ramscrosscountry

Sixth Annual Browning Ross Bob Kupcha Run

2011-12-20T08:07:00.000-08:00

The 6th annual Browning Ross Bob Kupcha 5k run and 1 mile was held May 14 in National Park, NJ. The race is held in memory of two men who were devoted to Gloucester Catholic High School Dr. Bob Kupcha, Gloucester Catholic High School class of 1977 and Browning Ross, two time Olympian and a long time track and cross country coach at Gloucester Catholic High School.

The 5k race passes through historic Red Bank Battlefield along the Delaware River, and was won by Tom Campo Jr of Woodbury (20:38) and Kris Gallagher of Mullica Hill (21:47).

Dave McCollum (class of 1975) 22:00 and Lauren Wilson (class of 2014) 24:48 each won the Dave Williams award for first GCHS male and female finishers. Williams was a great GCHS runner from the 1940’s and 1950’s who was profiled in Runners Gazette: http://ramscrosscountry.blogspot.com/2008/04/dave-williams-gloucester-catholics.html

Both the 5k and 1-mile races featured runners from both ends of the competitive spectrum.

The 5k featured some of the top masters runners in the Philadelphia and South Jersey area, including a number of runners who were regulars at Browning Ross’s races in the 1990’s who today are Boston Marathon and Broad Street Run age group winners, including Jim Flanagan winner of the over 70 age group in 22:12. Joe Hoffman of National Park second over-all and the first over 60 finisher in 21:09, long time South Jersey great Ken Kling second in 22:08, Tom Osler second over 70 finisher and Walt Pierson 3rd over 70. While male masters runners took 9 of the first 10 places in the 5k race, the first 6 finishers in the one mile run were parochial grammar school girls, which bodes well for the GCHS girls cross country team in 2013 and beyond.

Other top finishers in the 5k include Lauren Wilson first under 18 in 24:48 (14th overall), Vicki Lutz Feehan, first in the 19-29 age group and 16th overall in 25:11 and Emily Malfitano second in the under 18 division, and 19th overall in 25:41. Linda Kupcha finished first in the 50-59 female age group in 31:56.

The race featured bagels, fruit and Melitta Coffee. Besides trophies and medals, “Browning Ross style prizes” such as tomato plants, cookies, pickles, running clothes, food coupons from Chick Fil-A and Duffy’s chocolates were awarded to finishers in both events.

Packs of shredded $100 bills also among the random prizes quickly scooped up by the many young runners in attendance without fear of losing their “amateur status”. Proceeds from the race went to the Bob Kupcha Alumni Scholarship, and to a new initiative to raise funds for athletic fields for Gloucester Catholic’s teams (Gloucester Catholic has not had any athletic fields of its own since its founding in 1928 and has recently started a fund to develop land in Deptford, NJ).

There is a possibility that the next Browning Ross Bob Kupcha 5k run will take place on those new fields.

Previous Ross Kupcha Race Winners:

2005 Male: Dave Welsh 16:29 Female: Emily Ward 19:09

2006 Male: Michael McGowan 17:38 Female: Shannon McGowan 22:35

2007 Male: Tom Campo, Jr. 19:44 Female: Meghan McGowan 22:27

2008 Male: Dave Welsh 16:53 Female: Patricia Addis Hudson 21:49

2009 Male: Tony Tartaglia 19:25 Female: Taylor Mickle 22:28

Jonas Cattell 2011

2011-12-10T13:08:00.000-08:00

GEOFF SHUTE’S PERFORMANCE AT THE

JONAS CATTELL 10-MILE RUN, WHERE

HE RAN 10 MILES TO THE START LINE

BEFORE THE RACE EVEN BEGAN,

WOULD HAVE MADE THE LEGENDARY

CATTELL PROUD

While winning the 42nd annual Jonas Cattell 10 mile Run in 56:08, Geoff Shute may have run the most interesting ten miles from Haddonfield to National Park (NJ) of anyone since—well, since Jonas Cattell himself covered the distance in 1777.

Shute, ( 36) is also the head old cross country and track coach at Pennsville (NJ) High School. Having previously won Jonas Cattell, he decided to run this year’s race as a training run for the Philadelphia Marathon.

While it is common for runners to mention that they were just using a race as a “training run” Shute actually did so, incorporating the ten mile Jonas Cattell race as the second half of a twenty mile training run at his projected marathon pace. Shute parked at the finish at Red Bank Battlefield in National Park NJ and ran ten miles to the races start timing his run to arrive just before the races start. As the gun went off, Shute reversed course and ran the ten miles back to the finish (and his waiting family) almost six minutes faster than second place finisher Jim Sery.

Believe it or not, Shute was not entirely happy with his remarkable performance.

“I wanted to run the race at marathon pace, around 5:28 -5:38 a mile but the adrenalin kicked in and I ran the first mile through Haddonfield a little too fast, around 5:12 pace. I felt good and kept that pace for a while, but started to tighten up and slowed down to around 5:48 pace later in the race. I didn’t use my head and went out a little too fast that first mile.” Shute, who was out of sight from the rest of the pack after the first mile, has won a number of South Jersey races this year including repeating as winner of the Benjamin Ross 5k in June in 16:25.

The first female, Julie Cattell proved that running is still in the Cattell blood by winning the race in a fine 1:07:50. Julie was the first of a number of Cattell relatives who annually keep up the family tradition of re-enacting the historic run of distant relative Jonas.

Other age group winners in the race include Gloucester Catholic Cross Country Sophomore Billy Simila, who was the first teen-age runner in 1:10.45. Jim Sery, 1st over 50 male in 1:02:06 and second overall.

Lisa Wixted 1st female 35 to 39 in 1:14:10, second overall. Britta Deklyver was the 1st female 40-44 finisher and third place overall in 1:16:51.

Sean Simila was the first 14 and under male, finishing in 1:20:45 and Ayaana Lyons was the first place 15 to 19 female in 1:20:58.

Boston Marathon age group winner Joy Hampton was the first place female over 60 finisher in 1:22:12 and Ken Underwood was the first male 60-64 winner in 1:22:42.

Danny Wheeler was the first wheel chair finisher, navigating the hilly run in 1:25:35.

Tom Osler, who has run most of the 42 Jonas Cattell runs was the first place male 70 and over in 1:34:59.

There were 122 finishers on a picture perfect October day ideal for running 10 miles (or ten miles twice).

Notes: Besides winning South Jersey road races, Geoff Shute has previously run the Boston Marathon in 2:39:27 and finished 21st in the Philadelphia marathon with a time of 2:34:37. Geoff has also won Gloucester County Cross Country Coach of the year award at Pennsville (NJ) High School.

Other Cattell descendants who ran the race include Robert Allen, Elizabeth Allen, Tehya Duckworth, David Jonas Weber and Dave Weber.

For more on the history of the Jonas Cattell run: http://www.runnersgazette.com/results/cattel09.htm

For results of the 2011 Cattell Run: http://home.comcast.net/~coachheath/Files/Cattell11.pdf

For 1970’s newspaper coverage of early Jonas Cattell races: http://ramscrosscountry.blogspot.com/2010/01/jonas-cattell-10-mile-race-coverage.html

Gloucester Catholic Cross Country 2011 Pictures part 1

2011-10-30T18:55:00.000-07:00

Jonas Cattell 10 miler, One of South Jerseys Oldest Races

2011-10-20T08:40:00.000-07:00

When Jonas Cattell ran the nearly ten miles from Haddonfield, New Jersey to Fort Mercer at Red Bank (National Park New Jersey) he wasn’t thinking about the scenery, he didn’t worry about his mile splits or even how he would get back to his blacksmith apprentice job in Haddonfield. Jonas was thinking about life and death.
Jonas was 18 on October 22, 1777, he was half Lenapi Indian and he loved to run. When he wasn’t working for blacksmith John Middleton as an apprentice in Haddonfield, Jonas was a member of the Gloucester County Fox Hunting Society.
Jonas was a bit different than the other Fox Hunting Society members though.

Rather than ride on horseback, he preferred to join the hunts on foot, running along side the dogs and joining in the pursuit. Records show that he was fast enough to join in the kill more than 50% of the time. Besides gaining great fitness during the hunts Jonas became an expert on the trails, underbrush and stream crossings in Gloucester County where the riders could not go. Wanting to test his stamina further Jonas looked for any opportunity to run, once running from his home in Deptford, NJ to Cape May and back-- 187 miles round trip in three days.
On October 21, 1777 General Karl von Donop and a Hessian force of 2400 men ferried across the Delaware River unseen, camped out and then began marching up Haddon Avenue (the ferry road) to Haddonfield.
Jonas Cattell and a number of other people the troops encountered a long the way were taken prisoner and held over night in a camp between Haddonfield and Cherry Hill NJ at Evans Pond. The next day Jonas and the prisoners were released and told they could go home. Jonas knew what he had to do. He immediately started running to Fort Mercer along the roads, paths and trails he knew so well to warn Colonel Christoper Greene, commander of the American troops at the fort that the Hessians were on their way.
The advanced warning was enough notice for Colonel Greene to redirect his cannons from the Delaware to the road leading into the fort. The much smaller American force was able to defeat the Hessian troops, inflicting over 500 casualties including Count von Donop who was wounded and then abandoned by his troops on the battlefield. The British withdrew and decided to set fire to their ships rather than let them fall into the hands of the Americans.
After delivering the message, Jonas had run back to Haddonfield and was resting from his “double” workout when he was captured by the Hessians again. In a state of disarray from the battle Jonas was soon released. The British withdrew from New Jersey. The following month they returned and captured Fort Mercer under General Cornwallis when the Americans abandoned the Fort after the fall of nearby Fort Mifflin on the Philadelphia side of the river.
Jonas Cattell lived another 72 years, a local hero in South Jersey because of his bravery and the fact that he had run such a long distance to deliver his warning (while Paul Revere had ridden to deliver his similar warning.)

In October of 1969 a race was started by the local Kiwanis to honor Jonas Cattells’ run retracing virtually the same route. While the brush and trails and streams he covered have been replaced by paved South Jersey roads, you can’t help but feel his spirit if you run the race and approach Red Bank Battlefield. Forty years later the race is the oldest in South Jersey and the course has undergone only minor changes to improve safety.
Finishers entering the Battlefield are greeted by Revolutionary War re-enactors, hundreds of spectators, the boom of cannons, and the smell of cannon smoke and funnel cake-- but you can still easily imagine yourself feeling about the same level of fatigue that Jonas Cattell felt when he entered Fort Mercer on October 22, 1777.
This year 120 runners finished the 40th annual Jonas Cattell run on a crisp, clear day ideal for running ten miles (the days before and after the race were rainy and cold).
Geoff Shute Pennsville High School (NJ) cross country coach won the race in 56:18. Chelsea Ley the top ranked New Jersey High School cross country runner from Kingsway High School (Swedesboro)was the first female finisher in 1:07:19.
Joanne Ley, Chelsea’s mother and a also a former standout at Kingsway was the second Female finisher in 1:09: 34.
David Zuzga (1:00:56) was the second male finisher, followed by Jim Sery (1:01:10).
There were a number of other notable finishers: Rowan Professor and Running Legend Tom Osler placed 3rd in the 60 and over category in 1:32:31.
Billy Simila was the first 14 and under runner and 40th overall in 1:20:24. Former Rowan University Cross Country ace Bob Pyott was 21st in 1:12:53.
Danny Wheeler was the first wheel chair finisher in 1:33:06, and was warmly greeted by his service dog at the finish drawing heartfelt applause from the many spectators at the finish. Wayne Kean a blind distance runner from Bellmawr, won the Jonas Cattell Special Achievement award running the hilly ten mile distance in an impressive 2:10:47.

Written by Jack Heath, courtesy of Runners Gazette Magazine http://www.runnersgazette.com/

40th Annual Jonas Cattell Results: http://home.comcast.net/~coachheath/Files/cattell.pdf

Coverage of Jonas Cattell Races from the 1970's:
http://ramscrosscountry.blogspot.com/2010/01/jonas-cattell-10-mile-race-coverage.html

The Power of Positive Coaching for Runners

2011-10-19T04:58:00.000-07:00

“Too many kids are getting turned off to a great sport (running) when they should just be getting started.” George Sheehan

Doctor George Sheehan wrote these words to me in a letter I received shortly before he passed away in the fall of 1993. His concern about the number of kids getting discouraged and quitting early in their running careers is just as valid today. Sports participation in general in America peaks near the age of 10-12 and declines precipitously to the age of 18. I have often wondered why some runners are “hooked” for life while others are turned off enough to drop the sport. While it is true some pick up running again later in life, others never return to running and miss the physiological and psychological benefits running can provide often because of a negative experience. I recently talked to some world-class runners and coaches for a discussion on what makes a good running mentor, the role of both positive reinforcement and constructive criticism, and what helps keep runners in the sport.

Jim Thompson, is a coach, the author of the book "Positive Coaching", and the founder and Executive Director of Positive Coaching Alliance, a non-profit formed at Stanford University that hopes to create a movement to transform the culture of youth sports so that all youth athletes have a positive, character-building experience and stay with their sports. Thompson sees similar patterns in all participation sports. He believes coaches must encourage internal motivation:

Thompson: “Sports are an opportunity to develop thinking skills.A recent study indicated that the highest rate of participation in sports occur at age 10! Too many kids quit sports early because they did not find the joy in sports that other kids do. People who have fun with what they do perform better than those who do not.

Coaches that put the benefit and development of their players first are generally not revered unless they also win. It is the rare parent who can recognize good coaching in a losing effort. We seem to expect kids to pick up positive character traits by osmosis.

Punishment leaves bad feelings that eat away at motivation. Excelling at sports requires emotional energy which is used up by negative feelings. Human energy can be created. It comes from emotions, and emotions are released by ideals. We have an untapped reservoir of energy available to us if the right combination of ideas can evoke the emotions that will tap into the reservoir. I work incredibly hard on something when the motivation comes from me. When the goal is someone else’s goal for me, I may work hard at it, but often only to the degree that I think is necessary to satisfy someone else, not to the point of achieving excellence.”

Former US Olympic Coach Dr. Joe Vigil won 19 National titles in track and cross country as a coach at Adams State, ( NCAA Division II ). Vigil’s win-loss record was a staggering 3,014-176 over a 28-year period from 1965 to 1993. He has coached numerous world class runners including Pat Porter and Deena Kastor. Coach Vigil: “I certainly do concur with you a good Positive Mental Attitude in the art of coaching is an absolute necessity, as well as a sound scientific basis for your coaching principles.

Coach Dr. Joe Vigil near his statue

"The art of coaching is a lost art. Many coaches are just people hired off the street that don’t know how to work with their own kids. You have to get into their hearts and minds. You must show that you are interested in their welfare and interested in the total person-- not just what they can do for you whether they are high school or Olympic athletes. You have to have an interest in their goals. I go to the library and read up on what they are interested in whether its forestry, hobbies etc. and talk to them about what their interests.

I always say “minimize the criticize, raise the praise”. Make your runners feel good about themselves and show you care about them, and they should care about the other runners on the team. We live in a very narcissistic culture. Everyone is into themselves including the coaches who often only coach for themselves. Even the great runners can lose focus. Don’t belittle the runners. Coaches have to be mentors. Even if they do not know the science behind the sport, they can show they care. Running and Track and field is the greatest sport in the world but coaches are defensive. Their pay is lower than major sports so they make a half assed effort, don’t really love the sport .A coach has to make a contribution to society, teach life lessons. Everyone has talent but it is up to the coach to find the runners potential.” Coach Vigil has coached six separate groups at Adams State for 1 ½ hours each in the freezing cold in Colorado in the same day. When asked about it he says, “A coach should never complain. A coach has to set a good example by showing a positive mental attitude and commitment if he or she wants their runners to do the same. Above all you first get into their minds and hearts-- than discipline with love and love with discipline.” Note: Another example of Dr.Vigil’s dedication, I have noticed he will show up days in advance for speaking engagements in the winter so he does not have to delay or cancel his talks because of bad weather.

Tom Fleming won the New York Marathon and finished second in the Boston Marathon, and has successfully coached everyone from high school athletes (Montclair Kimberley Academy to National Class runners.

Tom Fleming
Courtesy of Leo Kulinski, Jr

Tom: “Positive Attitude-- it's all about being confident with yourself, and success is all about being positive. But more importantly for a coach to tell his/her athlete that they can win races, set Personal Bests and get medals! This does NOT down play the effort of hard training and workouts-- but that's where the positive attitude is born-- in the workouts that athletes complete daily!

The best compliment I ever received from an athlete I coached ( Joe LeMay) was "Tom could have be on the Titanic and he would have told the crew and passengers that they all were going to make it out of the freezing cold water!"

As an athlete I was positive-- as a coach I'm 10 times more positive about my athlete’s efforts in practice and on race day!”

Former US Olympic Coach Dr. Jack Daniels is a world-class coach and author (of the essential "Daniels Running Formula"), has been one of the world’s major distance running influences. He won 8 NCAA titles at Cortland College (7 in cross country) and is truly loved by the world-class runners he has coached that I have talked to including Jim Ryun:

Do you think positive reinforcement works better for runners than criticism?

Coach Dr. Jack Daniels

Coach Daniels: “I think everyone likes to hear that they are doing well at some task. When a runner tells me that they didn’t feel good in today’s workout, I may have to think of something positive to say, like, “Sorry you weren’t feeling so good today, but you were doing a great jog of leg cadence like we were talking about the other day.” You must always try to think of something positive to say.

Why do you think there are many negative coaches? Do you think it discourages runners from progressing in the sport?“
Coach Daniels: "It may be because many coaches don’t really know what they are trying to accomplish; do they know what the purpose is of every workout they are having their runners do? Sometimes running faster than is recommended makes for a bad workout, not a better one, especially if the purpose is to run fast and relaxed, as opposed to even faster, but struggling (with poor form) the whole time.”

What traits do you think good coaches should have?
Coach Daniels: “Each runner is an individual, and it is more important to treat them as individuals before treating them as runners. Each has specific strengths and weaknesses so you can’t expect an entire team to respond the same to every workout (or to be able to even do the same workout). The coach must be able to say what the purpose of every workout is. The coach must be willing to tell a runner that a rest day can be more important than a workout day – rest is part of the training program and can lead to more improvement than can work, when the conditions so dictate.

Can you think of any examples where positive reinforcement helped you in your Olympic and post Olympic athletic career, or any runners that you coached?
Coach Daniels: “When I won the Swedish Nationals in pentathlon, a 10-year old girl picked me some flowers and told me I looked good and that I was a great athlete. A Russian World Champion in my sport told me I could improve my running with more time and his wife sent me a present in support. You cannot get better encouragement than that – that’s a lot better than winning an Olympic Medal. “

Steve Scott held the US Mile record for over 26 years, was the top ranked US Miler for 10 straight years, holds the record for the most sub 4-minute miles (136), and is the track and cross-country coach at California State University- San Marcos:

Coach Steve Scott

Steve: “The athletes I coach are college athletes who really want to be there. So they’re not there because mom wants them to be there or because of peer pressure or some other reason as might be the case with some high school athletes. They are already motivated. A good coach will keep it positive and make being on the team a pleasure and enjoyable. Once a week we have motivational talks, possibly a guest speaker, come in and talk to the team to keep it fun. Also, just the day to day relationships with the people on the team, trying to make it enjoyable.

