Sport: Salazar's Marathon Ordeal

Trying times for the world's fastest distance runner

Marathoners are used to racing against time, each other and themselves, but for the past year Alberto Salazar has been running against an opponent he had never encountered before: failure. In 1982 the Cuban-born Salazar stood alone as the world's best distance runner. He held the American record in the 5,000-and 10,000-meter runs, and had the world's fastest time in the marathon, in which he was undefeated. An Olympic gold medal glistered on the horizon. Then last year, Salazar began to run down and out. His...

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