He came into my life when I was 15 years old and molded me into a competitor. He came back into my life when I was 46, divorced, lost and broken. He reminded me that I had a champion’s heart and to never quit. Here’s to you Coach Noe De Leon! The teams are ready and we are taking the opossums to the dog show! – Jennifer Lopez Torrez
Initially, I was overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of Noe De Leon. But then I realized the man was simply passionate. Napoleon Hill said “Enthusiasm, if fueled by inspiration and perseverance, travels with passion and its destination is excellence.” I hooked that quote on to the last post I ever shared with Noe De Leon.
I had been missing him, missing his amazing energy. Seems like I should have heard from him sooner and so I learned he passed away SUDDENLY a few weeks earlier. Without telling me and the world was dimmer.
We, of course, both loved this cover of Long Distance Log. Have this image, Noe De Leon is in heaven, jogging with Pre. “Mr. Steve Prefontaine,” Noe will say, too awestruck still to call him Pre, “let’s pick up the pace.”
12/21/2024 Merging two memories. Because any time I can salute Noe De Leon, I’m gonna.
December 1, 2014 Shared with Public
“How does one become a butterfly?” she asked pensively. “You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.” – Trina Paulus
He will be remembered as a butterfly. Who really really loved running. And idolized one S.R. Prefontaine.
Mystery to me we only had 143 mutual friends?
https://www.facebook.com/reel/699788418095831
Not all castles look like castles. Noe was forever sharing his passionate belief in the example set by Pre. One post began
“Just because you are one man and they are many, doesn’t mean they are right – Steve Prefontaine was not a rich man. He was living in a trailer park off food stamps , and $3 dollars a day from The AAU . Because he was given free clothing and shoes, from a young running company. He was breaking the rules of The I.A.A.F. and The AAU, would have kept him out of The Montreal Games . Pre’s questioning and fighting against the outdated ideology became one of the turning points for athletes rights in the development of Track & Field in The USA and around the world. – Words are from a Nike ad from The 2000s, I don’t know who wrote them.”
Noe De Leon of Nike Team Texas, Texas A&I University (now Texas A&M University – Kingsville) & from Robstown, Texas.
Forty years ago on this date, October 23 , 2023, I was 115-pounds and 5 feet, 5 inches tall, I competed in “The Feed Store 10 Miler ” Road Race held in The Woodlands in Houston, Texas. There were over 500 runners in The 10 Miler – I finished 4th place, Marty Froelick won The Race, he is number 3 in the picture above, his winning time was 47:51.1, Jeff Wells finished 2nd place with a time of 48:40.1, he is wearing number 2 & Dave Odom is obscured behind Wells, Dave Odom finished 3rd place with a time of 49.35.7, in the picture I’m behind Froelick & Dave Odom.
That Race Day was a cool morning , I ran a P.R. for 10 Miles over an all-concrete street course in The Woodlands, I ran sub-5 minutes every Mile. I ran my best 10-Mile Time ever; I ran a P.R. of 49:44.04. (My previous best time was 52:16.00, recorded in 1980 in Brownsville TX.)
In that race, from the start, I kept clipping off sub-5 minutes miles, all the way to The Finish Line. After The Race, I congratulated Dave Odom & Marty Froelick at the award ceremony. I also spoke briefly to Jeff Wells, I told him, one day I hope to make it to his Nike Athletics’ West running club. Wells smiled & told me some encouraging words & wished me good luck.
That Race Day I was very optimistic. Also, I was so happy to have broken 50 minutes for 10 Miles, The Feed Store 10 Miler was a highlight in my running career. When Running Was Young And So Was I. – Noe C/$
Noe on The Occasion of Rod Dixon’s 70th Birthday
The Runner in this post is Rod Dixon one of my Facebook Running Friends from New Zealand, this photo is from The 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Marathon. Dixon finished 10th place. He is uniformed in the old school uniform of his Country, The All Black Uniform. Dixon is one of his Country’s most Versatile Runners & one of his Country ‘s Greatest Runners.
