Laird, who joins Missouri's Larry Young in RWI's HALL of FAME, stopped more than once in his acceptance comments to gaze and ponder and adlib, "this takes the cake. Wait 'til my girlfriend, father and twin-brother see this."
To cap a remarkable weekend the incomparable Laird, who has been a member of the New York Athletic Club (NYAC) since 1962 and had won 22 team titles before Sunday, joined Curt Clausen, Tim Seaman, and Gary Morgan in pursuit of another team championship for the venerable NYAC. When Seaman dropped out, Laird became the key man and as he has been doing for more than 48 years Laird came through in the clutch.
After warm greetings from Clausen, a NYAC teammate and this generations answer to Laird, the Hall of Fame crowd heard testimonials from Jack Mortland, Young (a two-time Olympic bronze medalist) and RACEWALKING INTERNATIONAL's president John MacLachlan, Laird held fellow walkers and friends in the palm of his hand as he recalled speical career moments.
Laird was toasted not only for his athletic achievements but for his continued involvement in the race walking community for almost 50 years. He was inducted into the USATF Hall of Fame in 1986 and entered the NYAC Hall of Fame in 1992.
After accepting the RWI honor, the great champion waved as he left town and yelled, "come see me at the National AAU Walking Championships next week in Detroit." Looks like a 50th anniversary bash is just around the corner.
Next Page: Quotes From Ron Laird on Racewalking
