PENSACOLA, Fla. — Jeff Galloway, an Atlanta native, Olympian and the winner of the first Peachtree Road Race in 1970, died on Wednesday. He was 80.
Galloway’s family said he died after a stroke.
“Jeff spent his life proving that anyone could cross a finish line. He celebrated every mile, every walk break, and every finish. He coached millions, but found fulfillment in each of your stories of personal accomplishment,” his family wrote in a statement on Facebook.
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Galloway grew up in Atlanta and attended the Westminster School. He went onto to become an All-American at Florida State University and made the 1972 US Olympic team.
But it was two years earlier when he made history in his hometown. On July 4, 1970, he became the first winner of the Peachtree Road Race. Galloway reflected on that moment during the race’s 50th anniversary.
“Even though the Peachtree was a minor dot for world road race, in Atlanta it was not. The act of running down the major street was something that was not done in the South. And it was done for the very first time with the Peachtree Road Race and was a big deal for us runners,” Galloway told Channel 2 Action News.
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After the 1972 Olympics, Galloway opened up his own running store and decided to teach runners at Florida State University. That is when he developed the Run Walk Run method where you alternate between running and walking.
He determined that strategic walk breaks between runs would help runners from getting fatigued or injured. Many still use the “Galloway Method” today.
“Jeff did not just make runners. He empowered people to believe in themselves. He is survived by every person who ever crossed a finish line and thought, “I didn’t think I could do this,’” his family said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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