all the miles mattered by Neil Amato

The Boston Marathon is a big deal. It's this weekend. And we found Leto and Largo runners who competed in the prestigious spring race (they aren't the only ones). So, the alternate title could be ATMM Goes to Boston. Hear the words (occasionally of the four-letter variety) from John Brennan (Largo Class of 84) and Matt Heiser (Leto Class of 85). Thanks for coming along for the run! Music credits: "Out on my Skateboard", Mini Vandals; "Is This Really Happening," TrackTribe

In early 1979, Mark Altimari didn't know much about Largo cross country. His family had moved recently from suburban Philadelphia to Tampa, and he was a confessed "wrestling dummy" at his new school, Leto High. Then, he met Leto coach Bobby Ennis, "the first adult to truly believe in me," Altimari said. He soon learned more about the rival Packers and more about cross country, and then more about the work it would take to take down Largo. The events of fall 1980 on cross country courses in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties didn't end Altimari's interaction with Largo. Instead, a letter created a lifelong bond. This episode of All The Miles Mattered goes in-depth on the mail sent to Altimari after the state meet in 1980, which in 4A boys competition was decided by 3 points.

Belen Jesuit in Miami has won more FHSAA boys cross country state championships than any program. This weekend, Belen goes for the 15th title in program history. Coach Frankie Ruiz's team has its sights on other championships, as it will run at least one other race after the 3A state meet on Friday, Nov. 17 in Tallahassee. In this episode of All The Miles Mattered, Ruiz talks history, his call to Coach Brent Haley in 2019, his runners' quest for 15, and more.

Chris Palmer, a 1984 Largo graduate, was part of three cross country state titles for the Packers in the early 1980s. This episode features Palmer's talk at the start of the Sept. 15 reunion of Largo runners, which came one night after the track at Largo was named for Coach Brent Haley.  Special thanks to Largo's Mike Fowler for the audio.

Welcome to the start of Season 2 of All The Miles Mattered. This is as close to a news episode as you’re going to get for a story 50 years in the making. Last month, at halftime of a Largo High School football game, the track at the stadium got a new name and also a familiar name. It was the first of two nights honoring Coach Brent Haley. Come along for the run!

The formal structure of All The Miles Mattered concluded with the end of the Largo-Leto rivalry in the late 1980s. But the lessons from those programs and other runners carry on today. In the second of two bonus episodes are clips that didn’t make it into the main show. You’ll hear the voices of Tommy Hampton, Pat McDonough, Trey Culbertson, Nick Radkewich, and others. Photos mentioned are on my Instagram page or on the public All The Miles Mattered Facebook page.

Largo and Leto were set for a showdown in the state cross country meet at Dunn Airport in 1987. The Packers had the state’s top runner; the Long Red Row had impressive depth and recent history on its side in the state meet. The day ended with a course record, a Titusville toast, and a vow never to lose again. Thanks for coming along for the run! Music credit: Good Friend, Audionautix; ATMM theme by BK Productions

On May 10, 1986, at Showalter Field in Winter Park, neither of the two favorites in the state meet 2-mile race won. The race was supposed to be another LeValle-Letchworth showdown. It’s tough to say at this point in the story that any Largo runner could be overlooked, but Pat McDonough was a sophomore running against a stacked field that evening. He ran eight just about perfect laps to secure an unforgettable victory.

Michael LeValle didn’t run for Leto or Largo, but he’s an important part of the story in the mid-1980s. He expected to have Roger Letchworth and Pat McDonough right on his shoulder. That didn’t happen at the 1986 state cross country meet. What did happen at that meet: A familiar name comes back from injury, and the Long Red Row comes back from region-meet disappointment to take the lead for most championships in the decade.

Countryside’s 1986 team was loaded: It had Roger Letchworth and Chip Backus, both major Division I college prospects, along with a bevy of talented runners just behind them. This is the story of the Cougars’ unforgettable trip to an iconic course in New York, the site of a big invitational. It was, briefly, record-setting, and now it’s time to set the record straight.

The legend of Roger Letchworth started with his second-place finish in the state cross country meet as a sophomore, and it continued with his national age-group records for 10K and 15K. Letchworth was on fire in the 1986 cross country season; the flame was extinguished rapidly.

Basil Magee ran a nation-leading time in the mile his senior year at Largo. Two years earlier, he had never even run the mile in a track meet. Magee's rapid rise, his rivalry with a future Olympian, and the birth of the Long Red Row are the focus areas of this episode. Music: Walk With Me by Track Tribe. YouTube of the Kinney race in 1979: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI87ye5pew0

Come along for the run! Subscribe to All The Miles Mattered wherever you get your podcasts. Episode 1 drops Oct. 23! Music credits: Emil Axelsson, "I Think I Was There"; Sum It, "Magnetic Eye". Episode produced by Agent Fitz himself, Brian FitzGerald.