Tom Sturak, Sports Marketing Pioneer, R.I.P. , by Larry Eder

Jacqueline Hanson & Tom Sturak, photo courtesy of The Friends of Tom Sturak

Tom Sturak, one of the first running promotions managers in our sport, a man who first worked at Nike and then, Reebok, passed away, peacefully, in his sleep on the evening of Friday, April 29, 2011.
Sturak was one of the true characters of the sport. He knew everyone, and everyone knew him. I finally spent time with him in the mid 1990s, in Goteborg. I found out about his poor health in 2008 at the U.S. Olympic Trials, when I had coffee with his wife, Jacqueline Hanson. Tom had been in declining health for several years.
Tom was part of the SoCal Striders, one of the most influential clubs in our sport in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. His wife, Jacqueline Hanson, was the first women to break six minute pace for the marathon, and is a fine coach in her own right.
Jacqui put a note up on the Friends of Tom Sturak Facebook site on Friday, and noted that she is planning a memorial service on May 15 at the LA Foundation Library. More details on the site.

Please keep Tom, his wife Jacqueline, his daughter and son in your thoughts and prayers. Tom will be missed.

Tom Sturak, early in his running career….

Tom Sturak, road race in the 80s….like all of us, remember him running, remember him laughing, remember him giving you the business. That keeps us all alive…

Photos courtesy of the friends of Tom Sturak

Author

Larry Eder
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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