I never responded well to yelling or negative coaches, even as a youngster. My two coaches Bob Loney (Upland High) and Len Miller (University of California at Irvine) were both encouraging and positive. It’s critical that athletes know you have confidence in them and believe in them.

I think negative coaches are that way because they’ve had negative experiences with their coaches growing up. They had coaches yelling at them-- that’s all they know, and that’s how they coach. When athletes know you care about them and support them, they’ll love you as a coach and they will want to work hard. I know positive coaches are the most successful at having their runners reach their potential. Look at Marcus (O’Sullivan) at Villanova; I could never see him yelling at anyone!

If I see someone who isn’t putting forth the effort, I’ll call him or her aside and talk to them individually. In order to have fun, you still have to work hard.

We keep things low key, it’s a sport, after all it should be fun-- it’s not life and death.”

Coach Marcus O'Sullilvan

Marcus O’Sullivan was a four time Olympian for Ireland, won three gold medals at the Indoor World Championships, set an indoor 1500 meters world record of 3:35.4 and ran 101 sub four minute miles before becoming head Track and Cross Country Coach at Villanova University:

Do you think positive reinforcement works better for distance runners as a motivator than constructive criticism?
Marcus: “Its self-evident that positive reinforcement as a general rule is the best motivator. Athletes want to hear what they are doing right. Constructive criticism that is well thought out and communicated to the athlete with the right timing is also important. If I feel an athlete needs constructive criticism about a race for example, I’ll digest the performance for a week or more before I say anything. That way I’m not speaking from emotion. You have to take into account what kind of day the athlete has had—that might have contributed to a bad race.

Marcus O'Sullivan at Penn Relays

Under no circumstances should a coach berate an athlete, or publicly criticize them. You have to see the big picture and not be preoccupied with one performance. Sometimes as coaches we get caught up in the outcome more than the process- the athlete’s growth and development. I try to measure what I say and the impact it will have on the athlete. Sometimes if I say, “why don’t you just...?” the athlete will answer “we’ll that was easy for you to say, you’ve already done it, you were a world class runner-- I’m not.”
A coach’s positive reinforcement can help an athlete reach their potential. After a bad race I won’t say anything. I’ll digest the athletes performance for up to 2 or 3 weeks after their race, and I may realize that the athlete PR’ed in that race. So you can actually turn the discussion of the race, which didn’t seem good at the time, into a positive, and provide positive reinforcement along with constructive criticism of what they can do to improve.

Can you think of an example where positive reinforcement has helped you in your career as a world-class runner?
Marcus: “Yes, my Sophomore year at Villanova after my coach Jumbo Elliott passed away, I was talking to Dr. Ted Berry (author of “Jumbo Elliott Maker of Milers” and close friend of legendary Villanova Coach Jumbo Elliott) and he said to me “Marcus, Jumbo told me you are going to be one of the all time great ones, one of the best runners we’ve ever had here at Villanova.” When I heard Jumbo said that and believed in me that strongly it really resonated with me and I thought, “If Jumbo believes that strongly in me I know I can do it”. Gaining confidence from his coaches confidence Marcus proceeded to reach new levels as a runner( 101 sub four minute miles, a four time Irish Olympian 3 indoor 1500 world championships and a world indoor 1500 meter world record 3:35 among other accomplishments.)

Once I became a coach, I really appreciated my coaches Tom Donnelly (Haverford College Track and Cross Country Coach, and Marcus’ professional coach) and Donal Walsh (Marcus’s coach from Ireland) and all the time, effort, hard work and emotional energy they put into coaching me.

It’s just like you don’t appreciate what it means to be a parent until you have kids. I remember calling my dad and talking to him about my kids. I said Dad was I like that? And he said, “Yeah, you really were just like that!” I really appreciate kids coming back years later and saying, “Coach, thanks for all you did for me, I know I was a pain, but I really appreciate it. Sometimes it’s the kids who were the biggest pain who are the most appreciative and it makes you feel great.”

Jeff Galloway has coached over 250,000 through his Galloway Training Programs, running camps and retreats, ecoaching and individual consultations. He is a US Olympian and has written close to a dozen best selling running books for runners of all levels.

Coach and Author Jeff Galloway

Jeff: “My coaching philosophy is to keep the athlete on track to the goal. Keep them injury free and enjoying most of the runs.”

Why do you think positive reinforcement is so much more effective helping runners improve than a lack of positive reinforcement or critical coaching?
Jeff: Our left-brain (analytical side) will beat us up enough and lower our confidence going into hard workouts or key races. I feel the role of a coach is to help the athlete stay motivated, focus on the important items, solve problems, enhance confidence and advise about how to correct and avoid problems. Positive reinforcement has been much more effective in maintaining motivation and helping athletes stay focused.

My personal experience is that while coaches will praise positive performance, there aren’t that many positive coaches. Do you agree? Why do you think that is?
Jeff: “Many coaches have not been trained in positive reinforcement. They tend to coach the way they were coached. I have tried to take the best from the coaches I worked with such as my dad and Bill Bowerman and then add things that enhance the process.”

Can you give any examples of how you were helped by positive reinforcement from a coach or another runner in your running career?

Jeff: During the Olympic Tour in '72, I made a strategic mistake in the Bislett Games 5000-meter race that cost me the race. I was feeling down afterward and Coach Bill Bowerman came up to me and said “You got almost everything right—stay with it!” That statement has kept me going in my competitive career, in business, in personal areas and in my helping others to coach themselves.

Can you give any examples of runners you’ve coached who were helped by your positive reinforcement?
Jeff: “I was a PE coach at my father’s school for 6 months. When the kids would come out each day, I would try to have an incentive system for them to run or walk laps around the field. Some days I would give them pencils, another day tokens, etc. That winter the food stores had sales on oranges, so I brought a couple bags to the field and I kept increasing the threshold required to get an orange. It started at five laps and eventually got up to 12 laps (about 200 meters per lap). As the requirement got greater, more kids went for the oranges. Two years ago, at a memorial service for my father, one of those kids came up to me and told his story. He now runs marathons. He said that had it not been for the oranges, he probably would not have started running. You mentioned George Sheehan, he almost always saw the big vision when it came to running trends. “

As an Olympian, you’ve accomplished so much in running and had such a great career (Note: I saw Jeff miss the start of the NJ 10 mile race in Cherry Hill back in the early 80’s by over a minute and still run the fastest time in the race.)What do you enjoy most about your running today and what do you emphasize with the runners you are coaching today as a result of your lessons learned in the sport?
Jeff: “The most enjoyment comes from the relationships with fellow runners. There’s a bond, a magical connection that we share with one another that I believe that I believe was developed millions of years ago as our ancestors ran and walked to survive…. together. I enjoy the chance to solve problems, allowing each runner to experience the joy that running can bring every day. By sharing this, we receive even more benefits. Even those who generally perform well under taskmaster coaches will have scars when they are told negative things. The most common statements I hear from these coaches are: “You're a failure” and “You're not going to amount to anything in this sport.”
I've heard from hundreds of runners who were coached this way. Most burned out early and dropped out of running. I believe that even the stern taskmasters could get more out of an athlete who tends to respond in this way if there is some positive reinforcement in the mix.

When an athlete is not performing to capacity, I've found it productive to get him/her involved to find out why. I want my athletes to become responsible for their own motivation. I will help, but they must ultimately develop the drive they need for the goal. When there are problems in performance, I work with the athlete to find the reasons and then correct through training changes, recovery adjustments, etc.”

Doctor Jerry Lynch is considered the leading sports Psychologist in the country. He has worked with 30 National Championship teams, pro teams such as the Lakers, US Olympians like Bob Kennedy and has been a coach at the US Olympic Training Center. Dr Lynch is also the author of books like “Running Within” and “Way of the Champions”:

What are some of the problems or hindrances that you’ve encountered in the sports psychology field?

Dr. Jerry Lynch

Dr. Lynch: “Some coaches and well meaning parents damage the self-esteem of the children they are supervising by putting too much pressure on them to win. Their obsession with winning is burning kids out and turning them off when they should just be getting started. There is over 35 million kid’s age 6-15 participating in sports in the US.

By the age of 16 over 75% of them have dropped out of sports. Now some of them may have been selected for a higher-level team because of ability, but most of them have just stopped competing because it is no longer fun. That’s over 26 million kids dropping out of sports primarily because of an over-emphasis on winning. Coaches or parents who are obsessed with winning or who have unrealistic expectations that create pressure turn competition into a negative—revenge on your opponents, constant criticism etc. On the other hand, a positive attitude from a coach or parent is infectious—it can help create an environment of champions.”

We all know some coaches who believe in trying to make elite programs by focusing only on the top kids on the team and ignoring everyone else. Do you think this is a contributing factor to the number of people being turned off to what should be a lifetime sport?
Dr. Lynch: “Yes. There are coaches who are primarily concerned about “their program” and their coaching record but are not concerned with the future development of the kids and whether or not they continue to run after high school. What they don’t realize is the whole team flourishes by encouraging and working with everyone on the team. Every runner on the team has a contribution to make to the team. The slower runners make contributions that benefit everyone on the team including the top runners.”

What has your own running taught you?
Dr. Lynch: “Just about everything I’ve learned about life I’ve learned through running. Running is a metaphor for life. Running teaches you to “become something other than ordinary”. Running teaches you accountability— “Thou shall do the right thing”-- which is something that is missing from a lot of areas of our society. Running teaches you to see your competitors as partners helping you to achieve. Competitors help you to become something more than you were—to go further than you would have without them.
That’s why I believe in sincerely thanking other runners other the race for their help in helping you.”

How do you measure success?
Dr Lynch: “The success of my work will be measured 15 to 20 years down the road in the hearts and lives of the people I have worked with. That’s what motivates me now. I’m sure it’s the same for you coaching the Gloucester Catholic Cross Country boys and girls. We are lucky to have the opportunity to help people get in touch with their own greatness as they develop their spiritual values of courage and heart.”

Don Kardong finished fourth for the US in the 1976 marathon is an acclaimed running author and former President of the Road Runners Club. Don was a big supporter of children running for fitness during his tenure as President of the RRC.

Don Kardong

Don: “I definitely think positive reinforcement works better. Basically, criticism doesn’t do anything other than tell you what not to do. Positive reinforcement rewards you for doing something well. It puts you on the right track to improvement.

Having said that, I do think there’s a time when a coach may need to treat an athlete, or an entire team, in a more harsh or critical way. If an athlete is lazy, lackadaisical or simply not paying attention, a coach may need to yell to get their attention. This can be an effective way, maybe the only effective way, to get a point across to them. However, those times should be the exception. Unless the coach is dealing with the entire team, this kind of criticism is best handled in private with the athlete. It’s incredible that some coaches think a public “dressing down” of an athlete is a good idea.

I really think negativity comes into coaching from the military influence on our culture. I’ve never been in the army, but every drill sergeant I’ve ever seen in action (admittedly, mostly in movies) yells and belittles his charges. This may work really well for that particular group in that setting, because training people to go into armed combat has special demands. It just doesn’t make sense to treat a group of athletes that way. They’re in the sport to enjoy themselves and improve their skills, not to get yelled at. Maybe sports like football are similar enough to battle that that style of coaching is effective there. But track and field or cross-country? Seems like a good way to drive athletes away.

What traits do you think good coaches should have?
Don: “Coaches need to be good leaders. They set the tone for the team and establish goals, or at least work with the team in establishing goals. They need to be calm under pressure. And they have to be good listeners. If athletes don’t think the coach is listening to their concerns, they’re going to lose motivation.”

Can you think of any examples where positive reinforcement helped you or a runner that you mentored?

Don: “My senior year in college, the NCAA Track & Field Championships were in Seattle, my hometown. I had run well against Steve Prefontaine in the PAC-8 Meet a couple of weeks earlier, and the 3-mile at Nationals was my opportunity to finally beat him, or at least to put up a good showing. This was the culmination of my college career, and I was competing in front of family and friends. Instead of winning or showing well, though, I totally bombed. I don’t remember my time or place, but I was somewhere back in about eighth. To this day, I don’t know what happened. I was simply devastated, and ready to quit on the spot. Fortunately my coach, Marshall Clark, caught up with me on the track and said, “Don, I know how you feel, I really do. But you cannot judge your entire college career based on one bad race, no matter how bad.” He buoyed my spirits at a time when criticism would have finished me off. Eventually I put that race behind me, regrouped, and began a program that eventually put me on the U.S. Olympic team.”

Bill Rodgers four-time winner of the New York and Boston Marathons was for a time the top ranked marathoner in the world and has written a number of running books.
Bill: “I’m a big believer in positive reinforcement, but within a structured environment where the coach and athlete understand each other, and how the athlete might handle constructive comments.

That’s the way it worked for me with my High School Coach Frank O'Rourke, and at Wesleyan university with Coach Elmer Swanson, and with Greater Boston Track Club Coach Billy Squires.

Bill Rodgers and Greg Meyers, two of the top runners in the world in the 80's
Courtesy of Leo Kulinski Jr.

I’ve met a lot of coaches over the years, and I think many approach cross-country athletes this way. Positive reinforcement from the coach along with strength and support from your teammates helps. Just training with a successful coach or team, lifts all boats!

I don’t think the Bobby Knight approach would work very well for most distance runners!

Greg Meyers was the last American to win the Boston Marathon and was the World Record Holder at 10 miles before starting his coaching career. He is presently Associate Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI.

Greg: “I know that positive reinforcement always worked for me, as an athlete and a coach. I believe that the positive reinforcement provides the confidence an athlete needs to succeed. This doesn't mean you do get on a person for mistakes...you can still jump on an athlete that's slacking a bit or has last focus...but you need to bring it back to a positive. I'm a big believer in making the athlete accountable for their decisions...and it is their decision if they want to improve or become the best athlete / person they can be. They expect honest from their coach...but I don't believe in making an athlete feel like a loser because they made a mistake.

Coaching is an art...knowing when to push and when to lift up. Workouts you can learn in a book...coaches provide motivation and confidence.”

Jim Ryun, Olympian, former World Record Holder in the mile and first American high school runner to run a sub four-minute mile, is a former US Congressman from Kansas who now mentors hundreds of runners each year through his popular running camps:

Jim Ryun and Coach

Jim: “Coach Timmons was my high school, college and post college coach. He was a visionary and imparted vision in the hearts of his athletes through a goal-setting program. After running my fourth high school mile, he told me I could be the first high school boy to run the mile under 4 minutes.
He laid the groundwork to obtaining that goal in the weeks and months following that initial conversation by writing out short-term goals with exactly how we would attain them. He had me running work- outs I didn't think were possible. But I ran them because I had taken ownership of the goal.

It took 14 months of very intense and grueling workouts in the winter cold of Kansas as well as the extreme heat of Kansas' summers.

The goal was attained in June 1964 in Compton, CA during a mile race of America's best milers. I finished eighth out of eight in 3:59.

I reached my goal and that served to whet my appetite for greater accomplishments. The Lord blessed me with the talent to run and to run fast and smart. I give Him the glory and thanks due Him and do my best to impart the skills I have learned to the thousands of runners who for 36 years have attended the Jim Ryun Running Camps. http://www.ryunrunning.com/”

Qualities of the best coaches

I believe all great running coaches or mentors have the following five qualities in common:

1. Endorsement- Every runner has to know the coach believes and cares about him or her-- that the coach is interested in more than the outcome of the runner’s last race. In return, hopefully the runner (and his or her family for younger athletes) will endorse the coach. Marcus O’Sullivan:” I welcome input from parents of my runners on the physical and mental aspects of their son or daughter. Do they have allergies, medical conditions, mental state etc? I draw the line at parents who want to tell me how to train their kids. That’s my job.”Saint Josephs Basketball University Coach Phil Martelli: “At all levels there should be an open line of communication, but parents should love their children and allow the coach to coach them. When you get down to it, everyone wants to do “good”, so we as teachers should reinforce it. As a coach you have to pause and remember one bad work could stay with an athlete a long time.”

2. Teachable moments- A good coach should take advantage of the opportunity to pass on a life lesson to an athlete in a respectful way. Constructive criticism has its place in every coach’s toolbox. In fact, a coach often shortchanges an athlete if he doesn’t take advantage of a teachable moment such as good sportsmanship, character, and respect and compassion for teammates and opponents.

A classic example of a teachable moment: Fly Williams one of the nation’s top scorers at Austin Peay in the 1970’s, once dribbled off the court to get a drink of water during a game and once took himself out of a game to sit in the stands with the fans because he didn’t like Coach Lake Kelly’s play selection. Kelly suspended Williams, his best player after calmly reminding him of the rules that everyone had to follow. Years later Kelly proudly honored Williams for his work with disadvantaged youth.

Jim Thompson: “The coach or mentor who wants to increase the number of teachable moments will become a student of the power of ideas—stories, metaphors and vision to help players become motivated to make more effort than they think is possible. If someone thinks highly of me but never communicates it, I do not benefit. As a coach, you can improve the self-esteem of your athletes in a number of ways. The key is to communicate that you accept and value them in ways that they can’t mistake, that you like them and that you endorse them.

3. Empathy- An athlete has to know that the coach truly cares for him or her, and is not just interested in what the athlete can do for the coach’s record or career. Empathetic coaches are not as common as they should be. As Coach Joe Vigil says, “The most important thing is to show them that you care.” All good coaches focus on the whole person and their emotional, social, and educational needs. Coach Vigil made an effort to study topics he wasn’t familiar with to build common discussion ground with his athletes. Dozens of Coach Vigil’s runners have gone onto coaching themselves because of his influence in their lives. All of the great coaches, as Marcus O’Sullivan says, see the big picture and consider the type of day their athlete is having and other variables. They are athlete focused rather than strictly outcome focused.

4. Positive Reinforcement- While constructive criticism has a place in coaching (see teachable moments above), the most valuable form of communication between athlete and coach or mentor is positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement arouses positive emotions, which help to increase an athlete’s self-confidence and improve performance. Coach Daniels: “When I think of all the great runners I’ve known who have had to suffer through a tough coach-athlete relationship, it’s amazing to me that they reached the degree of success that they did. What we all tend to overlook more than we should is the importance of positive individual attention given to each athlete on the team. Nothing can replace the encouraging comments or understanding words of support from a quality coach.” A good coach focuses on the athletes’ strengths rather than weaknesses and helps to build their self-confidence.

Famed Running Authors and Runners Hal Higdon and George Sheehan
Courtesy of Leo Kulinski, Jr

5. Fun: Most people, of all ages, participate in a sport to have fun. Simply put, if it’s not fun they won’t be doing it long—especially a sport like distance running that can be solitary at times. In a poll of 8000 youths involved in sponsored sports throughout the United States (School and Non School sports, Ewing and Seefeldt, 1996) asked to rank their reasons for participation both boys and girls in every category overwhelmingly answered” to have fun”. George Sheehan has the last word: “Fitness has to be fun. If it is not play, there will be no fitness. Play, you see, is the process. Fitness is merely the product. Play is where life lives.”

