Inside running legend Jeff Galloway's post-Olympics life with wife and kids before his death at 80

His family shared the unfortunate news in a statement, expressing: "Sadly, we lost someone truly irreplaceable today. We are heartbroken to share the news of the passing of Jeff — a husband, a father, a grandfather, a coach, a mentor, and a believer in every single one of you."

They added: "Jeff did not just make runners. He empowered people to believe in themselves. He is survived by every person who ever crossed a finish line and thought, 'I didn't think I could do this.'"

Jeff was married to Barbara Galloway, who is also closely tied to running. In fact, she ran for Florida State University women's track team. 

The duo actually met at the university, as their shared love of running certainly helped make their bond stronger. During his time at the school, he was also a member of the men's track team.

The two tied the knot in 1976 and the couple welcomed two sons Brennan and Westin into the world together and had six grandchildren.

Jeff has always been active on social media, and he took the time to show just how thankful he was for his wife.

In one post he gushed: "I'm especially grateful for my wonderful wife, who has supported me for over 50 years and has truly stepped up in amazing ways right now. Add in a great family and some exciting opportunities ahead, and I'm feeling very optimistic about this year."

He has also publicly shared how "proud" he is of his son Westin.

When Westin got married to Carissa, he shared online: "We ended 2018 with a wonderful wedding in St Croix. Congratulations to my son Westin and his wife Carissa Galloway! We are overjoyed to welcome Carissa to our family. It was one of my proudest moments walking her down the aisle and she feels like the daughter Barb and I never had - we are so proud!"

Jeff and Barbara's joint ventures

Jeff and Barbara hosted dozens of events through their brand Galloway Productions that invited runners of all skill levels to join in on the fun for the past two decades.

The athletes have worked with over 300,000 runners of different ages. Jeff, who participated in the 1972 Olympics strongly believed in a run-walk-run theory, which also goes by "jeffing."

His philosophy blends together running and intentional walking breaks, in order to bring about fast race times, reduce injuries and have a faster recovery with less fatigue.

The athlete successfully ran over 200 marathons in his lifetime.