I got to meet Rod Dixon in 1982 when he competed in The Texas State Pro 10,000m Road Race Championship. I spoke to him for about 15 minutes before the race at San Marcos State University in one of the parking lots near the starting line. The race was held in San Marcos and the race would be run around the campus area. When I saw Rod Dixon, no one was around him early that race morning when he was stretching, so I introduced myself to him & he was kind enough to talk to me. We spoke about his Running Career, his Bronze Medal Race in The 1972 Munich Olympic 1,500m, about his training & we talked about his rival & friend Steve Prefontaine, my Boy Hood Hero. Dixon told me, ‘a lot of young Runners always ask me about Steve Prefontaine.’ When we finished talking I wished him good luck & he in turn wished me the same.
Dixon won that Texas State Pro 10K Road Race Championship that morning & before the 10K I was moved up to our club ‘s First Team. TWO MINUTES BEFORE THE RACE I was moved up to my club ‘s First Team by Coach Shawn Flanagan. Our club was a San Antonio TX.-based Running Club with three Teams entered in The Championship Race. I scored the last points for our Team. I was the 5th man on The Team & we won The Texas State 10K Pro Road Race Championship Team Title.
Rod Dixon must have brought me good luck. After the race I looked for Rod Dixon. When I saw him, he was surrounded by friends & fans, I didn’t try to talk to him because I would had a long wait & I had a long drive back home to South Texas. Dixon was attentive to his fans, because even back then he was a People’s Champion & he was promoting our Running Sports & Track & Field. meeting Rod Dixon & competing in the race that he won was a High Light for me in my Runnings Career.
Today I acknowledge Rod Dixon because it is his Birthday Day & he is 70 years young. So, Rod Dixon, Happy Birthday & Have A Championship Day. – Noe C/$
Rod Dixon Remembers Noe De Leon
The birthday celebration was emotional and the friendship real. And then the communications we had on Messenger. Noe was very, very supportive and a champion for our journey.
“It’s Gotta Be The Shoes!”
USA ‘s Steve Prefontaine, racing sometime in The Summer of 1974, racing in Europe. In the photo in this post, Pre is uniformed in his Italian Club Vest, which was a gift from an Italian Runner. That year he broke American Records over 3,000m, 2 Miles, 5,000m & 10,000m. Pre ‘s American Record times were 7:42.6 – 3,000m , 2 Miles – 8:18.26 , 5,000m – 13:21.87 & 10,000m – 27:43.6.
In the photo Pre is also wearing his Nike ” Pre Montreal ” racing spikes. The spikes are the 1974 model, the racing spikes were first made for Pre in 1973. Pre had requested Nike made him better spikes, so Nike made him the ” Pre Montreal. ” Then he asked Nike if the racing spikes could be made better for him by removing the woven string toe box at the top of the shoes & making his racing spikes one piece toe box. Nike delivered the improved Nike ” Pre Montreal ” 1974 model, those are the racing spikes Pre is wearing in the photo from 1974. They are colored in The American colors of Red , White & Blue, Pre also raced in ” Pre Montreal ” spikes that were colored in The University Of Oregon colors of Green & Yellow in other competitions. The shoes were also made for Pre & named after Pre in hopes that Pre would race in The 1976 Montreal Olympic 5000m & maybe also The 10,000m.
Steve Prefontaine was the first Nike Athlete that Nike signed under contract to wear & compete in Nike gear. Also, Pre was the first Nike Athlete to have shoes made for him & named after him. Pre didn’t make millions of dollars when he signed with Nike & Nike was just starting out as a company in The Early 1970s – he was also a Nike employee. Pre’s job was promoting Nike shoes to athletes all over the world. Pre earned his Nike money.
This post was another insight into The Nike ” Pre Montreal ” racing spikes & into my Boyhood Hero Steve Prefontaine. – Noe C/$
GO PRE! GO NOE!!