Written by Jack Heath.This article also appeared in Runners Gazette Magazine: http://www.runnersgazette.com/

Jack Heath is the Cross-Country Coach of the Gloucester Catholic (NJ) Boys and Girls Cross Country Teams. He confirms that his coaches Browning Ross, Oscar Moore and Bill Fritz had all of the qualities of a positive coach, and that is one of the reasons he is coaching and still running 37 years after meeting his high school coach Browning Ross.

Don't Allow Seasons To Pass You By

2011-10-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

He could have been at most of the games, but he had to make a living. When each tiring day was done, there just wasn't enough pep left for a game, a story or a little fun. It's just that the kid was growing up and he never noticed the look of admiration and hope until it faded and died.
       This man worked hard for his family. It's just that day follows day and the seasons fly. Children grow up and life goes by.
     Now the evening shadows are steep and retirement has come. The old house is silent and the chair creaks some.
     What was life about, he wonders. Was it to sit in a rocker by the gate and remember the pink pills at seven and the purple ones at eight? Along the way, did he miss the reason God put us all on earth? Was it about loving and serving Him by loving and sharing with others?

The little boy is long gone now. He lives in another state. The old man plans to write, but putting a letter together is hard if you haven't practiced, and he can't really find much to say. When all's said and done, he's just a stranger called "Dad".
The old man meant no ill. He just forgot that life is more than earning a lot. It slipped his mind that the seasons fly, children grow up and life goes by.

Written by Ted Simonson.
Ted resides in Statesville North Carolina and is and elder at the Grace Alliance Fellowship Church in Statesville.

How to Score a Cross-Country Meet, Warming Up For a Cross-Country Meet

2011-10-05T05:43:00.000-07:00

Cross-country points are awarded to individual runners equal to the position in which they cross the finish line (for example, first place gets 1 point, second place gets 2 points, etc).

• Cross-country is one of the few sports where the lowest score wins.

Villanova Coach Jack Pyrah helps to
score a Gloucester Catholic meet.

• Only the first five runners on each team are counted towards their team's score, but: The sixth and seventh runners on each team add to the point score of the opposing team. For this reason, they are sometimes called "pushers" or "displacers," because while they do not earn points for their team, they add points on to the opposing teams score. They are still important to the score.

• Tie Breaker: In the event of a tie score, the team which has the first fifth runner is the winner. (This usually happens a few years each season in South Jersey. This is why every place is so important in cross country.

• The lowest possible score is a 15 achieved by a team's runners finishing in each of the top five positions (1+2+3+4+5= 15).

• If the winning team also took the 6th and 7th place, the losing teams score would be 50 (8+9+10+11+12 = 50).

• The winning team can only count their first 7 places. If the first finisher on the losing team finished 11th, they would still be counted starting at 8th place.

1. A Shut Out: The official score of a shut out or a forfeited dual meet (which happens if one team does not have five runners) is 15-50. This is a perfect dual meet shut out score.

Scoring Quiz: If your team has the first 3 finishers in the race, and you have at least five scoring runners you will always automatically win the meet. True or False? Give an example to prove your answer.

2. We defeat Team A in a dual meet 25-30. Show the scoring for both teams to reach this score. Is there more than one possible scoring combination that will tally this score? GC Team A

Warm-up

Have a warm-up routine:
My optimal warm-up is _____ minutes of easy running, ______ strides and ______minutes of stretching.
Remember to give yourself enough time to warm-up.Warm-up close to your race's starting time.

You should be breaking a sweat before the start of the race.

A good warm-up increases your heart rate, respiratory rate and your body temperature by one or two degrees. A good warm-up will improve performance-- you will run faster and feel more comfortable in the race. Here is a link to more information on some good stretches to do before (dynamic) and after (static) a race. http://ramscrosscountry.blogspot.com/2008/04/real-stretcher.html

6th Annual Ross Kupcha Run Pictures Part 1

2011-08-19T05:37:00.000-07:00

Erin Donohue Speaks to Gloucester Catholic Cross Country Team

2011-08-03T12:10:00.000-07:00

2008 Olympian Erin Donohue recently spoke to the Gloucester Catholic Cross Country Team at the Cooper River Boathouse in Pennsauken, NJ.

Erin talked about her training, her road to the Olympics starting in South Jersey and her Olympic experiences in Beijing to the Gloucester Catholic Girls and Boys Cross Country Teams their families and friends.

Erin emphasized the importance of year round consistent training and goal setting in order to maximize your potential.
Erin still lives and trains in South Jersey for much of the year.

Click here for Runners Worlds chat with Erin:

http://dailynews.runnersworld.com/2010/01/a-brief-chat-with-erin-donohue.html

Erin Donohue wins womens mile at New Balance Games with fastest time of year:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2010-01-23-3580244938_x.htm

SMYTH AND DONOHUE WIN AT MIDNIGHT RUN

By David Monti(c) 2010 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved

NEW YORK (31-Dec 2009) -- With a mix of light snow and rain falling and a spectacular fireworks display lighting up the sky, Patrick Smyth and Erin Donohue won last night's 31st Emerald Nuts Midnight Run, a four mile road race in Central Park hosted by the New York Road Runners.

Smyth, 23, the former Notre Dame star who was third at last year's USA 10 mile championship, won convincingly over Olympic 5000m runner, Ian Dobson, 18:35 to 18:53. Ethiopia's Bado Worku Merdessa, who runs for the local West Side Runners team, finished third in 19:08.
Donohue, 26, an Olympian at 1500m, was the class of the women's field. Wearing a bright pink long sleeve top and a warm hat to ward off the cold, she covered the rolling four mile course in 21:22. That put her 20 seconds ahead of Leonora Joy-Petrina, a steeplechaser from New Zealand who lives in nearby Long Island. Toni Salucci, who competed for Cornell University as a collegian, finished third in 21:47.
Slippery conditions made it impossible for the men's and women's course records of 18:12 and 20:54 to be challenged. About 5000 runners took part in the race, many wearing festive costumes.

Food for Thought- Not the Usual Quotes for Runners

2011-07-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

We've noticed that some running columnists recycle the same 5 or 6 running quotes (yawn!) over and over. Here are some other quotes, some running-- but all of them interesting-- that we've come across recently:

Somewhere in the world someone is training when you are not. When you race him, he will win. ~ Tom Fleming

Belief creates the actual fact. ~William James

The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win. ~Sir Roger Bannister

A horse doesn’t care how much you know until it knows how much you care. ~ Tom Smith Trainer of SeaBiscuit

I don't judge success by what I once did, but by what I keep doing. ~ Boston Marathon Legend Johnny Kelley

If you’re willing to do today what others won’t, you can perform tomorrow like others can’t. ~Jim Brogan

It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness.
As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters. ~Lucius Annaeus Seneca

And where does the power come from to see the race to its end? It comes from within. ~ Eric Liddell

Find a way or make one. ~ Admiral Peary

Only think of two things - the gun and the tape. When you hear the one, just run like hell until you break the other. ~Sam Mussabini (Liddell's coach)

The true object of all human life is play. ~G.K. Chesterton

Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt. ~Shakespeare

See everything. Overlook a great deal. Improve a little. ~Pope John XXIII

Don't run as hard as you can-- run as fast as you can without straining. ~ Coach Jack Daniels

Go out hard. Pick it up in the middle and sprint at the end. ~Coach Browning Ross

If you think you can win, you can win. Faith is necessary to victory.
~ William Hazlitt

There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why... I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?
One-fifth of the people are against everything all the time. ~Robert F Kennedy

It's the Olympics. If you can't get up to swim early in the morning, don't go.
~ Michael Phelps

The secret of managing is to keep the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided. ~ Casey Stengel

Every runner is an experiment of one. ~George Sheehan

Running! If there's any activity happier, more exhilarating, more nourishing to the imagination, I can't imagine what it might be. ~ Joyce Carol Oates

Silence gives consent. ~Pope Boniface VIII

If you are going to win any battle, you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do.~General George Patton

Excess on occasion is exhilarating. It prevents moderation from acquiring the deadening effect of a habit.
It's a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.
Like all weak men he laid an exaggerated stress on not changing one's mind.
~ W. Somerset Maugham

"I like running because it's a challenge. If you run hard, there's the pain - and you've got to work your way through the pain. You know, lately it seems all you hear is "Don't overdo it" and "Don't push yourself." Well, I think that's a lot of bull. If you push the human body, it will respond." ~ Bob Clarke, Philadelphia Flyers, NHL Hall of Famer.

If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend the first four hours sharpening the axe.
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.
~ Abraham Lincoln

Eighty percent of success in life is just showing up. ~ Woody Allen

Goodness is the only investment that never fails.
If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined,he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.
In wildness is the preservation of the world.
~ Henry David Thoreau

Runners make runners. ~ Villanova Coach Jumbo Elliott

Self-sacrifice is the real miracle out of which all the reported miracles grow.
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.
Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect.
The louder he talked of his honesty, the quicker we counted the silverware.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

All the speed in the world won’t help you when you can’t run another step. ~ Browning Ross on the importance of distance training to supplement speed.

You just can't beat the person who never gives up, don't let the fear of striking out hold you back. ~ Babe Ruth
I’m a champ at that game mister!
~ Babe Ruth when asked if he could play tennis.

You can’t pray a lie.
The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.
The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer someone else up.
~ Mark Twain

When we yield to discouragement it is usually because we give too much thought to the past and to the future. ~ St. Theresa of Lisieux

You had no faith to lose and you know it. ~Bob Dylan

I might have to consider coaching-- I'm getting too old to be a world class runner and my mind isn't gone enough to become an official. ~ Sebastian Coe

I throw just as hard as ever-- it just takes twice as long to get there. ~ Warren Spahn

The best way out is always through. ~ Robert Frost

God heals, and the doctor takes the fees.
Energy and persistence conquer all things.
He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.
How many observe Christ's birthday! How few, his precepts! Oh, it's
easier to keep Holidays than Commandments.
Well done is better than well said. ~ Ben Franklin

When two doctors pass each other on the street they wink at each other. ~ Ty Cobb

The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.
The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie -- deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought. ~ President John Fitzgerald Kennedy

It is an unfortunate human failing that a full pocket book
groans more loudly than an empty stomach. ~ Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Excuses are easy to manufacture and hard to sell. ~ Chinese Proverb

Running offers both pleasure and pain. There is nothing like the purification of the soul through running. Running helps you connect with what is important in your soul. ~ Tom Osler

Better make it four. I don't think I can eat eight. -Yogi Berra’s reply when asked if he wanted his pizza cut into four or eight slices.
You can’t hit and think at the same time. ~ Yogi Berra

No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public. ~ PT Barnum

Son, looks to me like you're spending too much time on that
one subject! ~ Shelby Metcalf, basketball coach at Texas A&M, recounting what he told a player who received four F's and one D on his report card.

If I look at the mass I will never act. If I look at the one, I will.
~ Mother Theresa

Your attitude determines your altitude.
You can only give 100%. When I hear someone say they just gave 110% or more, I have to think they probably usually only give 80%. ~ G. Larry James

Mediocrity is excellence in the eyes of the mediocre. ~ Joseph Joubert

I wouldn’t want to belong to any organization that would accept me as a member. ~ Groucho Marx

It is easier for most people to say what they are against than what they are for. ~Irish saying

Call on God, but row away from the rocks.
~ Hunter S Thompson

"Mind is everything: muscle - pieces of rubber. All that I am, I am because of my mind." ~ Paavo Nurmi

"Run hard, be strong, think big!" ~ Percy Cerutty

If I could invent one pill that would alleviate all of your ailments, migraine headaches, high blood pressure, low blood pressure, whatever, can you come up with the name I’d give this pill?’ They’d think about it and nobody would answer. I said, ‘It’s easy. I’d call it exercise. ~ Olympian Oscar Moore

Gloucester Catholic teams will soon have a place to call home

2011-06-16T18:00:00.000-07:00

Gloucester Catholic teams will soon have a place to call home

By Phil Anastasia

Inquirer Staff Writer

Gloucester Catholic High School athletic director Pat Murphy calls the members of his outdoor teams "road warriors."
The Rams play varsity "home" games at 10 sites. For football, there's the stadium at crosstown rival Gloucester City High. A field behind West Deptford's Little League facility is where you'll find the boys' lacrosse games. And the girls' soccer team travels nearly 20 miles to a complex on the south end of Glassboro.
But the 85-year-old school might finally have an athletic home of its own.

Gloucester Catholic's Proposed Athletic Complex

Gloucester Catholic officials on Wednesday confirmed plans to build an athletic campus on 75 acres in Deptford.
What could come later to the location would have even greater impact: the first new Catholic high school in the Diocese of Camden in more than 45 years, and the first ever in Gloucester County.
"This is our future," principal John Colman said of the sports facility.
The athletic campus, to be built in three phases over three to five years, is to include 11 fields, including a state-of-the-art stadium, and a clubhouse with locker rooms, restrooms, and a kitchen/concession area.
The site, traversed by Blackwood-Barnsboro Road and adjacent to Gloucester County College, is large enough to accommodate a high school.
An artist's rendering of the facility includes an open space - the possible home of a new Gloucester Catholic, according to school and diocese officials.
The school is a down-the-road project given the difficult economic climate, stressed Colman and Larry Reader, executive director of temporal services for the diocese.
But Colman said the athletic campus would enable Gloucester Catholic to "get a footprint" in Gloucester County that could lead to more serious consideration of a Catholic high school in one of the state's fastest-growing areas.
About two-thirds of the school's roughly 650 students travel to Camden County from Gloucester County, Colman said.
Bishop Joseph A. Galante is "very supportive" of building a secondary school in Gloucester County, Reader said. The last new high school to open in the diocese was Paul VI in Haddon Township in 1965.
"We need a Catholic high school in Gloucester County," Reader said. "Whether it's this site or not, we're not there yet."
In spring 2008, the diocese announced plans to build a secondary school off Route 77 in Mullica Hill, but scuttled them the next year because of the economic downturn.
The athletic-field project needs final approval from the Deptford planning board, which will meet July 6. But Mayor Paul Medany said township officials supported the plan.
"This is a good thing for Deptford," he said.
Though "traffic is an issue with anything that's built in Deptford," Medany said the site's most frequent use would be in off-hours.
"The athletic fields should lay dormant during the day when the kids are in school," he said. "Later in the day and at night, traffic isn't as much of an issue."
Plans call for illuminated baseball and softball fields and a stadium with lights and artificial turf for football and some soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey games.
"The big thing for us is the sense of community we hope to create by having a central place of our own," Murphy said. "For as long as we've been playing sports, we've never had our own fields. We've never had a true home-field advantage."
The diocese owns the site and is granting use of the land, but will not provide money to build the athletic campus, Reader said.
"This is all on us," Colman said of the financial burden.
A study by an outside firm indicated that the school should be able to finance the project through a capital campaign, he said.
The project is expected to cost between $4 million and $5 million, though school officials hope to keep costs down through donated materials and services from parents and alumni.

The "best-case scenario" has the school beginning the first phase - two practice football fields and three fields for soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey - in late August with a goal toward using the facilities in fall 2012, Murphy said.

Phase two would include the baseball and softball fields and the clubhouse.

Phase three would be the stadium, which could cost between $1.5 million and $2 million, Colman said.

Contact Inquirer staff writer Phil Anastasia at 856-779-3223, panastasia@phillynews.com,

Note: The Gloucester Catholic Boys Baseball and Girls Softball Teams both won their second consecutive New Jersey State Championships on June 11.

Phillies Inaugral 5k Run

2011-06-03T07:47:00.000-07:00

Photo of race start: Thomas E Briglia Phillies

Not many first time races could attract 3100 runners. Then again, not many races have the popularity and the backing of the Philadelphia Phillies behind them. This year’s inaugural Phillies 5k in March attracted 3100 entrants and the online registration closed in a reported 12 hours. And this is before most of the online registrants knew that the race would include:

 Being led at the races start by the incomparable Philly Phanatic.

 Phillies Ball girls cheering on the runners at the finish line.

 A walk around the Citizens Park field after the race with a photo opp at home plate.

 Phillies Announcer Dan Baker reading out the race award winners along with signed Phillies items as prizes.

 Sub freezing temps at race time.

The less than ideal weather conditions did not seem to bother the sea of red runners, most wearing Phillies shirts and jerseys of their favorite players, from enjoying running the inaugural Phillies 5k in the least.

The first male finisher was 25-year-old Mike Zeberkiewicz of Philadelphia who covered the South Philadelphia course, which circled the stadium complex in 17:00. The first female finisher was 33-year-old Lynn Knothe of Wilmington Delaware in 19:31.
One of the races spectators, Bill Reifsnyder is no stranger to great running performances. Reifsnyder, a three time All American at Bucknell, was a two time National Champ in the marathon and was ranked as the second best road racer in the country in Runners World’s 1991 rankings. He still has the 3rd fastest 10-mile and 25k times ever and liked what he saw of the first year race: “The Philies 5K is unique because it gives runners and Phillies fans an opportunity to connect with their team in a unique way, before the season begins. After a long winter with no baseball, Phillies fans are ready to put on their red and support their team. Being able to combine two of their passions, running and baseball and then actually get onto the field is a thrill for everyone. “In fact more than a handful of runners exhibited their passion by wearing the entire uniforms of their favorite players, substituting running shoes for spikes.

After the race more than a few “Roy Halladays” or “Shane Victorino’s” could be seen strolling on an un-crowded Ashburn Alley or warming down while taking pictures strolling along the warning track of Citizen’s Bank Park .

Les Marella owner of the race timers L&M Sports http://www.lmsports.com/ was also impressed by the first time race and gave much of the credit to Mary Ann Gettis, Manager of Marketing Initiatives for the Phillies.
“The Phillies 5k went superb for a first-time event; especially because Mary Ann had her finger on the pulse... she did it all. You would have thought she had been a race director many times over. There were 3100 pre-registered runners and they could go higher but probably only with changes between the 1 and 2 mile area—the park down there off Pattison Avenue where the runners turned into got a little too crowded along the narrow road around the park.”

After the race, the Phillies Mary Ann Gettis graciously talked to Runners Gazette for her thoughts about the race.

JH: What were your goals for the inaugural Phillies race?

Mary Ann: Our goal for the inaugural Phillies 5K was to combine many of our fans’ love of running with baseball. Whether you are a casual or serious runner, you were given the chance to kick off the season with the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Most importantly, net proceeds from the event benefitted Phillies Charities, Inc. http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/phi/community/charities/index.jsp

JH: Did the race achieve these goals?

Mary Ann: We were very happy with the outcome of the event. As usual, our fans came through by braving the cold weather on race morning. They came dressed in running gear, Phillies gear and even full baseball uniforms, ready to hit the ground running behind their fearless race leader, the Phillie Phanatic.

JH: How did the registration process work, how long did it take the race to fill?
Mary Ann: Registration launched at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, January 4 on Phillies.com. We reached our limit of 3,000 runners in less than 24 hours.

JH: How many entrants would you like for a future race-- is there anything that may be different?
Mary Ann: We are still discussing future plans for the Phillies 5K.

Photo: Thomas E Briglia Phillies

JH: I can’t remember seeing so many smiles on runners faces at a race-- what do you think are some of the things that made this inaugural run so enjoyable for the runners?

