Former Olympian Jeff Galloway and "Run-Walk-Run" Advocate Has Died at 80

Becoming a runner if you've never been inclined toward it is incredibly difficult, and it can be easy to convince yourself it's not worth doing. Jeff Galloway, a former Olympian who was part of the 1972 team, became an advocate for teaching everyone how to run and letting everyone off the hook. His "run-walk-run" methodology has endured to this day.

Now, ESPN is reporting that Jeff has died at the age of 80. Following the news of his death, many want to better understand exactly what happened to him. Here's what we know.

Jeff died after suffering a hemorrhagic stroke at a hospital in Pensacola, Fla., according to his daughter-in-law Clarissa Galloway. The news of Jeff's death struck thousands of regular people across the country who had been influenced by his approach to running and who had become runners themselves because of his work to make it a more accessible hobby.

In the days leading up to his death, his family announced that he had undergone emergency neurosurgery and encouraged the public to express their support. He had already survived heart failure in 2021, and he was reportedly hoping to complete another marathon after having run more than 230 over the course of his life. "My mission now, at the age of 80-plus, is to show that people can do things that are normally not done, and can do them safely," he told The New York Times in December.

Peter's run-walk-run method first took off when he agreed to teach a running class through Florida State University.

"I spent some time with each group, during the runs, to adjust the frequency of walk breaks so that no one was huffing and puffing — even at the end," he explained on his website. "Walk breaks kept the groups together. Everyone passed the final exam: finishing either a 5K or a 10K with smiles on their faces."

Peter believed that walking in the middle of runs reduced the risk of injury and also kept confidence levels high. "I've been using them ever since," he explained of his ratios, "continuing to fine-tune the ratios of running to walking based upon pace per mile and individual needs."

Peter even practiced what he preached, walking through every water station during the 1980 Houston Marathon and finishing with a faster time than he had achieved during a previous marathon where he ran continuously.

Although his method might have made him faster, it was even more crucial for beginners who struggled to find a way into a support that can seem incredibly intimidating.

As the tributes to him that have come in since he died attest, Jeff changed the lives of thousands of runners all over the world who adopted his philosophy and became runners as a result. He may have competed at the Olympics, an astounding achievement for any athlete, but the way he got people into the sport that he loved may have mattered even more.