Ric Sayre (b. Akron, Ohio, August 9, 1953 – d. Ashland, Oregon, June 21, 2011) was a nationally renowned American runner, best known for his ability to compete at the elite level in numerous marathons each year.
Sayre, who was a lean 135 pounds, at five feet, ten and a half inches, credited his vegetarian diet with helping him recover quickly from races.
Sayre's victory in the 1986 Los Angeles Marathon, with a time of 2:12:59, earned him $10,000 and a $23,000 Mercedes-Benz, which he sold to help finance a home he built in Ashland.
“He was so good, he just kind of set the standard for toughness,” according to Bob Julian Jr., the cross country coach for Ashland High School.
He’d always stand up for people and would help them out if they were having rough times.” He was the 1982 Pear Blossom Run champion in Medford, Oregon and set the current course record at the Mt.
Sayre worked fourteen years at the Ashland Food Cooperative, where he was serving his third three-year term as the employee representative on the co-op's board of directors.