Dick Hooper

{{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}} }}

}}

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,[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 }}[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] and, having had a career in banking, also worked as a coach, and an athletics commentator on Setanta Sports and Irish TV.

Achievements

All results regarding marathon, unless stated otherwise

{{AchievementTable}}
colspan="5"\|Representing {{IRL}}
1978 \|Irish National Marathon Championship \|Tullamore \|{{Gold medal}} \| 2:23:19{{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 }}Irish Times, 19 June 1978, pg. 4 \| 18 June 1978
1978 \|1978 European Championships in Athletics \|Prague \| 29th \| 2:21:01Irish Times, 4 September 1978, pg. 4 \| 3 September 1978
1980 \| Dublin Marathon \| Dublin \| {{Gold medal}} \| 2:16:14 \| 26 October 1980
1980 \| Irish National Marathon Championship \| Tullamore \| {{Gold medal}} \| 2:16:27Irish Times, 19 May 1980, pg. 4 \| 8 July 1980
1980 \| Moscow Olympics \| Moscow \| 38th place \| 2:23:53{{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 }}Irish Times, 2 August 1980, pg. 3[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417173709/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1980/ATH/mens-marathon.html Mens Marathon at Sports Reference] \| 1 August 1980
1981 \| Irish National Marathon Championship \| Cork \|{{Gold medal}} \| 2:15:37Irish Times, 8 June 1981, pg. 4 \| 7 June 1981
1982 \|Irish National Marathon Championship \| Limerick \| {{Gold medal}} \| 2:12:56Irish Times, 7 June 1982, pg. 4 \| 6 June 1982
1982 \|1982 European Championships in Athletics – Men's Marathon \|Athens \|11th place \|2:20:51Irish Times, 13 September 1982, pg. 3 \|12 September 1982
1984 \|Irish National Marathon Championship \|Cork \|{{Gold medal}} \| 2:14:39Irish Times, 24 April 1984, pg. 3Placed 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 \| 23 April 1984
1984 \|Los Angeles Olympics \|Los Angeles \|51st place \|2:24:41[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417173648/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1984/ATH/mens-marathon.html Mens Marathon at Sports Reference] \| 12 August 1984
1985 \|Dublin Marathon \|Dublin \|{{Gold medal}} \|2:13:48Irish Times, 28 October 1985, pg. 1 and pg. 3 \|27 October 1985
1986 \|Dublin Marathon \|Dublin \|{{Gold medal}} \|2:18:10Irish Times, 27 October 1986, pg. 3 \|26 October 1986
1986 \|1986 European Athletics Championships – Men's marathon \|Stuttgart \|16th place \|2:17.45Irish Times, 1 September 1986, pg. 3 \|30 August 1986
1987 \|1987 Dublin Marathon \|Dublin \|{{Bronze medal}} \|2:14:36Irish Times, 26 October 1987, pg. 5 \|25 October 1987
1988 \|Irish National Marathon Championship \|Wexford \|{{Silver medal}} \| 2:12:19 PBIrish Times, 25 April 1988, pg. 5 \| 24 April 1988
1988 \|Seoul Olympics \|Seoul \|24th place \|2:17:16[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417173730/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1988/ATH/mens-marathon.html Mens Marathon at Sports Reference]Irish Times, 3 October 1988, pg. 7 \|2 October 1988
1990 \|1990 European Championships in Athletics – Men's Marathon \|Split \|23rd place \|2:32.361990 European Athletics Championships – Men's MarathonIrish Times, 2 September 1990, Sport pg. 5 \|1 September 1990
1998 \|Irish National Marathon Championship \|Killenaule \|{{Gold medal}} \|(2:22:08)Irish Times, 20 April 1998, pg A4 \|19 April 1998
1998 \|New York City Marathon \|New York City \|34th place \|2:22:46Irish Times, 2 November 1998, pg. A3 \|1 November 1998

colspan="5"|Representing {{IRL}}

1978

|Irish National Marathon Championship

|Tullamore

|{{Gold medal}}

| 2:23:19{{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 }}Irish Times, 19 June 1978, pg. 4

| 18 June 1978

1978

|1978 European Championships in Athletics

|Prague

| 29th

| 2:21:01Irish Times, 4 September 1978, pg. 4

| 3 September 1978

1980

| Dublin Marathon

| Dublin

| {{Gold medal}}

| 2:16:14

| 26 October 1980

1980

| Irish National Marathon Championship

| Tullamore

| {{Gold medal}}

| 2:16:27Irish Times, 19 May 1980, pg. 4

| 8 July 1980

1980

| Moscow Olympics

| Moscow

| 38th place

| 2:23:53{{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 }}Irish Times, 2 August 1980, pg. 3[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417173709/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1980/ATH/mens-marathon.html Mens Marathon at Sports Reference]

| 1 August 1980

1981

| Irish National Marathon Championship

| Cork

|{{Gold medal}}

| 2:15:37Irish Times, 8 June 1981, pg. 4

| 7 June 1981

1982

|Irish National Marathon Championship

| Limerick

| {{Gold medal}}

| 2:12:56Irish Times, 7 June 1982, pg. 4

| 6 June 1982

1982

|1982 European Championships in Athletics – Men's Marathon

|Athens

|11th place

|2:20:51Irish Times, 13 September 1982, pg. 3

|12 September 1982

1984

|Irish National Marathon Championship

|Cork

|{{Gold medal}}

| 2:14:39Irish Times, 24 April 1984, pg. 3Placed 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

| 23 April 1984

1984

|Los Angeles Olympics

|Los Angeles

|51st place

|2:24:41[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417173648/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1984/ATH/mens-marathon.html Mens Marathon at Sports Reference]

| 12 August 1984

1985

|Dublin Marathon

|Dublin

|{{Gold medal}}

|2:13:48Irish Times, 28 October 1985, pg. 1 and pg. 3

|27 October 1985

1986

|Dublin Marathon

|Dublin

|{{Gold medal}}

|2:18:10Irish Times, 27 October 1986, pg. 3

|26 October 1986

1986

|1986 European Athletics Championships – Men's marathon

|Stuttgart

|16th place

|2:17.45Irish Times, 1 September 1986, pg. 3

|30 August 1986

1987

|1987 Dublin Marathon

|Dublin

|{{Bronze medal}}

|2:14:36Irish Times, 26 October 1987, pg. 5

|25 October 1987

1988

|Irish National Marathon Championship

|Wexford

|{{Silver medal}}

| 2:12:19 PBIrish Times, 25 April 1988, pg. 5

| 24 April 1988

1988

|Seoul Olympics

|Seoul

|24th place

|2:17:16[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417173730/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1988/ATH/mens-marathon.html Mens Marathon at Sports Reference]Irish Times, 3 October 1988, pg. 7

|2 October 1988

1990

|1990 European Championships in Athletics – Men's Marathon

|Split

|23rd place

|2:32.361990 European Athletics Championships – Men's MarathonIrish Times, 2 September 1990, Sport pg. 5

|1 September 1990

1998

|Irish National Marathon Championship

|Killenaule

|{{Gold medal}}

|(2:22:08)Irish Times, 20 April 1998, pg A4