In 1977, ‘The Complete Book of Running‘ by Jim Fixx was published. It was credited for starting the boom in competitive road running in the US, and soon after, globally. When I arrived in Caracas in late 1978, there was already established a dedicated group of runners, who met most evenings in the Parque del Este.
Despite his reputation for being a symbol of health and fitness, Jim Fixx died in 1984 of a heart attack while jogging. He had a previous history of smoking and being overweight and had underlying health issues. But I suspect that he died doing what he wanted to do.
Jimmy Carter, the then-precedent of the US, took up jogging in 1978. He was often to be seen trotting around, with his body guards puffing along with him.
He hit the headlines in 1979, when he collapsed during his first race, The Catoctin Mountain Race, a hilly 10 km that started beside Camp David, the presidential retreat.
But he was fine later, with no lasting ill effects, and turned up for the award ceremony.
He was born on 1 October 1924 in Plains, Georgia, the son of a peanut farmer. He married Rosalynn Smith in 1946, with whom he had four children. He served seven years as a naval officer and was president 1977-1981.
When I drove from California across the southern US in 1977, on my way to Canada and eventually the UK, I passed through Plains, Georgia. It seemed like an unimpressive dusty rural town. I didn’t stop.
My only ‘near-contact’ with Jimmy Carter was in 1984. I was at Jorge Chavez Airport in Lima, waiting to collect a colleague, Richard Austin, from Miami. Richard was scheduled to spend a few days conducting a quality assurance of the software product for which I was responsible. The flight was very late, with no explanation. Finally it landed and soon after a group of VIPs strode through arrivals, led by Jimmy Carter. Apparently all was delayed because of his late connecting flight.
In 2002, Jimmy Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts. From what I know of the man, the award was well deserved.
In his autumn years, he and his wife worked tirelessly as volunteers building, renovating and repairing affordable housing for needy people. They lived modestly and when they travelled, it was commercial rather than first class or private.
Rosalynn Carter died 19 Nov 2023 at the age of 96 and Jimmy Carter on 29 December 2024 at the age of 100.
May they R.I.P.
The Irish Rover 