Jeff Galloway, 1972 Olympian and walk-run pioneer, dies at 80

Scooby Axson, USA TODAYThu, February 26, 2026 at 2:10 PM UTC

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Jeff Galloway, a pioneering runner who helped millions of people overcome fears and attempt their first marathon by promoting a run-walk-run strategy, and a member of the 1972 United States Olympic team, has died at the age of 80.

His death on Wednesday, Feb. 25, in a Pensacola, Florida, hospital was caused by a hemorrhagic stroke, according to his daughter-in-law, Carissa Galloway.

"Jeff spent his life proving that anyone could cross a finish line. He celebrated every mile, every walk break, and every finish. He coached millions, but found fulfillment in each of your stories of personal accomplishment," his family said in a statement. "Jeff did not just make runners. He empowered people to believe in themselves. He is survived by every person who ever crossed a finish line and thought, 'I didn’t think I could do this.' "

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Former Olympic distance runner Jeff Galloway speaks to runners before the start of the Donna Marathon in Jacksonville Beach, Florida on Feb. 5, 2023.

The effective run-walk-run marathon strategy, better known as "jeffing," began in 1974, two years after he made the Olympic team in the 10,000 meters and served as an alternate on the marathon team.

"My mission now, at the age of 80-plus, is to show that people can do things that are normally not done, and can do them safely," Galloway told The New York Times last year.

Galloway ran more than 200 marathons in his lifetime, and was recently hospitalized and had survived heart failure in 2021.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jeff Galloway, 1972 Olympian and running pioneer, dies at 80

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