Why did one otherwise nondescript suburban high school achieve otherworldly success in boys cross country in the 1970s and 1980s? This is the start of a show about the coach who created a distance-running dynasty, the rise of a friendly rival across Tampa Bay, and the challengers who made a run at the ruling teams, one led notably by a fleet-footed antagonist who flamed out too fast. Music credit: Ditch Diggin' by Jingle Punks; Largo Band of Gold

Largo coach Brent Haley rode the wave of the running boom in the United States in the 1970s. He recruited in PE classes, he created a T-shirt incentive program and he got runners, year after year, summer after summer, to develop the will to prepare for greatness. It wasn't just Largo guys who were putting in the miles, as current Florida State coach Bob Braman and former sportswriter Bill Ward explain. Oh yeah: One of the guys in this photo is nicknamed Moose. Music credit: "Love" by John Gillespie, used with permission; Bill Rodgers footage by Ambrose Salmini

Brett Hoffman, Mike Warre, Bob Braman, three runners who grew up amid the running boom, met on the new course at Largo's Taylor Park in a highly anticipated and hotly contested 3-mile race. The times they ran in fall 1975 came from the miles they ran in training, sometimes earning them more than funny looks when they hit the road at odd hours. Their recollection of that era and the times they posted show why all the miles absolutely mattered. Music credit: "Summer of 1984" by RKVC

Before Brent Haley became the leader of the cross country program at Largo, he knew had the makings of a coach. How and where he found out was surprising. Music credit: "Good Friend" by Audionautix; Haley interview credit: FL Runners

Coach Haley built a culture at Largo, an expectation of success. He also was willing to share running advice with anyone. But it's not a past-tense thing. Coach Haley continues to give workouts and advice to anyone willing to listen. Music credits: "Control" by I Was Totally Destroying It, used with permission; "A Certain Podcast" adaptation by BK Productions

Coach Bobby Ennis wasn’t much older than his athletes when he started coaching at Leto High School in the late 1970s. His teams quickly set a standard for success in the Tampa Bay area and throughout the state. This episode takes a look back at how his team concept was formed and how he connected with the runners who would become the Long Red Row. Music credit: You Are The Only by Track Tribe.

MyLan Moffat was a dominant distance runner from the outset at Largo. Moffat won state 4A track titles in the mile as a freshman and sophomore. A competitive streak and a desire to put in daily work were two reasons she ran ahead of the competition. This episode also features a sneak peek at a key plot point in the story. Footage credits: Vision Cable, N.C. State University, Olympics.com. Music credit: Finland by Track Tribe.

"We try harder" wasn't just the slogan of rental car company Avis. It was adopted by the Leto cross country program as it tried to break through against Largo. In the early 1980s, the stage was set for the Long Red Row. Hear the recall of Coach Ennis and others, specifically about that November 1982 day in DeLand. Music credits: Largo Band of Gold, BK productions, UT Vol marching band

In sports, perfection is rarely reached. The nature of competition is that it is messy: Shots are missed, interceptions thrown. In cross country, perfection is possible in team scoring: the perfect 15.

That moment occurs in dual meets with some regularity; it rarely happens in championship races. For Largo in 1983, it happened two consecutive weeks. This is the story behind the show's cover image, along with stories about the results, cultural changes of the 1980s, and the 1984 Largo-Leto trip to Wet N Wild. Music credit: Bob Bedell; interview with Largo Band of Gold director Bob Cotter found on YouTube

Music credit: Out On My Skateboard, Mini Vandals

YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_69-Dy-hl8

Music credits:

Out On My Skateboard, Mini Vandals

Slowly Until We Get There, Joey Pecoraro

The formal structure of All The Miles Mattered concluded with the end of the Largo-Leto rivalry in the late 1980s. But the lessons from those programs and other runners carry on today. Here is the first of two bonus episodes, with clips that didn’t make it into the main show. You’ll hear the voices of Chris Palmer, John Perlette, Dan Middleman, Keir Breitenfeld and others. Photos and videos mentioned are in posts on the All The Miles Mattered Facebook page, or you can email me at neilamato@gmail.com. Music credits: Out On My Skateboard by the Mini Vandals; BK Productions

Music credits: Out On My Skateboard by the Mini Vandals; BK Productions

Leto's cross country program in the 1980s was on par with Largo's. The Long Red Row won five 4A state titles in the decade, just ahead of the Packers' four championships. Leto had a disadvantage then against Largo when it came to developing talent: It was a three-grade school, and Largo had four grades. So while Largo coach Brent Haley could develop freshman runners, Leto's Bobby Ennis had to wait for them to show up after spending their ninth-grade year in junior high.

That's why the subject of this ATMM bonus episode was so important. His name is Phil Zimmerman, aka Coach Z, and he developed generations of runners at Webb Junior High, sending the "raw material" to Ennis. This episode is mainly an interview with Coach Z, but it also teases another critical moment in the history of the Leto program, one that can be called forgettable and memorable at the same time. Thanks for coming along for the run!

Music: Mini Vandals (Out on My Skateboard; Fingerprint)

Sound: Turn3 Productions Largo High School PA Music: Mini Vandals (Out On My Skateboard) BK Productions

Music: Is This Really Happening (Track Tribe)

This episode of All The Miles Mattered, the third of Season 2 and the 22nd if you count the trailer, has a lot of familiar voices in the story of Largo, Leto and the challengers to those programs’ dominance in cross country. It also has a new one, from a challenger the dominant 1983 Largo team never saw. It’s a voice from 2,000 miles away, a coach who expected maximum effort from his runners. The episode also takes a deeper look at just how good the Packers were, how that famous five-across photo came about, and how the returning Largo runners dealt with a new teammate. Come along for the run! Music: Mini Vandals (Out On My Skateboard, Inconsciousness), Bob Bedell (acoustic version of Video Killed The Radio Star)

Music: Mini Vandals, Out On My Skateboard

At last, the story of the 1994 Largo Invitational. The Largo boys and Lakewood girls won the races, but that's not what people recall about the day, Oct. 12, at Taylor Park.

"About as bad as it gets," one coach said. Another coach told meet officials that his own team should be disqualified. Come along for the run with the retelling of events from multiple eyewitnesses and participants.

Come along for the run! This episode, one of three being released today, includes Q&As with several Seminole High runners and the words of their coach, Bruce Calhoun.

Calhoun built the boys and girls cross country teams into Pinellas County's best in the second half of his tenure. No matter how well the teams did, the runners treasured their time under Calhoun's tutelage. Learn why Calhoun says "I marvel at myself" -- a rare comment by the coach who never sought praise.

Lou Snelling was a standout runner for Seminole High School and the University of Central Florida.  This Q&A goes back to his running roots, to elementary school field day, running in middle school, and then joining Coach Bruce Calhoun's program at Seminole High.

Snelling has been a college coach for more than 20 years, and just last weekend, his Bowling Green women's indoor track team won the school's first conference title in more than 25 years. Thanks for coming along for the run. This is one of three episodes posting today, all with a focus on Seminole.