Ben There, Done That

O Rare Ben Johnson! An interspecies exhibition race scheduled for Oct. 15 is just another stride in a long bumpy run for the 36-year-old Jamaica-born Canadian sprinter.

Sept. 23, 1988
Tests positive for steroids after world-record 100 at Seoul Olympics. Hides face from photographers as he flees. Banned from competition for two years.

June 13, 1989
Penitent Johnson tells schoolkids, "Don't take drugs" and "Without drugs I can beat anybody."

Summer 1991
Noticeably slimmer a year after reinstatement, runs a string of mediocre 100s.

Aug. 1, 1992
Competes in the 100 at Barcelona Olympics, failing to make finals.

March 5, 1993
Banned for life after positive steroid test at meet in Montreal. Canada's minister of sport asks him to go back to Jamaica.

June 1998
Declines invitation to run in Seoul on 10th anniversary of tainted Olympic 100.

Oct. 6, 1998
Canada's Atlantic Lottery Corp. announces the handicapped race among Johnson, two horses and a stock car. Lottery officials say that they will have the horses tested along with "the engine of the car to see if they're putting any special gasoline in there."