Mary Ann: I agree, especially considering it was a very cold morning! I think runners enjoyed this event because it was a unique race in many ways, including the course, location, guest appearances by the Phanatic and Dan Baker and also because the race ended with a “photo finish” at home plate. The opportunity to walk on the warning track on the field is rare so it was a nice to be able to see the runners enjoy this special perk.

JH: I thought two of the many things that made this race unique were having signed Phillies items for prizes, and having Dan Baker announce the awards; will they be part of future races?
Mary Ann: The ability to distribute autographed baseballs and bats allowed us to put a special touch on the awards ceremony. Hopefully these awards will provide great memories of both the event and the Phillies for those who received them. Having Dan Baker as our emcee for the Phillies 5K provided the perfect backdrop for our event.”

Phillies Fever 45 Jacket

While hits from Sirius radio played on the Citizens Bank Sound System before and after the race, probably only local runners and Phillies fans in their 40’s and older remember a hit novelty song In the 1970’s called “Phillies Fever”: http://www.hark.com/clips/swcgwyjsyk-philadelphia-phillies-fever-fight-song

Phillies Fever

the novelty hit featured Phillies legends Larry Bowa, Dave Cash and Greg “the Bull” Luzinski "singing". Real Phillies fever is currently sweeping the Delaware Valley as evidenced by over 160 straight Phillies game sellouts at Citizens Bank Park, and the more than 3100 runners and families who left the inaugural Phillies 5k with a great workout, a red Phillies 5k race shirt and a smile on a chilly March morning.

Age Group Winners:

Top Male Finisher:

Mike Zeberkiewicz, Philadelphia, Pa., 17:00

Top Female Finisher:
Lynn Knothe, Wilmington, De., 19:31

Top Finishers -- Female -- Under 14
1st Place: Caroline Keegan, 14, West Grove, Pa. -- 26:02
2nd Place: Chase Rufo, 11, Bryn Mawr, Pa -- 26:51
3rd Place: Rosie Catanoso, Seaville, NJ -- 28:29

Top Finishers -- Male -- Under 14
1st Place: Evan Stigale, 14, West Deptford, NJ -- 20:12
2nd Place: Colin Felix, 12, Audubon, NJ -- 20:56
3rd Place: Matthew Shinkle, West Deptford, NJ -- 22:59

Top Finishers -- Male -- Ages 15-19
1st Place: Austin McCadden, 16, Chalfont, Pa. -- 18:39

2nd Place: Stewart Mills IV, 17, Cheltenham, Pa. -- 21: 25

3rd Place: Colin Hayes, 15, Havertown, Pa. -- 21:42

Top Finishers -- Female -- Ages 15-19
1st Place: Lindsay Johnson, 18, Media, Pa. -- 26:47

Photo by: Thomas E Briglia Phillies

2nd Place: Cassidy Gurve, 15, Wilmington, DE -- 28:55

3rd Place: Stephanie Klock, 19, Wayne, Pa. -- 29:25

Top Finishers -- Male -- Ages 20-29
1st Place: Tim Pagano, 25. Cherry, Hill, NJ -- 17:09
2nd Place:Tim Kemmerer, 26, East Norrito, Pa. -- 17:33
3rd Place: Jason Kilderry, 29, Cherry Hill, NJ -- 17:41

Top Finishers -- Female -- Ages 20-29
1st Place: Anne Marie Moffatt, 27, Philadelphia, Pa. -- 19:58
2nd Place: Jaclyn Haines, 23, Haddonfield, NJ -- 21:35
3rd Place: Bridgette Boudwin, 24, Springfield, Pa. -- 21:46

Top Finishers -- Male -- Ages 30-39
1st Place: Steve Sinko, 34, Wilmington, Pa. -- 17:21
2nd Place: Todd Euston, 32, Philadelphia, Pa. -- 17:38
3rd Place: Christopher Martalus, 32, Jersey City, NJ -- 18:33

Top Finishers -- Female -- Ages 30-39
1st Place: Allyson Thompson, 31, Holland, Pa. -- 20:05
2nd Place: Nicole Lobley, 37, Harleysville, Pa. -- 20:07
3rd Place: Emily Furia, 31, Conshohocken, Pa. -- 20:58

Top Finishers -- Male -- Ages 40-49
1st Place: Michael Gross, 43, Holland, Pa. -- 18:26
2nd Place: Matt Hayes, 47, Havertown, Pa. -- 18:34
3rd Place: Tim Zwall, 42, Ivyland, Pa. -- 18:57

Top Finishers -- Female -- Ages 40-49
1st Place: Dana Wentzel, 41, Lansdale, Pa. -- 22:49
2nd Place: Elizabeth Lubin, 41, Medford, NJ -- 25:59
3rd Place: Jill Sterbakov, 41, Philadelphia, Pa. -- 26:10

Top Finishers -- Male -- Ages 50-59
1st Place: Greg Cauller, 51, York, Pa. -- 17:44
2nd Place: David Stewart, 51, Haddonfield, NJ -- 19:02
3rd Place: Bruce Fritz, 51, Feasterville, Pa. -- 21:16

Top Finishers -- Female -- Ages 50-59
1st Place: Marjorie Olsho, 53, Fort Washington, Pa. -- 21:50
2nd Place: Donna John, 57, Williamstown, NJ -- 26:37
3rd Place: Cathy Cousin, 56, Kendall Park, NJ -- 27:31

Top Finishers -- Male -- Ages 60-69
1st Place: Robert McCluskey, 64, Marlton, NJ -- 27:01
2nd Place: Mark Huddell, 60, Bound Brook, NJ -- 27:20
3rd Place: Arthur Murray, Mt. Gretna, Pa. -- 27:59

Top Finishers -- Female -- Ages 60-69
1st Place: Barbara Weiss, 63, Voorhees, NJ -- 26:46
2nd Place: Pamela Godwin, 61, Havertown, Pa. -- 34:53
3rd Place: Linda Rubini, 60, Newtown, Pa. -- 40:32

Note: Race article courtesy Runners Gazette: http://www.runnersgazette.com/
Jack Heath is the Gloucester Catholic Boys and Girls Cross Country Coach and also works for Phillies Security.

Walt Pierson's Passion is Running

2011-05-17T08:37:00.000-07:00

By Bob Shryock, Gloucester County Times
Walt Pierson has run roughly 61,200 miles since he was 38 years old and a neighbor whipped him at tennis to expose a lack of conditioning. That equates to about 10 round trips to Anaheim to see Mickey and is more than twice the circumference of the earth.

"It's been a long journey," understates the 73-year-old running man from West Deptford. He laughed, but only slightly, when it was pointed out that at his current pace he might reach 100,000 miles in 20 years when he hits 93.

But challenges aren't new to young old-timer Walt Pierson.

Walt Pierson

Fifty-six years after appearing in the 1953 Woodbury High School senior class play "Ah Men" (His role? "Beats the heck out of me.") Pierson made his local theatrical return recently as Norman in "On Golden Pond" at First Presbyterian Church in Haddon Heights. While Pierson may not be the reincarnation of Henry Fonda, who won an Oscar for his 1981 role at age 76, he captured many of Fonda's mannerisms and was a favorite of audiences that included several WHS classmates.

Recruited by director Steve Allen, a Sketch Club regular, Pierson was told by several it was a role "made for you."

And Kay Pierson, Walt's wife, said, simply, "He's just being himself."

Pierson surprised himself by memorizing a 64-page playbook in which he had lines on 55 pages in an eight-week rehearsal schedule.

"I was dreading going off the book. It was a daunting challenge; I had a sleepless night or two," he says.

So are we going to see more of Walt Pierson, the born-again actor?

Perhaps not.

"There aren't that many roles for a 73-year-old," Walt says.

Reminded that ageless Clint Eastwood is 78, Pierson offered, "Well, maybe. It's quite a commitment of time, but I never say never. I have a tendency to throw myself into things. That's because I want to be the best I can be."

He's been the best he could be running the roads with dogged persistence near his Green-Fields home, reaching 60,000 miles last April to commemorate his late mother's birthday and meticulously logging each daily four- or five-mile effort despite a plethora of injuries and illnesses (a stroke while on vacation in New Zealand, heart attack, cancer surgery, hernia) which remarkably have sidelined him for only brief periods over 35 years.

"I wanted to feel better," he explains. "My neurologist and cardiologist said without running, I wouldn't be alive. None of my (physical) problems kept me off the streets for long."

Despite not running competitively in high school, Pierson has run over 30 road races the last two years, frequently placing first in his age group, has run two Boston marathons, and has officiated with Woodbury two-time Olympian Browning Ross. He's run the length of every road in Gloucester and Salem counties. He routinely runs six days a week. His tour de force was running the entire length of the Delaware River, from Hope Creek to a farmer's field in New York State, between 1996 and 1998.

"I'm always champing at the bit," says Pierson, whose competitive tally is more than 500 races. "And I enjoy running as much as ever. I've never been overweight (5-foot-6, 135 pounds), never smoked."

Person retired in 1994 after 14 years with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). He was federal coordinating officer for FEMA's Illinois Disaster Field Office during the 1993 floods. He also worked for the state highway department.

"But people know me for running," Pierson says. "Some ask me, 'Walt, are you still running?' I'm proud of it. It's more mental than physical. I just keep going."

Now they know him as a rediscovered actor, too.

bshryock@sjnewsco.com March 5, 2009

Neil Weygandt Boston Marathon's Newest Legend

2011-04-19T17:16:00.000-07:00

In April of 1967, 20 year old Neil Weygandt headed up to Boston for his first Boston marathon. As he made his way up the hilly course, running from Hopkinton to Boston for the first time, Neil heard new music blaring from the radios along the way-- the Beatles "Penny Lane" and "Strawberry Fields", Procol Harum’s "Whiter Shade of Pale" and from each end of the rock behavior spectrum “Wild Thing” and Aretha Franklins “Respect”.

In April of 1967, Lyndon Johnson was the president, the Red Sox led by Carl Yastrzemski were just starting their “Impossible Dream” season and the Beatles had just announced signing a contract to stay together for another 10 years. Weygandt, a student running for PMC College (which later became Widener) finished his first Boston in 88th place, a 2:47 finish, which was overshadowed by race director Jock Semple trying to tear the race number from Kathrine Switzer in a pique of anger during the race.

Despite the contract, the Beatles wouldn’t stay together much longer, but Neil and Boston would. In fact, Neil’s first finish would be the start of one of the best stories of the Boston Marathon, the world’s most historic and possibly greatest road race. Since that time Neil from Drexel Hill, Pa., has run 43 straight Boston Marathons, the longest consecutive finish streak in history. Neil’s fastest finish was a 2:36:51 in 1983 and he once ran 23 straight Boston’s under 3 hours. To put the streak in perspective, the longest consecutive streak for John Kelley’s 58 Boston finishes was 24. Coincidentally, there are three other runners nipping at the heels of Weygandt’s streak-- Ben Beach of Maryland (42) is the closest with 42 consecutive finishes, Martin Duffy of Massachusetts and Mark Bauman of New York are next, both have 40 consecutive finishes.
After this years finish, Weygandt sat down to talk about his running career, his influences and of course the streak.

JH: First-- how did you feel after Boston this year?
Neil: I was happy to finish and keep the streak going! However, I’m a bit embarrassed by my time of 4:45:38. It was 10 minutes slower than last year and my slowest Boston ever.

JH: How were you feeling before the race?Neil: Occasionally my left knee is sore after a run. I was thankful that it doesn’t bother me during training.

JH: What is your routine for the marathon?.. How do you get up to Boston, do you stay at the same place or eat the same things before the race?Neil: I usually fly to Boston but I took Amtrak this year…$136 round trip, senior discount! I stayed at the Copley Square Hotel for years, but this year stayed at the Radisson. I like pasta the night before and muffins race morning.

JH: Do you have a favorite race among your Boston races?
Neil: It’s a tie between my first Boston in 1967 2:47:11—88th place. I flew up with my mentor Tom Osler , and 1983, my PR in 2:36:51- 581st place! A lot of people PR’d that year!

JH: Which year was the weather the toughest?
Neil: Probably 1970 as it was about 35 degrees with a cold rain the whole way. Ron Hill ran 2:10:30 for a course record in his fishnet singlet!

JH: What is your key workout that enables you to finish Boston every year?
Neil: When I was at my peak, a hilly 24 miler every two weeks—now it doesn’t matter!

JH: Do you like the ways the Boston Marathon has changed?Neil: Yes and no. Yes for the official water stops and mile markers. No is for the fact that it’s too crowded at the start.

JH: I was thinking how lucky we are to have grown up with Browning Ross and Tom Osler as friends and part of our running lives. Do you have any thoughts on their influence?
Neil: Browning was a great role model as you could see how talented he was and how much he loved running. Yet, he was very humble and supportive of new runners. Tom was a friend and a coach and advised me on the details of training. He would talk about Boston and he convinced me to give it a go. I have great respect for Tom as he got the most out of average talent through trial and error and intelligent training.

JH: Would you like to run Boston again next year?Neil: Definitely! I want to keep the streak going!

Long time friend and mentor Tom Osler had this to say about Neil: “Neil is a compassionate and caring person and a loyal friend. His Boston streak is really quite an accomplishment. To be healthy enough and fit enough at the same time of year, every year to be able to finish Boston like he has is really remarkable.
To give you an idea of Neil’s willpower-- I was surprised to find myself approaching him during a recent race in Avalon. I‘ve been pretty far behind him for years. I caught up to him and said “Neil, if I beat you you’ll never live this down!” He smiled and said “You’re right!” Then he quickly pulled away and was gone.”

Written by Jack Heath, Courtesty of Runners Gazette Magazine: http://www.runnersgazette.com/

For more on Neil:
Diane McManus from the news of Delaware County:
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1725&dept_id=45442&newsid=17880027&PAG=461&rfi=9

A July article from Joseph Tanfani of the Philadelphia Inquirer: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_top_left_story/51285017.html?cmpid=15585797

And John Power from the Boston Globe: http://www.boston.com/sports/marathon/articles/2009/04/19/time_after_time/

Note: Neil finished the 2011 Boston Marathon in 5 hours, 52 minutes and 14 seconds for his 45th consecutive finish.

4th Browning Ross Bob Kupcha Race Pictures

2011-04-01T18:37:00.000-07:00

4th Annual Browning Ross Bob Kupcha 5k 1 mile walk and kids run
Haddon Lake Park, Mt Ephraim NJ March 22, 2008

Photos courtesy of Bill Kile III

For an article on the race: http://www.runnersgazette.com/results/kupcha07.htm

** Look for the 6th annual run on May 14, 2011. For a race entry and post race results: http://home.comcast.net/~coachheath or https://runsignup.com/Race/NJ/NationalPark/BrowningRossBobKupchaRun

Race Management 101: Learning from the Best

2011-03-24T06:06:00.000-07:00

We recently sat down to chat with three of the busiest race directors on the East Coast to find out more about just what a race director does and does not do, and to get a look at the part of a race that most runners rarely see. We spoke with Dave McGillivray, race director for the Boston Marathon and Beach to Beacon Race in Maine, Linda Toretsky of Lin-Mark Computer Sports, and Les Marella of L & M Computer Sports.

Jack Heath: What is the name/web address of your company?
Dave: Dave McGillivray of Sports Enterprises Inc (aka DMSE, Inc.; http://www.dmsesports.com/)

Linda Toretsky: LIN-MARK Computer Sports, Inc.; http://www.lin-mark.com/

Les: L & M Computer Sports; http://www.lmsports.com/ is our url.

Linda Toretsky Giving Pre-Race Instructions

JH: How long have you been putting on races?

Dave: 26 years

Linda: 20+ years.

Les: Or to express it more accurately, “how long have you been timing races” since we don’t actually put races on, that task is left to the race director who in turn hires us to take care of entrant data, timing all finishers, and producing results at the end of an event, and eventually displaying those results on the Web site. All of the timers you know Jack rarely act as race directors. Gene and Jane Hoopes of Athletes Korner Timing Systems http://www.aksts.com/ have a couple events they oversee the entire works for, like the Turkey Day 5K at Cooper River. And it’s interesting you phrase your question that way, because most entrants tend to think race timers handle the whole kit and kaboodle--from drumming up race sponsors, ordering awards and T-shirts, seeking volunteers, and touching base with township officials and police to be granted permission to hold an event in their town. It's just about impossible to take care of all these tasks when handling an average of three races a weekend during the season for us.

JH: What got you started?

Dave McGillivray Hard at Work

Dave: I owned a store, and started out producing a few events to promote the store.

Linda: We were challenged to utilize the computer to score races. No one was really doing it. We were among the first to do it.

Les: Another fellow high school teacher who came from the running community said that there’s room for a faster and more accurate way to record results at races. I thought about it and said, “you’re right, I’m tired of waiting around for incorrect results. I’m ready.”

JH: What influenced you to become a race director/timer?
Dave: I found I became more passionate about producing events than putting shoes on people’s feet.

Linda: We were one of the first to implement computers in the scoring of races. This was at the time when just about all races were being scored by pulling tags and stapling them to boards, then getting results with clipboards. We started with barcoding the tags, scanning them into a computer, then sorting the tags/finishers in the scoring program known as “Runscore.”

Les: See my answer above.

JH: Do you also do course measurement?
Dave: No, we don’t.

Linda: We do not do “official” certified course measurements. We call on the certified state USATF persons to handle it.

Les: We don’t. But course measurements, to be exact, are done by a few USATF certified individuals who will meet with a race director and go over a proposed course. They measure it out by wheel or a Jones counter on a bike and record Start/Finish and Mile Markers on the course and present the map to the governing USATF body and then a printout is provided for the race director. The cost is usually less than $200. for this service. This feature is a plus for the race director who is interested in developing a course that’s exact, knowing runners will appreciate a certified course. If it’s certified, the race director will usually be sure to mention that on their race application.

JH: What are the biggest races you’ve put on?
Dave: B.A.A. Boston Marathon, 2004 Women’s Olympic Trials, Triathlon World Championship, TD Banknorth Beach to Beacon 10K.

Linda: This past September we timed the 5K Run & Walk Tunnel to Towers, in NYC with over 18,000 participants. Competitively, the largest would be the Shamrock Sports Festival in VA Beach. Last year there were over 13,000 finishers in the events. Multi-Events would be the Timberman Triathlon (New Hampshire) with over 3,000 triathletes, all getting five splits.

Les: The biggest races we’ve timed (or lent a hand in co-race directing) have been the Ben Franklin Bridge Run, or the Sea Isle City 10 Miler, both over a thousand entrants. We tend to gravitate to the smaller races, where things have a chance to run smoothly. Nothing beats the feeling of having results correct and presented in a timely fashion.

FROM LEFT: GENE HOOPES (ATHLETES KORNER TIMING
SYSTEMS), LES MARELLA (L&M COMPUTER SPORTS),
JANE HOOPES, SUSIE AIELLO, AND JERRY NOLAN OF AKTS

JH: How long did it take you to recoup your initial investment?

Dave: I didn’t have an initial investment.

Linda: Because of the technology we utilize, we are always investing back into the company, both on the level of equipment, Web-page services, our own entry online service; to make a profit on our initial investment of equipment: about five years.”

