WELCOME! In the second-ever Vegan Marathoner Podcast, we are meeting Top and Rose Taylor, in Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
Top is a United States Marine, having served in both the Korean War and Vietnam War. He was then a longtime Marine Corps Junior ROTC instructor and coach as well as legendary cross country and track coach at Louisville’s Seneca High School*. He coached me from 1993-96. Top’s influence is a major reason I am still running today.
Top ran cross country for Louisville’s Shawnee High School. He continued running for decades and is known today for typically wearing cotton racing shirts from the 1980’s & ‘90’s.
Rose is a Master’s runner extraordinaire who at one point held 4 regional records in the Kentuckiana area (Kentucky and southern Indiana region). 2 of her records still exist and are posted on the running board hall of fame at the Iroquois Park racing course, in South Louisville. She also won her age group in a National Master’s Cross Country Championship. Rose helped cheer me on in most if not all of my cross country races from 1993-96. Right alongside my Papaw.
TWO NOTES RELATING TO THE SHOW:
* Yared Nuguse is the Louisville athlete named whose name we could not think of off the bat. He was Kentucky State Champion in cross country, before going on to run for Notre Dame and then won a bronze medal in the 1500m in the Paris Olympics ‘24.
* Bobby Curtis is the runner from Louisville’s St. X high school who won 19 (!) Kentucky State Championship titles in track and cross country. He went on to run for Villanova—winning the 2008 NCAA 5000m title—before going pro.
Our time with Top & Rose is great, but I’d also like to include you in the convo…
**What stories would you like to tell about your running?
**Where are your favorite places to run? Favorite races?
**How long have you been vegan, or vegetarian?
If you’d like to stay connected, please subscribe to the Vegan Marathoner Substack. I’d greatly appreciate it!
Thank YOU for your support and for listening to Episode 2. Please check in weekly to the Substack for other bits and bobs, such as running travel stories, training info, more “Hidden Mickeys,” (episode 9 will be released next week) and new podcast episodes.
At least one of something will be released each week.
Hope to see you out there on the course,
~Kyle
*where TV journalist Diane Sawyer and professional basketball player Wes Unseld graduated from
“If you BELIEVE it, you WILL ACHIEVE it.”—Coach Johnson, Robert H., Wabash College (Indiana, USA)
Source Music: Pearl Jam. “Rearviewmirror.” Vs. (Expanded Edition), Sony Music Entertainment compilation, 2004. (original Vs. album, 1993)
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit veganmarathoner.substack.com
