George A. Sheehan (November 5, 1918 – November 1, 1993) was an American physician, senior athlete, and author best known for his writings about the sport of

running Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. Running is a type of gait characterized by an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is ...

. His book, "Running & Being: The Total Experience", became a New York Times best seller. He was a track star in college, and later became a cardiologist like his father. He served as a doctor in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

in the

South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

on the

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed in ...

USS Daly (DD-519). He married Mary Jane Fleming and they raised twelve children. He continued to write while struggling with

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancerous tumor worldwide and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that sur ...

. His last book, ''Going the Distance'', was published shortly after his death.

Early life

Sheehan was born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, the oldest of 14 children. He was a track star at

Manhattan College Manhattan College is a private, Catholic, liberal arts university in the Bronx, New York City. Originally established in 1853 by the Brothers of the Christian Schools (De La Salle Christian Brothers) as an academy for day students, it was la ...

, from which he graduated in 1940, and earned his

M.D. Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. T ...

degree in 1943 from the Long Island College of Medicine (now known as SUNY Downstate Medical Center). He renewed his interest in running at age 45 while living in Rumson, New Jersey. He began running in his back yard (26 loops to a mile) and then started running along the river road during his lunch break wearing long-johns and a ski mask. Five years later, he ran a 4:47 mile, which was the world's first sub-five-minute time by a 50-year-old.

Career

Sheehan began writing a weekly column in the local newspaper and continued to write the column for twenty five years. Many of these years were served as the medical editor for '' Runner's World'' magazine. (He had been introduced to

Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day and recorded for several prominent l ...

Hal Higdon Hal Higdon (born June 17, 1931) is an American writer and runner known for his training plans. He is the author of 34 books, including the best-selling ''Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide''. He has worked as a freelance writer since 1959, and ...

during the 1968 Olympics. Henderson later recruited him as medical editor for Runner's World.) He continued to write for Runner's World after the magazine was purchased by Rodale Press. He wrote eight books and lectured around the world. In 1958, Sheehan co-founded Christian Brothers Academy, an all-male school in Lincroft, New Jersey near his home in Rumson, which grew to become one of New Jersey's premier prep schools. In 1986, he was diagnosed with

. He continued to run until his legs could no longer carry him. During this period he continued to write about his experiences. This time it wasn't about running, it was about dying. ''Going the Distance'' was his last book, and was published shortly after his death. He died of prostate cancer at his home in the Ocean Grove section of Neptune Township, New Jersey. Litsky, Frank
"Dr. George Sheehan, Running Figure, Dies at 74"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', November 2, 1993. Accessed December 6, 2012. "Dr. George Sheehan, a cardiologist who became the philosopher of the recreational running movement in the 1970's and 1980's, died yesterday at his home in Ocean Grove, N.J." After Sheehan's death, one of his sons, Andrew Sheehan, wrote the book "Chasing the Hawk", about his own view of Sheehan as a father, husband and family man.

Books

*''The Encyclopedia of Athletic Medicine'' (1972) *''Dr. Sheehan on Running'' (1975) *''Dr. George Sheehan's Medical Advice for Runners'' (1978) *''Running & Being: The Total Experience'' (1978) *''This Running Life'' (1980) *''How to Feel Great Twenty Four Hours a Day'' (1983) *''Dr. Sheehan on Fitness'' (1983) *''Personal Best: The Foremost Philosopher of Fitness Shares Techniques and Tactics for Success and Self-Liberation'' (1989) *''George Sheehan on Running to Win : How to Achieve the Physical, Mental & Spiritual Victories of Running'' (1992) *''Dr. George Sheehan on Getting Fit and Feeling Great'' (1992) *''Going the Distance: One Man's Journey to the End of His Life'' (1996) *''The Essential Sheehan: 30 Years of Running Wisdom from the Legendary George Sheehan'' (2013)

References

External links

Official SiteGeorge Sheehan Classic
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheehan, George 1918 births 1993 deaths American cardiologists United States Navy personnel of World War II Deaths from cancer in New Jersey Deaths from prostate cancer Manhattan College alumni People from Neptune Township, New Jersey People from Rumson, New Jersey People from Brooklyn United States Navy officers 20th-century American physicians SUNY Downstate Medical Center alumni American masters athletes Track and field athletes from New York City Military personnel from New Jersey

Early life

Career

Books

See also

References

External links