Les: I’m not aware or have even thought about this element of the business. Sure there were a few thousand dollars spent on a vehicle, timing equipment, etc., but I sensed things would pan out. Remember, this was a side business, almost a hobby. Teaching occupied five days of the week, race timing two days between March and November.

JH: Do you think timing chips are a good thing?
Dave: Well, the technology is definitely a good thing.

Linda: It’s the only way to go for any event with over 300 finishers.

Les: They can be a great feature for the bigger races, (over a thousand runners in a 5K course), but no matter how you cut it, there’s going to be front-end work or back-end work for a timer in preparing for a race. The chip includes a lot of back-end work--making sure all have been returned, if not, contacting the race director, sending a bill for those unreturned chips. Thinking about that caused us to keep the stress and potential aggravation level low; the reason why we didn’t invest.

JH: Typically how many races do you put on in a year?
Dave: We put on about 20 races.

Linda: 50+ for us.

Les: We’ve averaged 65 events each year, from mid-March to mid-November; eight months.

JH: Can you name three of the strangest things that have happened in your races?
Dave: Someone drained the lake we were permitted to swim in before a triathlon; horse manure on the course at Boston; and I once got locked in a port-o-john by accident at the start in Boston.

Linda: Nude finishers (or nearly nude)! After all these years, what’s strange? Some of the people themselves!

JH: Can you describe a race where something went wrong?
Dave: In the Goodwill Games Triathlon--almost everything went wrong!

Linda: I think the worst is death at an event. Can never get over it. During a triathlon, swim, running events. Very traumatic.

Les: There’s always one event a year where something seems to go wrong, whether it’s the Time Machine, (which records the finishing times for each runner) wants to stop working and so while the order of finish is correct there isn’t a time for finishers when displaying results. Or the printer doesn’t want to work and results are read from the laptop at the awards ceremony. But nothing compares to the dreams (or nightmares) you have leading up to an event where no matter what you do in getting ready, finishers start coming in and the finish-line chute and clocks are not set up yet. We’re always good for a nightmare or two each season.

JH: In what way has the Internet affected the way you put on races?
Dave: I can multi-task more than ever and communicate better than ever!

Linda: It’s the only way we conduct our business! Many events that we time, do not even send out entry forms any more. All event info is now online: entry, results…the entire event!

Les: It's a very big feature now. Before the Internet it used to be important to get the overall order of finish printed and displayed at the race site by the time the awards ceremony was over for all to then see how they did. Results might even be mailed to all finishers either by post cards or big printouts. Now finishers know that by noontime, with most races, results are up on the site to satisfy their curiosity. And now most timers keep results displayed for a few past years for athletes to compare things.

JH: How have runners changed (if at all) in the last 25 years?
Dave: I think today it’s more about participation vs. competition.

Linda: Aaaah, all too hard-headed. Once a runner, always a runner! But basically their clothing (for some), and better running shoes. A lot now want and expect fast reporting of accurate results. They deserve it.

Les: The biggest thing I’ve noticed is that now there are more 40- and 50-year-old athletes competing compared with 20- and 30-year-olds years ago. The runners then have continued to stay active and thus we see them appearing in bigger numbers in the upper age groups. From where I stand, the athlete these days, no matter the sport, is usually faster, stronger, and more athletic then in the past. This is probably all brought about by proper training techniques.

JH: What are the two biggest trends in running now?
Dave: Walking more than running; more women, and more families.

Linda: There is more technical training info available--better info. There is easily accessible information now available through the Internet on the events-- information which permits more travel with friends, and fun!

Les: Geez, we could talk about running-shoe technology to nutrition to a well-planned training regime to even hiring a trainer for helping you become better; all could be trends we’re noticing.

JH: Do you think there are less races being put on now? If yes, why?
Dave: No, there are more races now.

Linda: Not sure, but cost is a big factor. Running fees are basically low and without sponsorship/corporate support, the profit margin is very, very low especially in smaller events.

Les: I tend to think there are more events, but what I do notice is there is a discontinuing of the classic events that used to be popular around the area. The Stop the Jade Run in Vincentown, NJ that seemed to open the season each March for example. The Haddonfield and Cherry Hill, NJ races from twenty years ago. But I suppose it’s just meant to be that way, I notice there’s sometimes a three-year life span to a race director. If there’s a good race-directing committee then events can continue, but finding volunteers to step up to lend a hand can be a real challenge. I’ll never forget the time a race director, at her event while getting ready to announce the winners said, “if there’s anyone here that thinks putting on a race is a walk in the park for us ought to step up and do it one time. You’d have so much compassion for every individual you come into contact with at a race you’d be filled with nonstop thank yous and you’d see all the work that goes in to making you, the runner, happy and fulfilled.”

JH: What do you see as the biggest trends in your races?
Dave: As I said walking more than running; more women and more families.

Linda: A lot of events now realize they must get support to make a profit and have funds to benefit the race cause. They also realize that they must have good Web exposure, and good timing services with the fast and accurate means to access/receive race-day results.

Les: More of the upper age-group runners competing these days

JH: Do you think there is less coverage of running in the popular media?
Dave: Maybe not less, but still not much.

Linda: I don’t think that the media ever gave running its due. Unless it was a NYC level marathon with big runners, it’s just not there. This hurts running in getting the exposure and desire out to our youth. They are the future of all sporting venues. Must get and keep the young people involved.

Les: I think so, outside the local Runners Gazette there ought to be more mention in say, the Courier-Post (local South Jersey newspaper) for example.

JH: What do you like best about race directing/timing?
Dave: Feeling good that I helped raise people’s self-confidence and self-esteem.

Linda: I do not, well I “tri” very hard not to direct road races. God Bless the road-racing directors. A very tough job. But the best part would be to have a good number of entrants, a good course, and good weather!

Les: Regarding the timing side, it’s always nice to see the regulars back for another season come each March. Also, making sure the results are processed quickly and accurately is satisfying. The race director and the timer are in a relationship that can’t help but influence each other, if the race director has their operation buttoned down, we notice that and tend to step up and lend just as high an integrity element, too.

JH: What is the toughest problem you’ve faced while putting on a race?
Dave: We once had a road re-opening during a race with people still out on the course.

Linda: A monsoon-level rain setting up the event and during. It’s a killer in the level of participants (there is that financial equation again), and who wants to be out working or running in a flood!?

Les: As far as race directing, gathering in sponsorship dollars is unquestionably the toughest part. When I provide consulting ideas to a new race director, I mention something like--“You’re going to want to try to generate say $2500. for your first-time event here in Camden County, NJ and you’ll want to generate that by way of sponsors. Just think of your family and friends in the business world who you or your committee members know, especially those involved in something that is at least indirectly related to running. Do you know any wellness doctors or chiropractors? Any sports stores? Any health-food stores? Because you’re going to want to generate that much to take care of your awards, T-shirts, postrace eats, and finish line/timing. You’d love to go into a race where any entry fees go toward your charity. You’d rather not go into a race needing X amount of runners to break even, since weather can play such a pivotal role.”

JH: What advice would you give someone who wants to put on a race?
Dave: Work a few first before taking the plunge!

Linda: Keep beer or wine handy for when the day is done. Have your head examined.
Seriously, a good support team, knowledgeable race committee (that can work together); do your homework i.e., course, site, budget.
Les: Surround yourself with organized individuals, because you’re going to want to delegate certain responsibilities and know that they’ll get accomplished. If you have enough on your committee you could petition someone to take care of securing sponsors, another for researching T-shirts, another checking with an awards or trophy store, another handling the postrace snacks, and another to handle the registration and awards ceremony, and yet another to handle the race course logistic--from water stops, cones, signs, and the volunteers needed out there. One person could handle a couple chores, but be careful someone is not overextended.

JH:What are some of the common causes of a race’s demise?
Dave: $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!

Linda: You need to rotate the committee, keep all involved, see who likes to do what. Encourage, thank people, keep going for financial support. Keep politics out of the event.

Les: Burnout from the race director, plain and simple. Maybe not enough fresh blood coming into the group to continue the pursuit. Remember, behind the scenes, where runners never see what goes on, you’re meeting with town officials and police for permission to even hold the event, you’ll hope they’re agreeable.

JH: What is a good way to get more kids running?
Dave: Get their parents running first!

Linda: Stop training or racing them so hard! Within five years they peak and burnout. Develop them more slowly and try to keep it fun. Make it a “game.”

Les: A teacher or administrator at the school will make the biggest difference. They would have the enthusiasm to start something like this. Find another co-race director to help you and you’re on your way. I would say, come out to the Run Against Drugs One Miler and 5K in Seabrook, NJ and see how they’ve made their event a success after 18 years. Have a one-mile run on or near the school grounds, with a lot of young age groups to be acknowledged at the award ceremony. The announced recognition for a youngster would be unforgettable. It becomes a contagious activity every Spring with over 200 one milers lately.

JH: What is the most common thing that runners/people who hire you do not know about race directors in general?
Dave: How much time they have to invest in producing an event.

Linda: The depth of our knowledge and experience, but for us we have been in the business so long with many repeat events, that we now do not take on too many new events.
As many know, we are heavily into multi-events such as triathlons, duathlons, swims.
It is an entirely different level of sporting event; a different “animal,” so to speak.
For us, it has been a good thing. As your questions point out, you are aware that the running scene is a very difficult venue. To have put all our eggs into one basket would have narrowed our business. It has pushed us to grow technically, the field we cover, and our sporting exposure.
Our first love though remains running, as I said, “Once a runner, always a runner!”

Les: You’ll probably glean most of this response from my answers to the “What is the toughest problem you’ve faced while putting on a race?” Sponsorship dollars etc., a couple questions earlier, Jack.

JH: Which one of your races would you like the most to run in?
Dave: Boston, and I do already run it every year.

Linda: Right now the “race of life.” To be healthy, to continue to be able to participate in all sports that challenge us. Right now I have been into the “game of tennis” on a competitive level both in training and playing. But, the years as a runner have helped on the courts.
They can’t stand it that I never get winded, and that I can run everything down, the running legs are still here!

Les: You tend to think of those events that have become a rite of passag--like the Sea Isle City, NJ 10 Miler. Even though 70% of the runners are from PA, runners still show up to do it “one more time” no matter the conditions. There’s a good support audience close to the runners as they’re on the promenade. Lots of cheering and activity. The Berlin, NJ Parade 5K was that way. It was the most undiscovered 5K in South Jersey, just before the parade on July 4th. You had a few thousand spectators assembled along the route and especially in that last mile you couldn’t help but be aware of the spectators around you. Big fun.

Thanks, Dave, Linda, and Les, for your wisdom, insight, and for all you do for our sport.
You’ve given Runners Gazettes readers a chance to learn from the best.

Written by Jack Heath for Runners Gazette Magazine http://www.runnersgazette.com/

Click here for Runners World's "5 Boston Marathon Questions for Dave McGillivray:" http://bostonmarathon.runnersworld.com/2011/04/five-questions-for-dave-mcgillivray.html

So you want to be a Race Director...

2011-03-23T10:04:00.000-07:00

Browning Ross

I had run in over 600 races, but I never really thought about what goes into actually putting on a race until I directed my first race. I had even accompanied and assisted Browning Ross as he put on dozens of his races and that did not prepare me. Browning made it look so effortless-- pulling a clipboard, watch, Popsicle sticks and prizes from his car and—voila'! He was ready to go.

Few people (how about no one else?) have the skill to pull that off. For us mere mortals, race directing takes time, money, plenty of coordination, flexibility and constant communication and knowledge about who actually does what to make a race come together.

Since my first race directing experience, I have received a Phd. in what can go wrong—and luckily also in what can go right. At least now I now what it takes to put on a race—just how complicated it is. Before getting started, a prospective be race-director needs to know the following:

Race Timers not included: First, did you know that race timers cost money? Most of the dozen people that call me during the year for help on their races do not. People who are interested in putting on a race as a fund-raiser and have no idea race timers are usually charging $ 800-1200 and up just to time a race. Over the years, we have seen more than one race organizer with no course measured, or course volunteers present the day of the race because they thought the race timers would provide everything, and handle all race details even though it was never discussed. We have seen many races spend $800 on race timing that have had only a few dozen runners.

You might need help with the course: Race organizers also probably have no reason to know a race timer may not necessarily map out and measure your course for you—especially if you did not ask them for the service and are not paying for it. Often, race timers have no idea of the details of your course. There is definitely no alchemy at work here—if you are paying only for race timing that is most likely all you will get.

You still have to have someone come up with a course and possibly measure and certify it.

Also, consider many parks and townships ask for permits and insurance and you may need police for traffic control if the runners are crossing traffic. These things also may cost money and the race timers will not seek these approvals automatically.

Do you have race t-shirts? Most runners expect a quality shirt as a race souvenir. Shirts cost money although sponsors can sometimes defray the cost. Speaking of sponsors, don’t be surprised if the sponsors come through the day before or even after the race have passed. You may need to pay most if not all of the race bills before then. For example, expect to pay around $10-12 for a good quality long sleeve shirt, plus art and set up charges. Finally, there is the matter of how many shirts to order. Too many and you will have boxes of them in your attic (and of course the unnecessary expense), order too few and you will have some disappointed runners.

What are you going to do for prizes? Speaking of unhappy runners, a quick way to disappoint a runner is by not meeting their expectations for prizes. One of the first races I put on had less than 50 runners but one angry runner was demanding a Clydesdale prize (I told him I would drop it off at his house before next years’ race). Another runner was first in the over 60 category-- but was insulted that he did not get a prize for the over 70 category because, he was over 70. Don’t forget that prizes are also an expense. We have put on many races that give all the children a free entry and a shirt, medal or trophy for participation.

Expect the unexpected: Be prepared. Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. For example, for a recent race, we had ordered 300 numbers and we had only 16 entries less than 2 weeks before the race. While we were busy calculating the number of future races we could use the extra numbers for, entrees started to arrive-- first as a trickle then as a deluge. We had over 500 runners show up for the race wiping out our supply of entry blanks, numbers and even pins, but the late turnout was good news for the charity it benefitted.

Should you delegate? If you delegate race duties, be sure to double check that everyone is carrying out their assigned duties as close to the race as possible. We’ve been involved with races where delegation did not work as planned-- The person assigned to bring the entry blanks for race day sign-up forgot to bring them ,or the person assigned to bring the pins forgot them, and other incidentals like staples for the staple guns (for pinning race results on the board) .

Luckily for this particular race, although we were not able to pin up the race results, it had already been decided to give the first 20 men and women finishers awards in the chute-- just like in the old (pre 1970’srunning boom days) days. If we had age-group awards in this race we would still be attempting to sort it out.

Hey, remember me? Be prepared for “friends” you vaguely know or maybe have never even met before the race to arrive looking for a free entry this confuses your volunteers. We have had race day registrants say they have signed up online (before the race had implemented an online sign up) frequent races may have been confused with another race for which they had signed up online. Be prepared to field a lot of strange phone calls asking about race expos, prize structures, altitude of the course (our response: “above river level”) and percentage of male to female entrants and age graded prizes etc. In this tight economy, people do not spend their $15 frivolously. We once had the manager for some Kenyan runners ask us what the race budget was. He quickly hung up when he heard our reply (which included t-shirts!)

It is worth it: You have probably guessed by now that it takes plenty of time and coordination to plan to put on a race, and although it is great for us runners, it may not be the best way to raise funds. When the race comes together, and when it’s finally completed, you get a feeling of satisfaction that it just might have been worth it after all.

Note: This article originally appeared in Runners Gazette Magazine http://www.runnersgazette.com/ along with an interview of some top race directors--Race Management 101. This accompanying article contains more detailed information on race management, and is also now found in this ramscrosscountry blog http://ramscrosscountry.blogspot.com/

Jim Plant To The Rescue

2011-03-23T06:38:00.000-07:00

"One man with belief is equal to a force of ninety-nine who have only interests"John Stuart Mill

Jim Plant knew something was wrong. The former Gloucester Catholic track and cross country standout, and 1978 graduate could tell the water in his Pompano Beach Florida stand was polluted even though the beach flags said "all clear" to swim.
Plant, a full time Life Guard who had saved numerous people in the surf, knew the water contained enough bacteria to make swimmers seriously sick no matter what the flags or tests said. He knew the water.
Plant investigated with the same tenacity that made him an outstanding runner at Gloucester Catholic and Stockton College. He found out that bacteria levels in the water were ten times the safe limit. He also found out that the EPA had changed the rules in 2003 making it easier to discharge waste into the water.

South Jersey Running Legends Jim Plant and Jamie Bagley
Plant fought to make changes in the discharge process and also to close the beaches when the water was unsafe. The beaches were only being closed when the water levels were unsafe for 3 days in a row. There was a lot of tourist money at stake. Plant knew it only took one day of swimming in the unsafe surf to make someone very sick.

At first there were repercussions-- attempts to force Plant
off his job, lawyers refusing to take his case. At one point
Plant even got sick from working in the water. But Plant refused to be intimidated.

Through Plant's hard work and his one man crusade, things eventually started to turn around.
Plant appeared on NPR to talk about the water quality to millions of listeners. The feedback was quick and loud.
The opposing side suddenly was not as intimidating, not as threatening when the public became aware of how bad the water really was-- how dangerous it was to do a wholesome activity-- swim in the surf with your family.

Thanks to Plants efforts, the water is now tested daily by the Pompano high school science classes and results are posted online for all to see http://www.surfrider.org/broward/

Plant has been a successful runner, a professional musician with two CD's released and an award winning life guard, but his greatest contribution may have been having the courage to do the right thing against the odds, and to fight to make sure that the ocean where he lives and works is safe for everyone.

Remembering Herb Lorenz

2011-03-14T05:45:00.000-07:00

Note: Author Vince Phillips (pictured right with Herb) ran for and was a life long friend of Herb Lorenz.
Quick: name all American distance runners with both a 4:02 mile and a 2:17 marathon in their resume. Whatever short, distinguished list you were able to generate was just reduced by one. On February 27, 2011, Herbert Joachim Lorenz, arguably one of America’s greatest distance runners of the ‘60’s and early ‘70’s, and absolutely one of its greatest masters runners ever, passed away at the relatively tender age of 71.

Born in Franfurt, Germany on April 7, 1939, Lorenz’s early years were shaped by the ravages of World War II. His father was killed in the conflict when Herb was just five years old and his widowed mother re-married when he was nine. When his mother and step-father moved to the United States, Herb stayed with his grandparents in the small village of Kronberg, When Lorenz was fourteen, his mother sent for him. Traveling with his few worldly possessions in a small bag and even less English in his vocabulary, he came to his new home aboard the SS United States and eventually settled in the small country town of Pemberton, New Jersey.

Not afforded the assistance of today’s English as a Second Language courses, Lorenz sat in the back of the room, paid close attention and eventually learned the language. When required to run a mile in gym class, he cruised the track in 5:30, with his classmates far behind. His school had no track team at the time, but when word of Lorenz’ mile got to one of his teachers, the teacher decided to form a team. The “team” was Herb. As a sophomore in high school he finished second in the state in the mile and as a junior he finished fourth, running both races in the 4:30’s—all on the basis of his own, self-coached training. His senior year was more pre-occupied with getting into college than running and he ended up at Trenton State College—now The College of New Jersey—where, still virtually uncoached, he demonstrated his vast potential and range with bests of 49.7, 1:54, 4:12 and 9:30.

