bring the Christian Brothers to Monmouth County along with Brother B. Andrew, John C. Henderson, Peter E. Fleming. Today, CBA is a highly regarded school and its 2011 and 2012 cross-country teams were ranked #1 in the country.
Opens a “theological” bookstore in Red Bank. Began to spend more time reading the great thinkers and philosophers. His new journey was about to begin.
Starts to run. First, in the privacy of his backyard, then joins the JV squad at local high school for speed workouts and to compete in their races.
Runs his first Boston Marathon along with 225 other runners in 1964. Finishes in 97 place with a 3:07.
Begins his writing career covering the Mexico Olympics for the local paper, The Red Bank Register. His column was called "The Innocent Bystander." His focus on running would soon establish him as the prevailing expert for a growing sport.
Sets an age group world's record. Runs the first sub-five-minute mile by a 50-yr-old. (4:47).
Writes first column for Runner's World magazine.
Wins first place for "Best General Interest Column," New Jersey Writers Association.
Gives his first "talk" in the basement of the local YMCA. Not sure the reviews on that night but years later one writer referred to his talks as "he running community's equivalent of a Bruce Springsteen concert, though listening to him was more like taking off with John Coltrane on some improvised solo."
Dr. Sheehan on Running is published. This book would become a cult classic. At 56 years old, Sheehan's new career as the voice of the running movement was in full stride.
Running & Being is released. On the heels of Jim Fixx's "The Complete Book of Running," R& B makes The New York Times bestseller list for 14 weeks in a row. Considered by many to be running's scripture.
Appears on The Johnny Carson Show (gets John Davidson as the guest host) along with Betty White, Jim Nabors, Kenny Norton and Stan Kann. Davidson had a hard time grasping Sheehan's ideas about play and competition.
Medical Advice for Runners is published.
Runs a 3:01 marathon, his personal best, at the age of 60, in the Marine Corps Marathon in Wash. D.C. This equates to a sub-7-minute-mile pace for 26.2 miles.
This Running Life is published.
Receives "Lifetime Achievement Award" from the Presidential Council on Physical Fitness.
How to Feel Great 24 Hours a Day is published. Also, republished under the title "Dr. Sheehan on Fitness".
Runs 21st consecutive, and last, Boston Marathon. His body was starting to slow and he would discover why in the coming year.
He first discovered a nodule on the prostate in 1984 that was diagnosed as benign. Two years later, he requested a second biopsy that was found to be malignant. By then, the cancer had already spread to his bones. It was too late to contain.
Personal Best is published.
Competes in the 70-and-over 800-meter championship at the World Veterans Games ay Hayward Field. Oregon. A "peak experience." He ran a 2:48 which he later calculated to be the equivalent of a 1:59 for a 20yr old. In his words, "And now, in a way - in a great and glorious way - I had broken 2 minutes. And somewhere over Iowa, I burst into tears."
Running to Win is published.
Runs in his last race, the Crim 10 mile in Flint, Michigan. Although it took him twice as long to finish as it once had he was still doing the best he could with what he had.
Honored in April, 1993 by over 500 close friends at a dinner "roast." Toasted in a letter from President Clinton as the "philosopher king of running."
After a beautiful final few months filled with family reunions and visits from friends both far and near, George spent his last two weeks with his wife and children in the second floor family room overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. On Nov.1st, All Saints Day, he passed peacefully. He had achieved his last goal which was to have and to share a graceful death.
His final book, Going the Distance, is published.
Inducted, posthumously, into the National Distance Runners Hall of Fame as the first recipient of the George Sheehan Media Award.
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