If you have ever trained for a marathon, you have probably heard of the Yasso 800s. The workout is simple: run 10 sets of 800 meters at a pace that predicts your marathon time. It has been used by thousands of runners worldwide, and the man who invented it grew up right here in Fountain Hill.
From Fountain Hill to the World
Bart Yasso was born in December 1955 in Fountain Hill, a small borough tucked between Bethlehem and Allentown. He discovered running in 1980 after struggling with alcohol in his youth, and the sport transformed his life. By 1987, he had joined Runner's World magazine in Emmaus as their Chief Running Officer, a position he held for 30 years.
During that time, Yasso became the most recognized ambassador of recreational running in America. He ran in more than 1,200 of the 1,800 races he attended. He completed races on all seven continents. He became a member of the Running USA Hall of Champions. And through all of it, he never left the Lehigh Valley. He still lives in Center Valley.
The Bethlehem Running Festival
Yasso hosts the annual Bethlehem Running Festival every October, presented by LVHN. The event includes a trail run, kids run, 5K, 10K, half marathon, and relay, bringing runners of all levels together on the streets and trails of the city he has called home his entire life. His presence at local races and running events is not promotional. It is personal. He genuinely loves running and the people who do it.
A Valley Legend
The Lehigh Valley has produced its share of notable figures, but Bart Yasso holds a unique place. He took a passion he discovered in his own backyard and turned it into a career that touched millions of runners around the world. And he did it all without ever leaving home. That is a Lehigh Valley story if there ever was one.
