Running legend living in Longmont and loving it

By Michael Sandrock

For the Ledger

When two-time Olympian Arturo Barrios was the best long-distance runner in the world, setting five world records, commanding five-figure appearance fees, and racing in locales ranging from Paris to Prague and Berlin to Bali, he never dreamed he would end up in semi-retirement living happily in Longmont.

Distance running great Arturo Barrios recently relocated to Longmont. Mike Sandrock photo

That is exactly what happened, however, and on a recent run, Barrios, 47, recounted the inspiring story of his long night’s journey from the barrios of Mexico City to a daylight-filled, large house in the Fox Meadow neighborhood on the eastern edge of Longmont. Barrios moved there in 2008 after separating from his wife, who remained in the home he owned near the foothills of north Boulder.

“I am happy in Longmont,” Barrios told the Ledger after finishing a 12-mile run with a group of running buddies.  Just as in the old days, when Barrios was training with a group that could without hyperbole be called the deepest in the world – numbering among its members numerous world champions and Olympians such as Australia’s Rob de Castella, Steve Jones of Wales and Portugal’s Rosa Mota – Barrios tucks in among the large group, preferring not to draw attention to himself.

He certainly got a lot of attention when he exploded onto the road racing scene in 1986. It is a thrilling story, one that Barrios still tells at pre-race expos, and despite many retellings through the years the story of his first road race in the United States is always exciting.

After graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University, Barrios moved back with his family in Mexico City, giving himself exactly one year to make it as a runner – not one day more, not one day less. Barrios trained twice a day, on the track or in a high altitude forest called El Desierto de los Leones on the outskirts of the sprawling city.

With the year nearly up and an engineering job awaiting him, Barrios bought a one-way ticket – all he could afford – from Mexico City to Phoenix for the Continental Homes 10K. He was only trying to win enough prize money in his first road race in the U.S. get back home.  But Barrios not only won – he set the 10K road world record, clocking 27 minutes, 41 seconds.

He went undefeated over the next two years (except for a fifth place at the Boston Marathon, done on a lark), and was named the Runner of the Year. Over the next decade, he set records, won numerous races, and twice placed in the top five in the Olympic 10,000 meters.

“It was a good career,” said Barrios, rolling along easily on some south Boulder County trails. He shows flashes of the form that led a French sportswriter to nickname him “Le Metronome” after one of his world records, the hour run, set in a stadium outside of Paris. That record stood assaults by many of the top runners who followed Barrios, standing for more than a decade.  It was broken only a few years ago – and just barely – by Haille Gebrselassie of Ethiopia.

Barrios is still trim, but now must stop after an hour or so on his runs to stretch his calves, which occasionally seize up on him.  As we stretch, an older runner comes by and yells out “Hey, Arturo!”  Although Barrios no longer races, he remains well known in the local running community, in large part because of his four wins in the Memorial Day Bolder Boulder.

As we start back up, one of Barrios’ training partners, molecular biologist Scott Winston, says, “Arturo is accomplished at everything he has done, including academics, athletics and business, but he remains very humble and unassuming.  He enjoys the simple life.”

Adds Winston, “We often joke with Arturo about competing against him and know if he ever got serious about racing again and was healthy we would be far behind.  He has successfully transferred his competitiveness to his other activities.”

Those activities include making expo appearances at road races nationwide, managing the rental properties he owns in Longmont, and spending time with his three children.  He coached after retiring from competitive running, and still gives advice when asked. His favorite locale to give talks is at schools, where he emphasizes, often to Hispanic students, the importance of getting a good education.

That is what Barrios did. Although he was a very talented runner as a youngster in Mexico City, running 4 minutes for the mile when he was just 16, he put his running on hold when he was awarded a scholarship to Texas A&M.

“I ran well enough to keep my scholarship,” he said. “But I was always studying. I knew I wanted to be a success; I wanted to reach the American Dream. I did not speak much English when I arrived, so I took math and engineering classes. I knew I could always work as an engineer.”

Barrios never had to, as he made a good living as a professional athlete. Then, when he was still among the best in the world, Barrios suddenly stopped competing.

“I wanted to retire on top,” he said, in explaining why he retired after running “only” 28 minutes, 30 seconds at the 1998 Peachtree 10K. That was still a world class time, but when he realized he would no longer be winning the biggest races, he stopped competing.

But he never stopped running.

“I keep busy, and  I always find time to run on some dirt trails near the rec center,” he said. “Longmont is a good place for me; everything I need is nearby. I have friends here, and I can go to Boulder when I want to see my old friends.”

Locals can expect to see Barrios running the trails in Longmont and Boulder County for many years to come.

“The one thing that I am afraid of is getting old and not being able to walk from here to over there,” he said, pointing to the street about 50 meters away. “I never want to reach that point, and that is why I am going to always keep running.”