Mr. Goodyear’s Neighborhood - Bairgutsman Founder, Jan Cheney Part 2

Here it is!  The Banyan Collective is excited to present part 2 of our interview with the original Utah mountain runner, Jan Cheney. 

We concluded part 1 of our interview with Jan’s sad tale of his almost guest appearance on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and continue with Jan’s 29 mile tale of his then ‘Flight of the Eagle’ run, an ultra version of the Bairgutsman, but now commonly known as the Wasatch 100 Endurance Run.  We’re also introduced to Richard Barnum-Reece and learn how a litigious runner, who gets lost in Baer Canyon, is the catalyst of the Bairgutsman deal Jan and Richard negotiate during the inaugural running of the Wasatch 100 in 1980. 

Even with threat of legal action, the Bairgutsman lived under the direction of Richard Barnum-Reece, who affectionately renamed the race after his late brother, Robert, also known as ‘Crazy Bob.’

Jan gives us the straight story on all the Bairgutsman folklore and myths in addition to an inside perspective of the mind of Richard Barnum-Reece.  Everything you ever wanted to know about the early history of the oldest mountain race in Utah is served up by Jan, and we can’t thank him enough for his time and willingness to sit down and talk to us.  Thank you, Jan! 

Long live Crazy Bob’s Bairgutsman, Conquer Thyself!