Mark Conover was one of the more amazing success stories to come out of the 1987 CIM. He stunned the American running scene when he won the 1988 U.S. Olympic Men's Marathon Trials, beating favorites Ed Eyestone and Pete Pfitzinger with a six-minute PR that netted him $50,000. This was only his second marathon, and guess what? Although not as severe as his first marathon at the CIM, the conditions there (held in Jersey City, NJ) were cold and windy.

1) Mark Conover (CA) 2:12:26
2) Ed Eyestone (UT) 2:12:49
3) Pete Pfitzinger (MA) 2:13:09

His trip to Seoul in 1988 was disappointing; he had to drop out at mile 19 due to severe blisters. He began training again, setting his sights on better times and the 1992 Olympics. As the Trials approached, flu-like symptoms plagued him and although he qualified to run the Trials, he did not make the team with his 2:18:17 time. The symptoms persisted and in 1993 he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease.

Here Mark's true success story begins. Throughout an intense chemotherapy regimen Mark kept running, his own form of therapy that he felt was synergistic to the traditional treatments. In March of 1994 his cancer was declared to be in remission, and in June of 1995 he ran a 1996 trials qualifier of 2:20:35.

He has since retired from professional running and now turns his experience and skills to coach future distance running champions as the head Cross Country Coach at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Below he "fills in the blanks" about his experience at the 1987 CIM.

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The 1987 California International Marathon

Was my... 1st marathon.

 When I woke up race morning I... hoped it wouldn't start pouring

I wore... singlet and shorts

The wind was so bad that... I watched it uproot a tree and topple it on top of a car. I also watched it rip the singlet off eventual winner Peter Maher as I ran along with him. It looked like a plastic bag flying in the wind as it went off in the distance.

I was so wet that I... thought I was out for a run back in Humboldt County.

When I finished I... was ecstatic that I got my Olympic Trials Qualifier and held on to 3rd place.

Will you return to run the CIM?

I am now more of a coach than runner, as head (Cross Country) coach here at cal poly. So, my days at CIM are most likely long behind me.