At a time when most runners ended their careers upon graduating from college, Lorenz continued to train and race, and in 1964 he moved back to South Jersey with his new wife Irma, took a job as a shop teacher at Burlington Township High School and began a coaching career that was to last nearly four decades and be at least as successful as his own competitive career. His runners not only earned many individual and team honors during this time, but also benefited immensely from the lessons of character that Herb imparted. Inspired by Lorenz, many of his athletes went on to become teachers and coaches themselves.

Throughout the rest of the ‘60’s he was a regular in AAU national track races at 3 and 6 miles, became the dominant distance runner on Middle Atlantic road racing scene (supplanting two-time Olympian and South Jersey native Browning Ross in that role) and was twice a member of national teams sent to compete in the World Cross Country Championships. In 1969, he won the famous Berwick, PA “Run for the Diamonds” in a course-record 45:18. At the urging of ultra-marathoner Harry Berkowitz, Lorenz moved up to the longer distances. In 1971, he just missed making the Pan-Am team in the marathon, losing only to winner Kenny Moore and novice-marathoner Frank Shorter in the trials. In 1975, he set an American age-36 record of 2:17:43 in the Boston Marathon and in 1979 he won the master’s division of the Beantown classic with a record 2:24:41. He went on to set American Master’s records of 30:41 for 10K, 47:18 for 15K (roads), 47:59 for 15K (track), 1:04:42 for 20K, 1:07:54 for the half-marathon and 1:19:58 for 25K. He was three times awarded the prestigious Nurmi Award by Runners’ World magazine, was inducted into the Road Runner’s Club of America Hall of Fame in 1989 and continued to run mind-boggling times well into his 50’s.

Recurring injuries and debilitating medical issues finally slowed him to a stop. For the past several years, Lorenz had suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and Waldenstrom's macroglobulinaemia, an extremely rare form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. As he had done in so many races over so many years, Lorenz battled as valiantly as he could right up until “he crossed the finish line.”

Herb Lorenz is survived by his wife Irma, his son Eric and daughter-in-law Chris, his daughter Diane Stansbury and son-in-law Will and grandchildren Danielle and Brian Lorenz and Randall and Jason Stansbury. He is also fondly remembered by a vast number of his former high school athletes and fellow competitors not only for his phenomenal running achievements but even more for his enduring qualities as a truly humble and selfless human being with a great sense of humor; never particularly comfortable in the lime-light, always willing to help others and quicker yet with his unforgettable laugh, Lorenz was the antithesis of the embarrassingly chest-thumping, self-promoting athletes who unfortunately hold sway with so many of our young people today. He will be missed by anyone fortunate enough to have ever spent any time with him, and future generations of high-school athletes and runners will be poorer for never having known him.

The family requests that any contributions honoring Herb’s legacy be made to the Herbert Lorenz Scholarship Fund, c/o PO Box 1542, Medford, NJ 08055. A scholarship will be awarded to an outstanding South Jersey runner.

Written by Vince Phillips. Courtesy of Runners Gazette Magazine http://www.runnersgazette.com/

Change Is Good

2011-03-13T10:53:00.000-07:00

I had a streak going. Twenty-eight years of running, and I had only stopped to pick up money once. The 65 cents I'd found lying on the road bought a soda in the middle of a twelve-mile run on a hot and muggy July day. However, this was different. I saw the money first, lying in a heap in the white sand of a New Jersey cross-country race-- but I couldn't stop. I had conditioned myself never to stop just for money. In fact, I couldn't even slow down for a closer look, even though I knew I had no chance of winning the race or even setting a PR. Why-- years of conditioning. Thoreau would have been proud.

"Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds Jack--that means you're a creature of habit," said my friend Harry, who had stopped to pick up the money- three dollars. Harry was known for keeping track of all the money he'd found on runs. In forty years of running, he'd probably scooped up a small fortune. Despite teasing Harry that "It was five dollars when I ran past it"… I knew he was right. He had started me thinking. Was I too proud to stop? Then for the first time, I started to think about how much money I had seen but never stopped for over the years-- and to ponder what I had missed.

"Stopping during a run to pick up money has always seemed tacky to me, Harry--kind of like an old guy wearing an earring," I said.

"Hey, I paid for these earrings with some of the money I've found running," Harry said. "You ought to give it a try."

I must have looked doubtful. "You can still change your running habits," Harry said studying me closely. "After all, you used to be fast and kind of flexible--you changed that! Try something new. At the least it will give you something else to keep track of in your log—a new kind of PR."

He did have a point--at least the point about me once being flexible, I thought.

Harry said, "You know, I have to admit, stopping to pick up change can get addicting. I once saw a dime laying in the Dunkin Donut drive-through and decided to leave it there until the next day, just to keep a streak alive of consecutive days with money found...it was still there."

Harry then ambled away to the race concession stand. With his newfound three dollars, he bought a hot dog and a soda. "And I still have a dollar left for gas," he yelled to me over his shoulder.

That was enough for me. I decided to follow Harry’s example and log all the money I've found while running this year. The count: eight dollars and forty-six cents. The biggest haul so far: two soggy dollar bills I found right after a thunderstorm. I have to admit, it's not quite a mortgage payment, but it is kind of fun. For some reason, finding two quarters while running is almost as big a thrill as receiving my (almost) yearly raise at work (which is often larger).

Here are some things I have learned from my new "found" hobby:

First, finding money can spice up a mediocre run. There is an extra payoff too--maybe the same feeling you get fishing, or playing the slots--when spying the glint of a coin-- found money, at thirty paces.

Second, when you are in the "find" mode you are receptive to a lot of other stuff that's out there that you probably never would have noticed before. This summer I also found a beer sign that's now over my bar, five new baseballs, and a plastic lizard for my son. The best spots to find money are convenience stores--teenagers can't be bothered with change. It doesn't look cool to pick it up, so often they will just drop their loose coins in the parking lot along with accumulated cigarette butts. The slimmest prospects to “mine” change are where ever kids, or senior citizens, travel on foot. They will stop to stoop.

When I saw Harry, again I let him know that there is a negative side to this newfound coin consciousness-- the risk of injury. Stopping suddenly for coins, or what looks like a coin from thirty-feet away can put a big strain on your core--and make you look pretty eccentric when you slam on the brakes--sometimes for nothing.

The second drawback is something I'd long noticed about my friend Harry; it's what I call "bird eye." You too may have noticed "bird eye" in many long-time runners. It's a condition brought on by running with one's head tilted to the side looking for some currency that others may have missed. If you should see another runner coming towards you, head tilted to the side, paying a little too much attention to the side of the road--just remember I saw it first.

Note: The author found over $16 last year. This article inspired by the late Harry Berkowitz and originally appeared in Runners Gazette Magazine. http://www.runnersgazette.com/

Dave Williams Gloucester Catholic's First Great Runner

2011-03-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

When you think of the great runners Gloucester Catholic has produced one name that might not come to mind but should is Dave Williams. Williams was a 1937 graduate of Gloucester Catholic, born and raised in Gloucester, New Jersey. Gloucester Catholic did not have a track team in the 30's when Williams graduated, but he started running with his father George, an accomplished runner in the 1920’s and his uncles Harry, Thomas and William and soon became according to the Philadelphia newspapers of the 1940’s "one of the best runners in the country". Some Gloucester contemporaries remember: "If you saw someone running back then (the 1930's-40's) you knew it was one of the Williams family, they were great runners." One of Dave’s first races was the AAU 6 mile cross-country championship held in Gloucester City in Nov 14, 1935. The race started at the old Gloucester High School and ran through Gloucester on a cold wind-swept fall day. Dave, a junior at Gloucester Catholic finished only 13 seconds behind his father and was hooked.
In the next four years Dave Williams became the top runner in the Philadelphia/New Jersey area winning a number of championship distance races for well over a decade.
Williams went to Georgetown in 1942 on an athletic scholarship and quickly made a name for himself becoming the Hoyas top miler and cross country runner. The May 23, 1943 New York Times noted that frosh Williams won the mile in the first race held on the brand new Georgetown track "Dave Williams beat a heavily favored Fordham runner in 4:24. Gate receipts for the meet were turned over to the Army relief fund." Williams won a series of races for Georgetown including an indoor Melrose Games mile in 4:19. As a sophomore Williams continued to run for Georgetown and for Shanahan Catholic Club of Philadelphia in open races. The Philadelphia newspapers note that he was unbeaten for two years before finishing third in the national 10,000-meter championships in Newark New Jersey. The Courier Post on December 5,1943 reported: “Dave Williams is the outstanding runner in the East if not in the country.” Williams remained one of the best runners in the country through the 1940's:
- On December 1941 while a freshman at Georgetown, Williams won the Hail America 6 mile championship at the Penn AC boathouse in 31:09, pulling away from the field at the half way mark of the race.
- On December 6, 1942 Williams won the Camden YMCA 4.7 mile Street Run, the biggest race in the Philadelphia area at the time in 23:04. Williams did what had never been done before in the race-- he won the time prize and was the first to finish. That is, he started 5 minutes behind the field and still won. (Until 1957 most races were started with handicapped starts). Ironically, the second place finisher was Browning Ross a Woodbury High Senior who would later go on to be a two time Olympian and long time Gloucester Catholic Coach. Ross at that time was unbeaten in scholastic competition and a state mile and cross-country champion at Woodbury and was running for Shanahan Catholic Club managed by future Villanova coaching lgreat Jack Pyrah.
- On Thanksgiving Day 1942 Williams won the Mid Atlantic AAU Championships at 10,000 meters.
Philadelphia Bulletin Headline, Dec 13 1942: "Williams overcomes 5 minute 30 second handicap to win Nativity CC Run."
- On February 28 Williams laps a star-studded field to win the AAU two-mile championship at Penn in 9:40. Described in the Philadelphia papers as "an exceptionally good time despite cold and high winds".
- In March 1943 Williams ran 24:31 for a 4 1/2 mile race put on by the Camden County Parks Commission at Cooper River beating Browning Ross by 58 seconds. Ross had recently won the AAU indoor mile championship while a student at Woodbury.
- On November 29, 1943 Williams won the Mid Atlantic AAU 10k championship for the second year in a row at Fairmont Park in 32:21. Williams came from behind to out kick Tom Crane of Catholic University. There is a good chance Dave Williams time might still win the race if it were held today.
The Philadelphia Inquirer describes an April 3rd 1943 AAU 4 1/2 mile street run sponsored by the Ontario Athletic Club-- after the first two runners with a handicapped start (1 min 50 second advantage) had just finished:” the battle for third was one of the best features of the race as it involved the two best in the field-- Williams Georgetown ace and AAU 10,000 meter champion had the best actual time 23:27, Ross New Jersey Interscholastic champion the second best time 23:55. Ross who started 30 seconds behind Williams held the lead until the last mile, then Williams the only scratch man in the field drew abreast. Entering the last quarter mile, Williams drew ahead and stayed there until 50 yards from home. Here Ross opened a driving finish and beat him to the line by five yards." Ross went on to Villanova and two Olympic teams.
In 1944, Dave Williams put his running career on hold and joined the Army a decision that most likely cost him a berth on the US 1948 (London) Olympic team. He transferred out of his original regiment and into the 10th Mountain Infantry Regiment of the Army (an equivalent of our Special Forces today) to fight in World War II.
The move may have saved his life as his original regiment suffered heavily causalities. The 10th Mountain Regiment also faced fierce fighting in Italy. Williams was trained to ride horses and to ski as part of his special combat training. Noticing his exceptional running ability, Williams was pulled from the foxholes and front lines in Italy and given the opportunity to “visit Venice or run a race in Florence”. His daughter Alex Williams: “Being the true runner he was, he chose the race of course.” Williams then represented the Armed Forces in track meets in Europe. Alex Williams: “There was a great article about a “fouling duel” he had with an Italian runner in a race—they say the dual arose because of “cultural misunderstandings” in the article. But he, feisty Gloucester boy that he was, said it was a result of the other runner trying to push him out of his lane! He realized that the vehement whistling after the incident was the actually the fans booing—but he pretended to think otherwise and ran in gesturing as if accepting the crowds approval!”

Williams continued his running while housed with an Italian family. A teenage girl in the host family’s house watched him return from a training run and cheered him on: “Bella gambas, Davide, Bella gambas!” (Nice legs David, nice legs!)

Williams was told to prepare to be part of the invasion of Japan but then got the news that the invasion was off when the atomic bomb was dropped on Japan. Upon his return to the States, Williams finished his service in the Army and soon resumed his running career as one of the top runners in the Philadelphia/ South Jersey area.:
- In 1946 Williams won the 10k street run from Camden To Maple Shade in 33:47.
- In 1947 he won the Breen McCracken VFW 3 mile run in Philadelphia winning the best time prize with a time of 15:35.
- Williams ran 23:47 in the 1949 4.7 mile Camden Y run as one of the fastest "scratch runners".
- Dave Williams ran 24:37 in the 1956 Camden Y run to place among the top finishers.
Williams had married Marcella Manion, his sweetheart from Gloucester City. Their first child, daughter Marcella was born and he resumed his education at the University of Michigan. Moving his wife and daughter to Michigan with him he ran well but soon became homesick. He transferred to Villanova in 1947 where he completed his college eligibility running for legendary Jumbo Elliott (whose curmudgeonly personality he did not care for) and with Browning Ross on some record setting Distance Medley relay teams.
Ross, a Woodbury grad and future Olympian had at one time been of his toughest competitors as well as a young runner he had helped mentor before going into the service. Dave and Marcella Williams worked as a cook and butler for a wealthy family at Villanova when second daughter Alexandra (Alex) was born in 1947. Alex recalls: “I know my dad wasn’t much of a butler; but fortunately my mom was an excellent cook.”
The Williams family would grow to five children as David Jr, Celeste and Lisa were born. The family moved back to South Jersey and then to New Castle, Delaware in 1954. Dave continued his career as an English teacher in Delaware and gave back to the sport he loved as a cross country and track coach, passing on his knowledge and love of running to his own children as well as to the Delaware runners he coached at DeLaWarr, Conrad and William Penn High Schools. His cross-country team at DeLaWarr High in Delaware won a state cross-country championship.
The popular coach would often be joined at home by visits from his teams at Christmas or for group swims in his swimming pool after long runs down Delaware’s dusty Route 9. Meanwhile Williams continued his own running in Delaware races. He won the Delaware State two-mile championship at the age of 39 out kicking some premier college runners in the field to win with two of his daughters in attendance.

Williams survived colon cancer in his 40’s and continued to run with half a colon (using some classic English teacher humor he referred to it as his “semi-colon”) for more than 30 years. He also ran and placed well in the Caesar Rodney half marathons in the 60’s (The inaugural 1964 race was won by his friend Browning Ross in 1:07:24). While Williams continued to win his age group and finish near the front of the pack in Delaware races at a variety of distances, he even returned to Gloucester New Jersey, his hometown in 1980 with one of his daughters to run in the Gloucester Sportsman AC 4 mile race. It was the legendary race where a train stopped everyone in the race except for winner Larry Schemelia-- who had a large lead. Once the train passed, the entire field made a mad sprint for the last half-mile of the race. Ironically, Schemelia a high school state champion in 1969 from Gloucester High and a junior college National Champion was the best runner from Gloucester since Dave Williams but the two never met at the race.
Daughter Alex remembers her fathers racing advice: “Dad would always say if a runner has enough left at the end of the race to sprint they didn’t run as hard as they could have during the race.” Running was obviously in the Williams genes. Dave's sister Veronica (Hermanson) was also a fine runner-- unfortunately in an era where there were far less opportunities for women runners. (Dave’s daughters are still active runners and have run 3 marathons including London.)
Dave Williams had another talent besides being a champion runner-- he was also a fine singer. His sister Sarah Murphy recalls her brother dressing all in green and visiting the senior homes to serenade the residents with Irish songs on St. Patrick’s Day with his fine tenor. He also sang the National Anthem before the Cape May Footrace each year.Dave Williams continued to enjoy his daily runs into his 70's, and still won an age group prize at age 70. He was fit enough to easily run up to seven miles at night. His son David Jr. received an insight into what had made his father a champion runner. “I would play golf with my dad after his retirement and he was still fiercely competitive. He never played much golf but he could “will” a putt to go in from 30 yards through force of his will and his competitive fire. He would end up making friends and knowing everything about strangers we had just met on the golf course. He was always interested in others.” “ He could also look at two runners and say this one has more talent but the other runner has more heart and will be tougher to beat.” Alex Williams: “My mother always said my dad was 90% heart, My dad would always say when he talked to an audience of runners that it was the one sport that you could participate in on the basis of heart and not natural talent alone.”

Besides his running, Dave Williams supplemented his fitness by putting on roofs through his 60’s-- a trade he had learned from his father George who had his own roofing and siding business in Gloucester. At the age of 71 Dave Williams passed away suddenly from an aortic aneurysm. At the service a violinist played his favorite song “Oh Danny Boy”. The 5’8 ‘’ runner from Gloucester, New Jersey with the big heart and soft, quick footsteps that had taken him around the world to run against the worlds best, and who had inspired so many to achieve their dreams was laid to rest in his Green “St Patrick’s day singing suit” that had brought joy to so many people. Gloucester Catholic High School, Gloucester City and Delaware are proud to call this elite runner and patriot one of their own.

“Oh danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen and down the mountain side
The summers gone, and all the roses falling
Its you, its you must go
and I must bide
But come ye back when summers in the meadow
Or when the valleys hushed and white with snow
Its I'll be here in sunshine, or in shadow
Oh danny boy, oh danny boy, I love you so
And I shall hear tho soft you tread
above me.”

From Dave Williams favorite song “Oh Danny Boy”

To see Dave Williams race results and articles, go to the Gloucester Catholic Cross Country Website: http://home.comcast.net/~coachheath/RunningArticles.html under John Glazier Scrapbooks 1 and 2.
To learn more about the 10th Mountain Division: “Soldiers of the Mountain: The Story of the 10th Mountain Division of World War II” by Norma Tadlock Johnson.
Note: The Gloucester Catholic Cross Country Team and Williams family plan to honor Dave Williams with an award to the runner that best epitomizes the spirit of Dave Williams.

