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Muhammad Ali in Socorro: New Mexicans reminisce about meeting the champ in 1976
When Muhammad Ali spent nearly a week in Socorro in 1976 as part of Dick Gregory's Food Run, he proved himself to be the "People's Champion" indeed as he charmed his way into the hearts of local citizens with a mixture of humility and bravado.
It's a secret to most of the world, and for the people who got to meet and talk with the most famous man on the planet, it seems like yesterday.
Search the Internet with keywords like Dick Gregory, Mohammad Ali, and food run, and the answers on Bing and Google show places like Louisville, Kentucky (Ali's hometown) and Washington, D.C. There are no references to the three-time heavyweight world boxing champion coming to Socorro.
But Ali did come to Socorro, and he spent five days at the Golden Manor motel, where crowds of locals flocked to catch a glimpse of him. Regional newspapers, including the Albuquerque Journal and Socorro's El Defenso Chieftain, had front-page stories and pictures of Ali.
Gregory was drawing attention to the battle against hunger, and the comedian, activist and vegan was running across America. Throughout his journey, he was joined by Ali. Ali didn't have the time or endurance for the kind of long-distance running Gregory was doing, so he ran different portions of the event, meeting up with Gregory at various stops.
Ali's main focus at the time was Ken Norton, in preparation for the final bout of their legendary trilogy on Sept. 28 that year. The champ was running six miles a day, six days a week, while his friend, Gregory, was averaging 50 miles a day. He completed his 2,782-mile run in 71 days.
Some New Mexicans remember meeting Ali. Read their stories on the El Defensor Chieftain website.
