Dick Hooper

{{short description|Irish long-distance runner and Olympian}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Dick Hooper | image = | imagesize =  | caption = | nationality = Irish | sport = Running | event = Marathon | club = Raheny Shamrock Athletic Club | collegeteam = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1956|08|26}} | birth_place = Dublin | residence = | death_date = | death_place = | height = {{convert|5|ft|9|in|cm|abbr=on}} | weight = {{convert|150|lb|kg}} | medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry | {{IRL}} }} {{MedalSport | Men’s Athletics}} {{MedalCompetition|Dublin Marathon}} {{MedalGold |1980 Dublin Marathon|Men's Marathon}} {{MedalGold |1985 Dublin Marathon|Men's Marathon}} {{MedalGold |1986 Dublin Marathon|Men's Marathon}} }}

'''Richard Hooper''' (born 26 August 1956) is a former long-distance runner from Raheny, Dublin, Ireland.

==Career== He represented Ireland in the Olympic marathon in Moscow 1980, Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988. He also represented Ireland four times in the European Championships - in Czechoslovakia 1978, Athens 1982, Stuttgart 1986 and Split 1990.

He is a three-time record-holding winner of the Dublin Marathon in 1980, 1985 and 1988 and he set his personal best time at the 1988 Irish National Championship in Wexford, clocking 2:12:19 finishing in 2nd place behind John Woods. He went on to win a record six national marathon championships winning his last in 1998 at the age of 42.

He is the younger brother of marathoner Pat Hooper,<ref>[https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ho/dick-hooper-1.html sports-reference] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101018024040/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ho/dick-hooper-1.html |date=2010-10-18 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/1998/1026/98102600171.html My Club: Raheny Shamrock AC by IAN O'RIORDAN, published by The Irish Times - Monday, October 26, 1998]</ref> and, having had a career in banking, also worked as a coach, and an athletics commentator on Setanta Sports and Irish TV.

==Achievements== *<small>All results regarding marathon, unless stated otherwise</small> {| {{AchievementTable}} |- !colspan="5"|Representing {{IRL}} |- |1978 |Irish National Marathon Championship |Tullamore |{{Gold medal}} | 2:23:19<ref name="ROH">{{Cite web |url=http://www.athleticsireland.ie/content/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/roh-outdoor-1873-2013-final-version3.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2014-03-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317165427/http://www.athleticsireland.ie/content/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/roh-outdoor-1873-2013-final-version3.pdf |archive-date=2014-03-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>''Irish Times'', 19 June 1978, pg. 4</ref> | 18 June 1978 |- |1978 |1978 European Championships in Athletics |Prague | 29th | 2:21:01<ref>''Irish Times'', 4 September 1978, pg. 4</ref> | 3 September 1978 |- | 1980 | Dublin Marathon | Dublin | {{Gold medal}} | 2:16:14 | 26 October 1980 |- | 1980 | Irish National Marathon Championship | Tullamore | {{Gold medal}} | 2:16:27<ref name="ROH" /><ref>''Irish Times'', 19 May 1980, pg. 4</ref> | 8 July 1980 |- | 1980 | Moscow Olympics | Moscow | 38th place | 2:23:53<ref name="IRLOG">{{Cite web |url=http://www.athleticsireland.ie/content/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/irish-athletics-olympians-1896-20121apr2013.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2014-03-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130727041551/http://www.athleticsireland.ie/content/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/irish-athletics-olympians-1896-20121apr2013.pdf |archive-date=2013-07-27 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>''Irish Times'', 2 August 1980, pg. 3</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417173709/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1980/ATH/mens-marathon.html Mens Marathon at Sports Reference]</ref> | 1 August 1980 |- | 1981 | Irish National Marathon Championship | Cork |{{Gold medal}} | 2:15:37<ref name="ROH" /><ref>''Irish Times'', 8 June 1981, pg. 4</ref> | 7 June 1981 |- | 1982 |Irish National Marathon Championship | Limerick | {{Gold medal}} | 2:12:56<ref name="ROH" /><ref>''Irish Times'', 7 June 1982, pg. 4</ref> | 6 June 1982 |- |1982 |1982 European Championships in Athletics – Men's Marathon |Athens |11th place |2:20:51<ref>''Irish Times'', 13 September 1982, pg. 3</ref> |12 September 1982 |- |1984 |Irish National Marathon Championship |Cork |{{Gold medal}} | 2:14:39<ref name="ROH" /><ref>''Irish Times'', 24 April 1984, pg. 3</ref><ref>Placed 2nd in race, but awarded the National Marathon title after Jerry Kiernan was disqualified for breaking the IAAF rule regarding the size of advertising lettering on his singlet</ref> | 23 April 1984 |- |1984 |Los Angeles Olympics |Los Angeles |51st place |2:24:41<ref name="IRLOG" /><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417173648/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1984/ATH/mens-marathon.html Mens Marathon at Sports Reference]</ref> | 12 August 1984 |- |1985 |Dublin Marathon |Dublin |{{Gold medal}} |2:13:48<ref>''Irish Times'', 28 October 1985, pg. 1 and pg. 3</ref> |27 October 1985 |- |1986 |Dublin Marathon |Dublin |{{Gold medal}} |2:18:10<ref>''Irish Times'', 27 October 1986, pg. 3</ref> |26 October 1986 |- |1986 |1986 European Athletics Championships – Men's marathon |Stuttgart |16th place |2:17.45<ref>''Irish Times'', 1 September 1986, pg. 3</ref> |30 August 1986 |- | 1987 |1987 Dublin Marathon |Dublin |{{Bronze medal}} |2:14:36<ref>''Irish Times'', 26 October 1987, pg. 5</ref> |25 October 1987 |- |1988 |Irish National Marathon Championship |Wexford |{{Silver medal}} | 2:12:19 PB<ref name="ROH" /><ref>''Irish Times'', 25 April 1988, pg. 5</ref> | 24 April 1988 |- |1988 |Seoul Olympics |Seoul |24th place |2:17:16<ref name="IRLOG" /><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417173730/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1988/ATH/mens-marathon.html Mens Marathon at Sports Reference]</ref><ref>''Irish Times'', 3 October 1988, pg. 7</ref> |2 October 1988 |- |1990 |1990 European Championships in Athletics – Men's Marathon |Split |23rd place |2:32.36<ref>1990 European Athletics Championships – Men's Marathon</ref><ref>''Irish Times'', 2 September 1990, Sport pg. 5</ref> |1 September 1990 |- |1998 |Irish National Marathon Championship |Killenaule |{{Gold medal}} |(2:22:08)<ref name="ROH" /><ref>''Irish Times'', 20 April 1998, pg A4</ref> |19 April 1998 |- |1998 |New York City Marathon |New York City |34th place |2:22:46<ref>''Irish Times'', 2 November 1998, pg. A3</ref> |1 November 1998 |- |}

==References== {{reflist|30em}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hooper, Dick}} Category:1956 births Category:Living people Category:Irish men long-distance runners Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1980 Summer Olympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic athletes for Ireland Category:People educated at St Paul's College, Raheny Category:People from Raheny Category:Athletes from County Dublin Category:20th-century Irish sportsmen