Iron man John Glazer South Jersey Running Pioneer

2011-03-06T12:03:00.000-08:00

"Glazer Blazes Way to Victory by Displaying Grit and Fleetness of Foot in Camden YMCA Run" Headline November 1, 1928Did you ever wonder what it was like to be a runner before the “running boom”?
How about 50 years before the running boom? South Jersey native John Glazer was a runner from 1922 until the late 1960’s and kept detailed scrapbooks of all his races during those years. The scrapbooks are a time capsule giving a detailed, up close look into what it was like to live and run in Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia during this period. The scrapbooks also chronicle John Glazer’s feat of running in the biggest and best race in South Jersey at the time-- the Camden YMCA 4.7 mile street run 43 years in a row.
The scrapbooks are a time capsule, giving an intimate look at what it was like to be a runner before the depression, through the depression, through World War II, and into the fifties and sixties. The pictures and articles in the scrapbooks make the era come alive. It was a time of home made race numbers, thin soled training shoes, and eating steak before a race. It was a time when automobiles and trolleys were plentiful but were not yet in sole posession of the road. Horses still did much of the local deliveries. It was a time of ferries, not bridges crossing the Delaware River from Camden to Philadelphia. It was a time when runners often trained in parks or inside on tracks but rarely shared the road with cars—except for races. The scrapbooks show big turnouts of runners often up to a hundred-- for the steady circuit of races which were often put on by running clubs that were often affiliated with churches. John Glazer ran for the Nativity Catholic Club in Philadelphia. Shanahan Catholic Club was another competing club which featured a huge clubhouse with a pool, located near Fairmount Park. Villanova Coaching great Jack Pyrah got his start coaching the Shanahan Catholic Club.
Despite a love of reading and a thirst for knowledge he dropped out of school at age 14 to support his family.
John’s trade was making wire baskets and racks which were in demand by hospitals and laboratories. John started a company called “Specialty Wire Works” which was headquartered in his future father in laws basement in Camden NJ.
John married Cecelia in September 1928. Despite never studying fractions in school, John was able to develop a system to make the iron racks to exacting specifications for the medical profession. For relaxation he would turn to wrestling, gymnastics (placing 3rd in the New Jersey State Championships in the parallel bars in 1925) and of course running.
Rita Desher, one of John’s 2 daughters remembers: “Dad loved running and was very dedicated to the sport. We couldn’t see the attraction at the time. We would go with him to a race and not see him for another half hour, often waiting in the cold for him to come back, but he really loved it. Some of the races were even held on Christmas Day.”
Glazer would run two or three times a week usually from three to six miles at a time. Sometimes he would run up to 81 laps on the indoor Camden Y track to get in his six miles. He ran year round despite a physically demanding job with long hours. Born Philip Glazer, he decided to go by the name John because “it sounded tougher than Philip” notes his son-in-law Lowell Desher.” His toughness was already evident in the physical requirements of his job and his ability to train for his beloved YMCA race despite long hours of demanding work.

Here’s what was happening in 1922 when John Glazer began to run:

Insulin is used for the first time.
Ireland becomes an independent country from England.
The Soviet Union is recognized as a country.
Readers Digest Magazine first published.
Marconi begins regular radio transmissions and WIP becomes the first Philadelphia radio station.
Egypt granted independence from England and King Tut discovered.
And Camden was the headquarters of the Victor Talking Machine Company—(later to become RCA) home of the first recording studio and first color television produced.

The distance running scene however, was far from new. In 1922 Paavo Nurmi had just set 3 world records in distances up to 5000 meters and Clarence DeMar won the 26th Boston Marathon in 2:18. Some of the local races in the Philadelphia area attracted up to 25,000 spectactors.
Twenty year old John Glazer, ran his first race-- a five mile Christmas Day “marathon” in Camden December 25, 1922. John won a sweater donated by the East Side Youth Association for his seventh place finish. The Courier Post describes the race: “Many of the boys were forced to pick there way through a maze of trolley cars and autos at the finish.”John also started his string of 40 straight Camden Y runs in the inaugural Camden YMCA race on December 1, 1923 when he was 20 years old. John would go on to run 43 of the first 45 races held from 1923 through 1966.

1928 would be an especially good year for the 25 year old John Glazer. Besides getting married, he was also arguably one of the best runners in the Philadelphia/South Jersey area that year.
He won the 1928 Camden Y race in 28:19. The headline in the Courier Post, South Jersey’s major newspaper: “John Glazer Triumphs in Annual “Y” Street Run. “Here are a couple of more wedding presents dear.” With these words John Glazer, Camden’s youthful runner presented to his bride of a month two handsome silver trophies, spoils of victory for this feat in outclassing a big field to win the annual Camden Street Run Saturday.”
The same day the Philadelphia Bulletin headline read: “Glazer blazes way to victory by displaying grit and fleetness of foot in Camden YMCA Run.” The article detailed how Glazer had overcome a side stitch to maintain his lead to the finish.

It may be surprising that almost all of the races at the time were handicapped runs where runners started at different intervals or “handicaps”—the fastest runner started from “scratch”. The handicaps were determined by judges before the race, and often published in the newspapers the day before the race.
Tom Osler recalls: “Browning Ross started the Road Runners Club of America in 1957. During those years almost all the road races in this area were handicaps. Once the RRC was formed and could hold its own races under the umbrella of the AAU, this changed. Quickly, only a few handicaps remained.”
Ironically Browning Ross would keep the handicapped races alive once they “disappeared” by hosting a few every year. Also surprising, since there were no age group awards in the pre-running boom years, few of the race clippings mention a runners age. Most of the races featured a mandatory doctor’s pre-race examination by on site doctors. You had to pass the physical before being cleared to start. The winner of one race failed two doctors examinations, before passing the third exam, getting permission to run and then going on to win the race—reminiscent of Clarence DeMar losing six prime years of his career due to a failed physical examination.
John Glazer now focused primarily on running as his sport and continued to garner a number of headlines:
March 4, 1929: “John Glazer finishes second to John Zach by inches in six mile Shanahan Run. Glazer runs 35:30. John Kelly was leading when he collapsed a few feet from the finish line and was disqualified for being carried across the line by friendly hands.”
Glazer continued to place high in a number of races through the 1930’s and he continued to run and finish the YMCA run every year for 40 years. He ran through the depression, and through the birth of his two daughters Rita and Constance. He continued to run while helping to put his brother Jess through medical school. He kept the streak going through World War II and began to become known for the streak in the 1950’s and 1960’s. He kept the streak going through the birth of his grandchildren. Rita Desher remembers: “While I was in the hospital for the birth of our son Greg, dad ran right by the hospital in the race. I could see the race from the window and I told baby Greg “your grandfather is running by!””
John and his family moved to nearby Gloucester, New Jersey in 1955. By this point he was so associated with the Y Race the local papers ran two race stories each year—one profiling him the day before the race and one with the race results and his finish the following day. During this time he donated the winners trophy each year. In 1963 he missed his first Y race after 45 consecutive races due to injury. He ran the 42 and 43rd Y races and his final race in 1967. By this time John was known for the streak and for finishing the race every year. In 1968 John had right hip surgery and it ended his running career. He turned to swimming, but always missed running.
I met John in the 1970’s when he was in his 70’s through his grandson Drew Desher (son of Rita and Lowell), a teammate at Gloucester Catholic. He was swimming a mile a day in the Camden YMCA, where he was a lifetime member and was in robust health. In the early 1980’s his beloved Camden Y race moved to nearby Cooper River. John Glazer, now in his 80’s accompanied us to what turned out to be the final Camden YMCA race. On the way to the race I was struck by his great sense of humor, his vitality health and by how much he still missed running. His son-in- law Lowell Desher reflects that John Glazer was the most remarkable man he had ever met.

On June 24, 1997 John Glazer passed away at the age of 94.
Doctors remarked that despite having a heart attack he was still in tremendous condition because of all of his years of running and swimming he had the cardiovascular system of a much younger man.

A 1948 Courier Post article was prescient when it stated:“One wonders why

he continually keeps at it, but as Johnny says, it’s in the blood and he just likes to run. He has no intention of ever giving up the sport—just when it becomes necessary for his health.”

John Glazer, one of the pioneers of south jersey running never really gave up the sport he loved. He was able to pursue his love of running and through his sponsorship and involvement in the local running scene runners like Dave Williams and Browning Ross were able to follow in his footsteps and influence another generation of runners.
Notes:

- A film of John Glazer finishing the YMCA race in 1956 and archived versions of his fabulous scrapbooks are available at the Gloucester Catholic Cross Country Website: http://home.comcast.net/~coachheath
- John’s beloved Camden YMCA closed down in 2008.

- His grandson Drew, is profiled on this blog in the 1976 Gloucester Catholic Cross Country team article.

Written by Jack Heath

The Running Chronicles of Tom Osler

2011-02-06T12:24:00.000-08:00

Tom Osler doesn’t write about running much anymore but he still has a lot to say about the sport he loves and has influenced so much in over 50 years. Tom Osler now 69 and his wife Kathy have two sons Eric and Billy and live in Glassboro New Jersey where he enjoys publishing Mathematical research papers (more than 120) and teaching Math at Rowan University (his 49th year as a teacher, 41 at Rowan University). He still runs close to 50 miles a week.

A quick review of Osler’s running accomplishments: over 2100 races run, his first national championship, a 25k race, in 1965. He captured a second national title, for a 30K race in 1967. It was the same year he finished 19th in the Boston Marathon and, later that year, self-published a seminal work on running the 32 page classic, “The Conditioning of Distance Runners”. Osler also published the “Serious Runners Handbook” in the 70’s during the height of the running boom. Dr. Tim Noakes (Author of the Lure of Running) said “”Conditioning of Distance Runners” remains one of the absolute classic training books of the world. Tom Osler's great contribution was to emphasize the importance of peaking training. He was the first to verbalize that in a way that was really understandable to most athletes. Most importantly, he was absolutely correct in what he proposed. Our own research undertaken [in South Africa] shows his principles to be absolutely correct. The principles he described withstood the test of time and are unquestionably real physiological laws."
His second book “Serious Runners Handbook” sold more than 55,000 copies during the peak of the running boom in the 1970’s and was called “the best running book” by Osler’s friend and mentor Olympian Browning Ross.
Despite health problems in recent years (notably a stroke at 2003, and a defibrillator in 2005 after heart problems) Osler continues to run with his doctors blessings, and to race each weekend although at a much gentler pace. We recently talked to Tom in a series of interviews about his running life and experiences gathered from more than half a century of running.

Early Years:
Jack: Tom, when did you first start running?
Tom: Probably just after I learned to walk (laughs). I started running when I was about to turn 14—it was in January or February of 1954 that I decided to get serious about it.
Jack: How did you get your start-- did someone talk you into going out for the team?

Tom: No, I was at the age where I was trying different sports and I wasn’t very good at baseball, football or basketball. One day a bunch of us decided to see who could run the most around a field and to my shock I could out jog everybody. So that’s when I realized I was born to be a runner! So I asked my brother in law what I could do with this, if there was there any kind of competition for runners. He told me about track. We looked into newspapers and looked at the results of track meets and there was the mile race. That was the longest race and they were running that in five minutes, 5:10, 5:15…
I lived in a row house in Camden NJ and there was a Mack truck factory at the end of the block that we estimated occupied a quarter of a mile. So I ran around the block four times. My brother in law looked at the kitchen clock to time it and it came out to something like six and a half or seven minutes. We figured with a years training we could probably get it down to a good racing speed. Which I did. Everyday I went out and ran four times around the block as fast as I could. So in a year I went out for the track team as a sophomore at Camden High and was their best miler-- I ran a 5:10.
Everyday was the same thing, I ran a mile all out, as fast as I could. That was my training—one mile a day. I was the only person running year round that I knew of.
All the other kids came out in March and started training then for track.

Browning Ross
Jack: Who did you meet first Browning Ross or Harry Berkowitz?
Tom: Oh, Browning. He was essentially the first runner I ever saw. I began the running I just described in January or February of 1954. I read in September in the newspaper that there was going to be this big race in Atlantic City, the National 30 kilometer championship and it was going to start and finish on the Boardwalk at Steel Pier. I got myself a bus ticket and went down there and stood in front of Steel Pier and waited for this race. I remember thinking that runners must be very powerful people—big muscles, well developed like Mr. Atlas! And what shows up but all these skinny people. It was a national championship but I doubt it had more than 20 or 25 people in it. That’s how it was in those days. And then Browning Ross showed up and I couldn’t believe what a small rather insignificant looking human being this hero of mine that I’d read so much about was. The race was several laps so you saw them come by several times. The first two laps there was a Canadian champion with Browning, but after that there was nobody with him, it was just Browning. Somebody got me to hold the string at the finish line and you can see me at the finish line of the picture of the race.
Jack: How did you first hear about Browning?
Tom: My brother in law was a good basketball player and up on all sports and he knew about Browning and told me about him—“there was this guy in Woodbury, Browning Ross who was an Olympian.” Actually the first person I saw show up for the race was a guy who wasn’t dressed to run. This guy about 30, had a leather jacket and sunglasses on, his name was Helmut Gude. Gude had been on the Olympic team for Germany in the steeplechase in 1952, a great runner who immigrated to the United States and promised his relatives who sponsored him to come over that he would not race anymore because they were afraid he was going to come over and “waste his time”. In those days people thought running was a waste of time. He promised to “shake the habit”. He never did race. Helmut Gude showed me who all the runners were. He became a good friend of Jack Barry who became a mentor of mine.

Jack Barry
Tom: Jack Barry told me the story that he Browning Ross and Gude one time all went out to Medford Lakes to do a workout on the sand trails in the pines by Atsion Lake. Gude made the remark after the workout that if he could train there all the time he’d be the best runner in the United States. Browning looked at Barry and said “he doesn’t realize it but he’s already the best runner in the United States.”
Jack Barry came from a large family in Merchantville, NJ. He was considered the black sheep of the family, the only one who wasn’t successful. He was very funny, an iconoclast who only wanted to run. His father would wonder why he never settled down with a real job, but he would come out to cheer him on at races. He was about 15 years older than me, I owe a lot to him—he taught me a lot. Oddly he became very successful later in life when he stopped running and started painting. He worked for his brother in a gas station and during the long periods where there was nothing to do he started to paint-- pictures of horses etc. No training, when he would finish he would hang the painting in the gas station and people would come in and want to buy it. He would go to Cooper River and display his pictures and people would buy them. Then he traveled around the country where people had money selling his paintings, finally opening his own gallery in the Moorestown Mall. He told me that other artists would get Po-ed. Here’s an artist with no training, no credentials and people were buying his paintings, he was making all the money. He opened up a gallery of his oils on canvas in the Moorestown Mall and his dad worked for him. He had some paintings that took a long time to paint-- like the trails in the woods in Medford New Jersey where we liked to run. He gave that painting to Jack Pyrah (Villanova Coach) who later gave it to me. He’d make all his money off things he would paint quickly like painting sail boats. He’d paint it very quickly and frame it himself in minutes.
When I met him Jack Barry was 32 at his peak and one of the best runners in the country. He was the 3rd or 4th best marathoner in the country. He didn’t like losing, when he stopped winning races he stopped racing and just trained.

Jack: When did you meet Harry Berkowitz?
Tom: I met Harry Berkowitz at the YMCA. My first race was Camden YMCA in 1954. The 1956 Camden Street Run was Harry’s first race that’s the first time we raced together. We ran track races together that spring, he for Woodrow Wilson and I for Camden. Browning left Woodbury High and went to Woodrow Wilson High to teach history and he founded the cross country team. Camden High did not have a cross country team and I asked my coach Nathaniel Enten if he would start a team and he did, laying out a course in Farnam Park. Coach is the wrong word for these people. He really didn’t coach—he organized. Made sure we had shorts and shoes, made sure we all got on the bus. He really never told us what to do. The coach would come out with his dog, walk his dog around the field and just let me do whatever I wanted.
Jack: You probably knew more than he did…
Tom: I probably did. I had read that runners should keep a steady pace. If you wanted to run 5 minutes you should average 75 seconds a lap, but of course the kids on the team didn’t do that. I was running steady pace and the coach was going nuts. He would see the race start and all of the sudden I’m last and everybody’s running away from me. And later I’m catching them. So the coach came up to me before a race and said: “Look this is not the way to do it. They are getting so far ahead of you and then you have to go catch them. Stay with them and then you won’t have to catch them.” Makes sense to somebody who doesn’t run. I tried to explain to him that all that will do is make me tired right away instead of the later stages. But he didn’t understand why I wouldn’t do it. His next strategy was to deliberately walk up to the coach of the other team and say “I’ll bet your boy beats my boy.” I just laughed. I like the fact that he left me alone.
I’d seen coaches from other schools like Harry’s coach who I thought was horrible. Tom Forney was always hollering at kids and acting like a maniac. He treated the runners like it was World War II. Harry who passed away in 2008 was like a brother to me. We were very close.

Jack: Tell us about getting “arrested”.
Tom: It was probably 1964, I was running through the Cooper River Park in Cherry Hill. I came down a hill and was face to face with a police office who yelled “We got him!” and proceeded to grab me and put me in a police car. Now most people did their running in tracks then and it was rare to see anyone running on the streets except for street races. I was running in a pair of green pants like you’d see a workman wear and I had on a sweatshirt. I told the cop “Your making a big mistake buddy, you better let me go or you’re in a lot of trouble.” He told me they had reports of young people stealing cars in that area. When they saw me running towards them, fitting the basic description-- they grabbed me. The thought was there was no reason a person would be running on the streets then unless he was up to no good, running away from something. He eventually called in and checked my address and information and they let me go. It was quite common then to be stopped and questioned by the police while running.

Founding of the Road Runners Club
Tom: Browning invited Harry and I to New York to see the National Indoor Track Meet at Madison Square Garden. As a side show, Browning had asked representatives from other districts to get together before the meet to talk about the Road Runners Club. We went to the Paramount Hotel to meet. The Paramount had a second floor balcony that overlooked the lobby. We saw some chairs and pulled them all together into a circle and that was the meeting, it lasted about an hour and we decided to start this club. Some people were concerned the AAU might get upset about it. It turned out we operated within the laws of the AAU it allowed you to form clubs within the AAU. Like the Penn AC, and the Shanahan Catholic Club, the RRC now became such a club within the AAU. You were permitted to hold events that were for your club. So you joined the AAU, then you joined the RRC and you could run all the RRC races and not risk losing your amateur status. Hal Higdon and I are the only two people still alive that attended that meeting.
Jack: Can you give me an example of the kind of problems Browning faced starting the Road Runners Club?
Tom: We met at the Penn AC club, Browning had been a member for some time. The running part of it was run by Jack Sinclair Sr. Jack Sr was loud and sometimes drank too much. At one meeting when Browning was trying to organize the RRC, Jack Sr came in drunk and was causing a ruckus. Browning got very angry—which you seldom saw—but angry in a quiet way and he got up looked at Sinclair and said “I quit.” And Browning walked out. Sinclair started crying. “Why did he have to quit?” Browning was the star runner of the club. Browning never went back-- he started his own club Delaware Valley Track Club. I started out in the Shanahan Catholic club because Jack Pyrah introduced me to it. The next club I joined was the Delaware Valley Track Club. Browning asked me to join. Then later he formed the South Jersey Track Club.

Early Running Shoes
Jack: You said there weren’t many good running shoes around in the 50’s and early 60’s?
Tom: There weren’t any that you could buy in the store. The most common shoes that you would see for running were the Converse cross country shoe. It had a negative heel-- which is why Browning had such bad Achilles tendonitis. It was very common then because of the bad shoes. The really serious runners like Jack Barry would write to Europe or Japan and have their shoes handmade. Barry was using this shoemaker named Tishi Nishi in Japan. I got my first pair of handmade shoes from him. Then Barry caught onto the idea that Hush Puppy shoes would be very good to race in. Then I picked it up from him.
Jack: You said Browning designed his own shoes but they weren’t that great?
Tom: They were terrible. This was before Tiger shoes were available and they were out about 1966. So Browning’s shoes were out in around 1963 maybe. They were professionally made. Apparently in Browning’s mind runners were cheap, and they didn’t like the idea that their running shoes were wearing out so fast so he got these shoes that wouldn’t wear out. The bottoms were so hard that you wore out first before the shoes. They wouldn’t give.
Jack: Browning always said that running barefoot was best, and that you didn’t need fancy shoes…
Tom: I tried running in bedroom slippers as a transition to running barefoot. It didn’t work for me. I won my first national championship in street shoes.
Jack: When did you and Kathy meet?
Tom: In 1967 when I was teaching at Saint Josephs College. We met at a friends house-- Al Williams a marathoner friend of mine invited me and Kathy to New York. Kathy was a student at Hunter College in New York City. I lived in New York City from 1962 to 1966.
I met Ed Dodd around 1961 at races and I taught him math at St Joes. I met Neil Weygandt around the same time. Neil’s record of consecutive Boston Marathons (43) is unbelievable. For Neil to be healthy every year in the middle of April for Boston every year is amazing.

