Dick Beardsley was a world-class marathon runner who won the first London Marathon in 1981 and nearly won the 1982 Boston Marathon, a hard-fought battle dubbed the Duel in the Sun. Later a series of accidents left him battling a tougher opponent, addiction to narcotic pain medicine. His autobiography, “Staying the Course: A Runner’s Toughest Race,” has been widely read.
Beardsley brings his story to the Black Hills in early December for a pair of motivational speeches. He will speak Monday, Dec. 3, at 10 a.m. in the Joy Center at Black Hills State University. On Tuesday, Dec. 4, at 10 a.m. he will speak in the King Center’s Hall of Fame Room at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology.
Both talks are free and open to the public. Beardsley’s visit is part of the Make Your Comeback Speaker Series, sponsored by Regional Health and the Regional Health Foundation.
