EUGENE, Ore. — For years, Edwin Moses collected so many 400-meter hurdle victories that he turned the event into essentially two races: the rest of the field against each other, for second place … and Moses vs. himself. His longest win-streak—122-consecutive races, 107-straight finals—will never be approached, let alone broken. But one man, an elite track coach who’s still coaching, wanted more than anyone to find someone to stop it.
This coach was Bob Kersee, and Moses did not just sense Kersee studying him, up close, all over the world. Kersee told him that, straight up. He asked Moses for training tips, lingering near him at tracks. And, because this particular event requires technical proficiency above all, Kersee engaged Moses in discussions about the technique Moses had developed on his own.
“I will find someone that beats you,” Kersee promised. “I don’t care how long it takes.”
