Dick Beardsley (born March 21, 1956) is an American long-distance runner best known for tying for first place with Inge Simonsen in the inaugural 1981

London Marathon The London Marathon is an annual marathon held in London, United Kingdom, and is the 2nd largest annual road race in the UK, after the Great North Run in Newcastle. Founded by athletes Chris Brasher and John Disley in 1981, it is typically he ...

and his close finish with

Alberto Salazar Alberto Salazar (born August 7, 1958) is an American former track coach and long-distance runner. Born in Cuba, Salazar immigrated to the United States as a child with his family, living in Connecticut and then in Wayland, Massachusetts, where ...

in the 1982 Boston Marathon.

Running career

Beardsley ran his first marathon in 2:47:14 at the 1977 Paavo Nurmi Marathon in

Hurley, Wisconsin Hurley is a city in and the county seat of Iron County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,547 at the 2010 census. It is located directly across the Montreal River from Ironwood, Michigan. History Hurley is located on the Montrea ...

. In subsequent marathons, he steadily lowered his times: 2:33:22, 2:33:06, and 2:31:50. Beardsley is the only man to have ever run 13 consecutive personal bests in the marathon, and is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the feat. In 1981 he and

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

Inge Simonsen intentionally crossed the finish line together holding hands in a time of 2:11:48. According to Beardsley, "It was a big deal for both of us because neither one of us had won a marathon before." His finish time of 2:09:37 at the 1981

Grandma's Marathon Grandma's Marathon is an annual road race held each June in Duluth, Minnesota, in the United States. The course runs point-to-point from the city of Two Harbors on Scenic Route 61 and continues along Lake Superior into the city of Duluth. The ...

stood as a course record for 33 years until it was broken in 2014. Beardsley placed second (2:08:53) on the heels of

in the 1982 Boston Marathon, breaking the Boston Marathon course record and the American record. In 2003 he started the Dick Beardsley Marathon Running Camp, which used to be held each September at Rainbow Resort in

Waubun, Minnesota Waubun is a city in Mahnomen County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 400 at the 2010 census. U.S. Route 59 and Minnesota State Highway 113 are two of the main routes in the community. History The city was incorporated as a vill ...

, but which are now held at

Lake Bemidji Lake Bemidji is a small glacially-formed lake, approximately in area, in northern Minnesota in the United States. Located less than downstream from the source of the Mississippi River, it both receives and is drained by the Mississippi. Name L ...

, Minnesota. Beardsley is one of the subjects of the book '' Duel in the Sun'', published in 2006 by John Brant. His

memoir A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based in the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobiog ...

, ''Staying the Course: A Runner's Toughest Race'', was co-authored by Maureen Anderson and published in 2002 by the

University of Minnesota Press The University of Minnesota Press is a university press that is part of the University of Minnesota. It had annual revenues of just over $8 million in fiscal year 2018. Founded in 1925, the University of Minnesota Press is best known for its boo ...

. In 2010, Beardsley was inducted into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame.

Drug addiction

In November 1989, Beardsley nearly died in a farm mishap; he required five months to recuperate. Between July 1992 and February 1993, he was involved in three serious automobile accidents, each requiring hospitalization for back and neck injuries. While on a hike, he was hurt after falling down an embankment when the path collapsed. He underwent three back operations in 1994 and knee surgery in 1995."Life - Dick's Accident"
Dick Beardsley Foundation website"Who is Dick Beardsley?"
Tacoma City Marathon After each of his injuries, Beardsley was prescribed medication for the pain. Over four years, he developed an

addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use o ...

to the medication. He was arrested September 30, 1996, for forging prescriptions and sentenced to five years' probation and 460 hours of community service. Beardsley spent nine days in a psychiatric unit where he was prescribed

methadone Methadone, sold under the brand names Dolophine and Methadose among others, is a synthetic opioid agonist used for chronic pain and also for opioid dependence. It is used to treat chronic pain, and it is also used to treat addiction to heroi ...

. He was released for outpatient treatment, returned to inpatient treatment where he quit methadone, and again began outpatient treatment. His first day of chemical-free sobriety was February 12, 1997. Beardsley started the Dick Beardsley Foundation in October 2007"Dick Beardsley to attend First Annual Thunder Bay Marathon"
Thunder Bay Maraton website, September 2010 to provide assistance to individuals suffering from chemical dependency who are unable to pay for a 12-step treatment program. The foundation's goals are to educate the general public about chemical dependency. It allows Beardsley to speak about his own experience in overcoming addiction."Dick Beardsley Foundation homepage"

Personal life

Beardsley married Mary in 1979. They adopted one son, Andrew. They later divorced and Beardsley moved to Austin, Texas in 2007 and remarried. In August 2010, it was reported that Beardsley and his wife had filed for bankruptcy. Beardsley's wife Jill said that they filed to consolidate IRS debt. In another tragic turn, in October 2015 Dick lost his beloved 31-year-old son Andrew, a veteran of the war in Iraq, to suicide. In 2016 Dick and Jill moved to Bemidji, MN where Dick continues his career in motivational/inspirational speaking and also has
fishing guide service
They are also the owners o
Lake Bemidji Bed & Breakfast
In 2023 Dick started
podcast
with long-time friend and fellow marathon runner Mike Dunlap calle
On The Run With Beards And Dun

References

External links

Dick Beardsley website

Dick Beardsley Foundation

Dick Beardsley Half Marathon & 5k Run/Walk (Detroit Lakes, Minnesota)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beardsley, Dick 1956 births Living people American male long-distance runners American male marathon runners London Marathon male winners Track and field athletes from Minneapolis Sportspeople from Fargo, North Dakota