Richard Hooper (born 26 August 1956) is a former long-distance runner from Raheny, Dublin, Ireland.

Dick Hooper
Personal information
NationalityIrish
Born (1956-08-26) 26 August 1956 (age 67)
Dublin
Height5 ft 9 in (174 cm)
Weight150 lb (68 kg)
Sport
SportRunning
EventMarathon
ClubRaheny Shamrock Athletic Club
Medal record
Representing  Ireland
Men’s Athletics
Dublin Marathon
Gold medal – first place 1980 Dublin Marathon Men's Marathon
Gold medal – first place 1985 Dublin Marathon Men's Marathon
Gold medal – first place 1986 Dublin Marathon Men's Marathon

Career edit

He represented Ireland in the Olympic marathon in Moscow 1980, Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988. He also represented Ireland four times in the European Championships - in Czechoslovakia 1978, Athens 1982, Stuttgart 1986 and Split 1990.

He is a three-time record-holding winner of the Dublin Marathon in 1980, 1985 and 1988 and he set his personal best time at the 1988 Irish National Championship in Wexford, clocking 2:12:19 finishing in 2nd place behind John Woods. He went on to win a record six national marathon championships winning his last in 1998 at the age of 42.

He is the younger brother of marathoner Pat Hooper,[1][2] and, having had a career in banking, also worked as a coach, and an athletics commentator on Setanta Sports and Irish TV.

Achievements edit

  • All results regarding marathon, unless stated otherwise
Year Competition Venue Position Notes
Representing   Ireland
1978 Irish National Marathon Championship Tullamore   Gold 2:23:19[3][4] 18 June 1978
1978 1978 European Championships in Athletics Prague 29th 2:21:01[5] 3 September 1978
1980 Dublin Marathon Dublin   Gold 2:16:14 26 October 1980
1980 Irish National Marathon Championship Tullamore   Gold 2:16:27[3][6] 8 July 1980
1980 Moscow Olympics Moscow 38th place 2:23:53[7][8][9] 1 August 1980
1981 Irish National Marathon Championship Cork   Gold 2:15:37[3][10] 7 June 1981
1982 Irish National Marathon Championship Limerick   Gold 2:12:56[3][11] 6 June 1982
1982 1982 European Championships in Athletics – Men's Marathon Athens 11th place 2:20:51[12] 12 September 1982
1984 Irish National Marathon Championship Cork   Gold 2:14:39[3][13][14] 23 April 1984
1984 Los Angeles Olympics Los Angeles 51st place 2:24:41[7][15] 12 August 1984
1985 Dublin Marathon Dublin   Gold 2:13:48[16] 27 October 1985
1986 Dublin Marathon Dublin   Gold 2:18:10[17] 26 October 1986
1986 1986 European Athletics Championships – Men's marathon Stuttgart 16th place 2:17.45[18] 30 August 1986
1987 1987 Dublin Marathon Dublin   Bronze 2:14:36[19] 25 October 1987
1988 Irish National Marathon Championship Wexford   Silver 2:12:19 PB[3][20] 24 April 1988
1988 Seoul Olympics Seoul 24th place 2:17:16[7][21][22] 2 October 1988
1990 1990 European Championships in Athletics – Men's Marathon Split 23rd place 2:32.36[23][24] 1 September 1990
1998 Irish National Marathon Championship Killenaule   Gold (2:22:08)[3][25] 19 April 1998
1998 New York City Marathon New York City 34th place 2:22:46[26] 1 November 1998

References edit

  1. ^ sports-reference Archived 2010-10-18 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ My Club: Raheny Shamrock AC by IAN O'RIORDAN, published by The Irish Times - Monday, October 26, 1998
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 March 2014. Retrieved 17 March 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ Irish Times, 19 June 1978, pg. 4
  5. ^ Irish Times, 4 September 1978, pg. 4
  6. ^ Irish Times, 19 May 1980, pg. 4
  7. ^ a b c "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 July 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ Irish Times, 2 August 1980, pg. 3
  9. ^ Mens Marathon at Sports Reference
  10. ^ Irish Times, 8 June 1981, pg. 4
  11. ^ Irish Times, 7 June 1982, pg. 4
  12. ^ Irish Times, 13 September 1982, pg. 3
  13. ^ Irish Times, 24 April 1984, pg. 3
  14. ^ Placed 2nd in race, but awarded the National Marathon title after Jerry Kiernan was disqualified for breaking the IAAF rule regarding the size of advertising lettering on his singlet
  15. ^ Mens Marathon at Sports Reference
  16. ^ Irish Times, 28 October 1985, pg. 1 and pg. 3
  17. ^ Irish Times, 27 October 1986, pg. 3
  18. ^ Irish Times, 1 September 1986, pg. 3
  19. ^ Irish Times, 26 October 1987, pg. 5
  20. ^ Irish Times, 25 April 1988, pg. 5
  21. ^ Mens Marathon at Sports Reference
  22. ^ Irish Times, 3 October 1988, pg. 7
  23. ^ 1990 European Athletics Championships – Men's Marathon
  24. ^ Irish Times, 2 September 1990, Sport pg. 5
  25. ^ Irish Times, 20 April 1998, pg A4
  26. ^ Irish Times, 2 November 1998, pg. A3