Dr. George Sheehan
Jack: When did you meet George Sheehan?
Tom: I met him at the Boston marathon. Boston had 200 runners then tops and we all stayed at the Lennox hotel. You knew a lot of people there, a sizable fraction of the field. Runners have always been a fairly upscale group of people. Professional educated people—it was that way then too.. A group of us met in the lobby and decided to get together the night before the race at a really nice Italian restaurant. There were really quite a few of us, 15 or 16. I happened to be sitting next to George Sheehan, who I had never saw before. I guess George was in his late 30’s and was relatively unknown.
We’re sitting there-- a fairly impressive group of people, one runner is an engineer, Ted Corbitt a Physical Therapist, and here’s George Sheehan who’s a heart specialist. We were sitting there eating, having a nice discussion, when all of the sudden George goes “Whahhhahhahhhhhhh!!!” – (a Tarzan yell). We all stopped and looked at him and George said “I just get so excited at these events.”
I thought here’s another one of these crazy guys…. I guess we won’t hear much from him again.
Of course George goes on to become a great running guru. I’m sure at that moment everyone thought we probably won’t see this guy again. Of course he became the most read and talked about runner of our time. He spoke for runners in his writing. He really seemed to hit the pulse of running. He was a very good writer and a very nice man. He had a dozen kids and was always very down to earth. He drove a little old car and always dressed in jeans and a casual shirt. George was the sweetest guy in the world. When I wrote my Serious Runners Handbook, he was at the time the famous running author.
Occasionally we were the featured speakers at a major race and he Kathy and I would go out to dinner. We were close, we got along really well. When he died I was surprised that one of his sons wrote a book about him that was very negative and critical. I thought “wait until you get older and you have kids, you might be sorry.”

Bill Bowerman
Jack: Tell us about meeting Bill Bowerman the famous Oregon and Olympic track coach and co-founder of Nike.
Tom: Bowerman was a real gentleman. Another very down to earth guy. You would never know that he was a famous track coach. He was very easy going like the guy next door. I met him at Runners World’s National Running Week between Christmas and New Years in Palo Alto. We were on the stage together in a panel discussion. A few years later I met him in Texas at the Houston marathon. Before the race I was taking my sweat suit off and looking around and he said “What are you doing?” I said “I’m looking for someplace to hide my sweat suit so I can find it when I come back.” He said to me “Give it to me I’ll hold it for you.” I looked at him and I said “Wow! This will be a story to tell. An Olympic Track Coach holding my sweats while I ran the race. He just laughed. A couple of months later, at Christmas time my door bell rings and there’s the mail man with a big box. I open it up and there’s a big Christmas wreath on top. And inside are several pairs of different Nike running shoes, shorts, shirts and different Nike apparel on this box that Bowerman had sent me as a gift. This was around 1980.

Another Book?
Jack: Have you ever thought about writing another book based on lessons learned as a runner since your last running book over 30 years ago?
Tom: No. I didn’t like the idea of writing a book just to write a book. What I did like was writing a book because I had something to say that hadn’t been said. That’s why I wrote Conditioning of Distance Runners. When I wrote the second book I felt Conditioning of Distance Runners had been like a skeleton—it described the essence of the ideas behind training but didn’t go into details. Things like dealing with different kinds of weather and all of the things you run into as a runner. So I thought I would expand on that and that was Serious Runners Handbook. Plus I had experience with ultra marathons which I hadn’t had when I wrote Conditioning.
Jack: What have you learned since those books came out?
Tom: Not a whole lot. My days as a competitive runner, somebody to be reckoned with were over by the time I did Serious Runners Handbook. After that the only things that I can say that I have learned injury is caused by running hard when you are tired. I was just in Barnes and Noble and picked up Runners World. They had an issue titled “”Run Injury Free for the rest of your life”. I looked at it and it was just baloney. Do this exercise.. you are getting injured because your hips are this or that.. It’s much simpler than that. You get injured because you are doing something your body just can’t take. You are running hard and you’re tired at the same time—that’s when you get hurt. If you don’t do that you’ll really cut down injuries. However the problem is that’s what a runner does in a race.
He gets tired at the end of a race and he runs hard. You’ve got to be cautious and sparing of what you do in a race. You have to realize that the final stages of a race are destructive.
Jack: That’s the point where the coach will yell for the athlete to push even more. They don’t realize they may possibly be contributing to their athletes to get injured…..
Tom: You’re paying a price so you have to think-- is it worth it to you. Do you want to run for the rest of your life or do you want to run well now and to hell with the future. At least realize that the sport itself has its built in (injury) problem—you get a guy who is a serious runner and wants to go all out every time in races and its destructive. The older you get the more destructive it gets.
Jack: So what is your training like these days?
Tom: I’m careful to not push myself too much in races, I don’t want to get in any physical difficulty, under no circumstances do I want to go back to a hospital so I usually race comfortably-- no faster than a 9 minute mile pace. This makes it hard to find a comfortable training pace because I am starting to run so slow. It’s hard to run at 10 or 11 minute mile or slower pace. It’s almost more efficient to walk. So I invented what I call “slogging” Slogging is a running pace that is upright with barely forward momentum. I can cover two hours at a time at this pace comfortably.
It’s much more comfortable than running at a slow pace. With slogging I’ve been able to spend enough time on my feet to finish the Broad Street 10 miler and the Philadelphia Distance run (13.1 miles).
Jack: The hope is maybe other runners can learn from your experiences....
Tom: It’s been said that when someone passes away it’s like a library burning down. When a person passes away all their knowledge and experiences go with them.

Note: Tom Osler was honored last spring with a prestigious teaching award, the MAA New Jersey Section Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics.

Written by Jack Heath, Courtesy Runners Gazette Magazine: http://www.runnersgazette.com/

The Great Oscar Moore

2011-02-03T12:13:00.000-08:00

“Oscar Moore is the smoothest runner I’ve ever seen.” Browning Ross (1948 and 1952 Olympian who ran with Roger Bannister, and saw possibly every great runner from the 1940’s to the late 1990’s)

Oscar Moore has had one of the greatest distance running and coaching careers in the history of US Track and Field. Besides being a smooth runner, Moore now 72 and living in Glassboro NJ is also one of the humblest and “smoothest” people you could meet. His modesty belies the scope of his achievements. It’s up to others to tell his story. Among his accomplishments: National class runner with a wide range of US championships from the mile to the marathon, 1964 US Olympian, Record setting Masters Runner and Hall of Fame Coach at Glassboro/Rowan University in Glassboro NJ. Others who have never seen him run know him as Mr. Moore, a teacher and director of recreation for Rowan University who has directed physical fitness opportunities at the college for thousands of people, especially students and senior citizens. We recently sat down to talk to Coach Moore about his storied life and accomplishments.

How did you get your start? “My friend and I were seniors at White Plains (New York) High School and we were wondering how we could earn a varsity letter before we graduated. I said how about football? My friend was a big guy and he said “no, I can’t play football, my mom won’t let me.” We had a super basketball team so we knew we would only be able to make JV. The only thing left was track. So we decided to go out for track. He threw the shot and the coach asked me what I wanted to run. I wasn’t sure. He said do you want to be a sprinter? I said no, those guys look too fast. So he said OK, we’ll put you in the half mile. They put me in the 800 and we would always take one- two. I would come in second, I ran 2:12 and the other guy on the team ran 2:11. The guy that would beat me would always be bent over, throwing up. I thought “This race is not for me because I don’t feel that way, I don’t feel too bad, I must not be doing this right!” I thought I was supposed to be doing the same thing as him but I was walking around after the race feeling fresh. I didn’t want to pass him during the race because he was an upper classman and had been out for the team.

The coach said would you like to run the mile? I was sitting in the stands and it didn’t look too fast, so I said ok. They put me in the mile and I ran a 4:45 in the mile in my first race and broke the school record and qualified for the state meet. I was entered in the state meet but stopped with my friend, a shot putter for lunch on the way. He bought a hoagie with lettuce, tomatoes mayonnaise and a Pepsi. I said give me the same with a 7 up. I started the race and the coach was yelling stay with the leader, but two laps into it my stomach felt lousy. I finished third. The coach asked me “What happened”? I told him what happened but I thought the coach should have told me more about what to eat before the race or what type of shoes to wear. I wore inch and a half spikes with no heel for the races. I didn’t know any better. I got shin splints in both legs and didn’t know what they were. I had to walk so slow I’d always be late for class and have to tell the teacher “my legs hurt”. But once I got to practice I’d be ready to go. The coach had me doing 20 quarters (five miles), sprinting the straight-aways by myself. Then at the end of the season at the varsity letter awards ceremony the coach got up and talked about one runner for five minutes. I was wondering who he was talking about, and then at the end he said “and that’s Oscar Moore”. Everyone at the assembly was looking around saying “Who’s that?”

My cousin (1968 Olympian) Larry James and Craig Masbach also graduated from White Plains High. Larry was younger than me, he used to come to my house when he was little and look at my trophies and say “I’m going to be a runner some day.” He went to Villanova to run intermediate hurdles and then switched over to the 400 and of course made the Olympics in 1968. Larry was 10 years younger than me, and we were sad that he passed away in 2008. No one from his family ran, and no one from my family ran, but we both made the Olympic team.”

Marines

“My senior year of high school I joined the Marine Corps reserves. When I graduated I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, what school to go to. I didn’t have a scholarship but I was interested in the military because my father was in the Merchant Marines. Everyone said I was too small for the Marines, that I would never make it. I took that as a challenge and joined the marines. I didn’t have time to run in basic training, but when we would do the obstacle course I would always win. The drill instructor would say “Moore, you better not pass me!” as I ran by. Then when we would do judo he would say “Moore, run at me like you are going to stab me.” Like a dummy I would, and he would send me flying. I was little and he felt good throwing me all around. The next day we’d be on that obstacle course and I’d kill him again. You had to run, crawl under barbed wire and jump over a big wall, when I’d get done I’d help some of the older guys finish the course. Once I finished boot camp and was stationed on the west coast I started jogging again. I was stationed in Japan for 15 months and won an all armed forces mile race. I was the only Marine to win so they gave me a three day pass. Then the Navy said “Marine, why don’t you run on our relay, we need a miler.” We got second, and I just kept training.”

New York Pioneers

“I came back to the states and moved back to New York City and I ran against Vic Zwolak (1963 NCAA Steeplechase champion) and Alex Breckenridge (both from Villanova) and did well.

I joined the Pioneers and trained with them for six months before one of the Pioneers asked me what race I’d like to do. I told them I’d like to be a miler. They said, “OK. Well there’s a race this weekend—a ten miler.” I ran it and won it. I hadn’t run ten miles before; I was averaging about 20 miles a week. The good guys in the club like Olympians Ted Corbitt and Gordon McKenzie weren’t there; they were in Pennsylvania running the Berwick (PA) race. After I won the Pioneers coach asked me “how come you weren’t with the other top runners at Berwick?” I didn’t know them, hadn’t even met them yet; I had been training with the sprinters in the Armory running speed work and half miles. Then I met Ted Corbitt and the other top Pioneer runners two races later. Gordon McKenzie would beat me in the six mile races, I would come in second and Ted would win the half marathons. Ted talked me into running my first marathon. In December of 1964 he said I’ll run with you to step you through it. During the race he told me to get up with the leaders, that he and the other Pioneers were only doing a 20k workout. I passed the leaders and won easily in a light snowfall.

Sometimes Ted would run around the Island of Manhattan-- thirty five miles. I went with him one time. It was a beautiful run starting at Yankee Stadium-- where a lot of road races would start because you could use the showers, passing the Polo Grounds, the Statue of Liberty. I made it about 25 miles, near the United Nations and I ran out of gas. I had to call my sister for a ride; I didn’t want to get a cab because I was in my running shorts. We would also run up the steps of the Empire State Building once a month, now they have a race there. I remember passing Muhammad Ali training, running the other way at the reservoir in Central Park for a while very morning. He had a big entourage and you couldn’t get close to him, but he would wave and say “Hey brother!” I would wave and say “Hey brother!” back.

“When I was training for the Olympics, I was working for a Jewelry company in mid Manhattan and I had a pretty important position. I was working almost ten or more hours a day--mostly standing on my feet all day. I would train sometimes at 10 or 11 at night, and 5am in the morning. (Playboy Magazine had written an article on me and mentioned the fact that I lost my job in trying to train for the Olympics). Arnold Bakers heard what happened and told me not to worry-- that when I returned home from the Olympics, that they had a job waiting for me. I saved the magazine”

1964 Olympics

In 1963 Moore also competed for the U.S. track team vs. Russia and the U.S. vs. British Commonwealth Games. He ran at the 1964 National AAU Championships and finished third in the 10,000 meters and sixth in the 5,000 meters.

“I qualified for the Olympic team 5000 at Rutgers (NJ). I had met the qualifying time in both the 5,000 and 10,000. In the 10,000 qualifying race, I was in the lead at 5000 meters and heard the time of 13:40, near my best time for an open 5000. For some reason when I heard the time, I mentally decided to drop out of the race. My coach asked me to try to qualify for the 5000 next. In the 5000, I needed to cut about 15 seconds off to make the team and I did. Ted Corbitt scolded me for not trying to also qualify in the marathon. I didn’t know anything about the qualifying race, when or where it was. I didn’t expect to qualify in the 10k and had only brought an overnight bag. They told me to go home and pack some clothes to come back to train with the Olympic team in the Coliseum in Los Angeles. We were there a whole month training with no meets. We did get to meet the Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis) though. We spent a week in LA, they gave us shots, dental work, (they thought cavities would affect your muscles), and an EKG. I found out I had a heart murmur and a pulse of 38. Then we went overseas for three weeks more of training. The Olympic coach didn’t correspond with me and with all that time on my hands and I over-trained. (Oscar finished 8th in 14:24 in the 1964 Olympic 5000 meters in Tokyo).

Southern Illinois University

After the Marines, Oscar accepted a track scholarship to Southern Illinois University. “The track coach at SIU, Lew Hartzog had a big Texas drawl, and he came to my neighborhood in Harlem to recruit me. I had beaten some collegiate mile champions in a New York road race in Yonkers to get his interest.”

“At SIU I raced Jim Ryun in a dual meet. He beat me by two seconds in the mile. I had a quick recovery so I was ready to go quickly after the race and was able to beat him in the 3 mile. You’re more relaxed in that second race when you double.” Note: Oscar Moore still holds the Southern Illinois school record in the indoor 3,000 meters (7:59.98) and 5,000 meters (13:51.20) and the outdoor 5,000 meters (13:51.20). He is fifth all-time in the 10,000 meters (29:27.77). During his career, he set new Drake, Kansas, Texas and Florida Relay marks and earned All-America honors six times. He ran the two, three and six mile events, in addition to the 5,000 meters. He won NCAA titles in 1967 and ran the third fastest three mile ever indoors, an astonishing feat considering SIU’s lack of an indoor training facility.

“Before the 1968 Olympic trials I was in great shape and ran the Sugar Bowl Meet in New Orleans. I had won the 3 mile there the year before. I hurt my Achilles tendon before the race, led for the first mile and then my Achilles tendon swelled up to the size of my calf right after the race. The coach told me to get a shot of cortisone for it-- that was my biggest mistake. I kept training and got another shot of cortisone hoping the running would reduce the swelling. Finally I had to get it operated on and they had to cut through the scar tissue (from running on it). My one tendon was shorter and they told me I wouldn’t run again. I had special shoes with the backs cut out and I started to run again. I had to start from scratch-- one mile and slowly building up, stopping when it hurt. I had one more year of eligibility and I won my first race (a 6 mile) and I showed the clipping to the doctor who said I’d never be able to run again.” Because of his Achilles, Oscar did not attempt to qualify for the 1968 Olympics. His cousin Larry James of course earned a silver medal in the 400 and a gold medal on the record setting 4 x 400 relay team in the 1968 games.
Oscar: “I remember training at altitude in the Olympic altitude training camp in Colorado with Gerry Lindgren; we were the only two to double in the national championships. I loved running through the desert at altitude, watching the jack rabbits. We would put socks over our shoes and run up mile and a half sand dunes created by the glaciers below the mountains. It was great time having nothing to do but train and I got my mileage up to 80-90 per week. When I would run on the campus of Southern Illinois University people would ask me where the race was. After warming up with the first mile of the run I would run hard. The hard pace worked my heart and enabled me to recover quickly.”
Gerry Lindgren remembers: “In 1968 at the altitude training camp up at Echo Summit, they were doing testing on the athletes. I went in with Oscar and they took our pulse rate at the same time. His resting heart rate was like 36 beats a minute. I teased him, "Oscar, I bet your mom has to come in to your room in the middle of the night to wake you up because it is time for your heartbeat!"”

“Coach” Moore

“I met Bill Fritz when he was a graduate student and assistant coach at Southern Illinois, and I was a fifth year student going for my masters. I didn’t go home over the summer; I stayed at Southern Illinois and trained. We became friends and I baby sat for him and he’d have me over his house for dinner. Fritz was also a good runner. He got an offer to come to Glassboro as a professor and cross country coach. Glassboro didn’t have a track program. I had just finished running ten miles when I saw Fritz had come back to Southern in his little Volkswagen. He hollered out the window “Oscar do you have a job yet?” I was waiting for Winter Haven Florida College to get back to me, and I was also waiting for Saginaw, Michigan to get back to me. I was trained to be a city recreation administrator for a city and I was hoping to do that in Saginaw, but I hadn’t heard from them yet. Fritz said “Glassboro is looking for a track coach to start a track program”. I sent out a resume that night and got a call for an interview for a job as teacher and director of recreation within the health and Phys Ed department. After the interview, before I got back to Southern Illinois, I got a call that I had gotten the job so I turned around to come back. When I got to New Jersey they told me I had an 11:00 clock class the next day. I got lost on the way to Glassboro and spent the night in a flimsy hotel in Williamstown NJ before making it to Glassboro to teach the class the next day.

Fritz had long beautiful hair and I had a little afro. The president of the college put his arms around us and said “So when are you two guys going to get a haircut?” We never did.

So we started coaching together in 1971 when I assisted him with cross country. The Glassboro/Rowan track team started racing in 1972.”

Under Oscar Moore the Glassboro/ Rowan teams competed at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships for 20 straight years, and captured five straight national titles from 1980-84. The men’s team also took second place in 1978 and 1979. The 1982 NCAA championship team still holds the record for most points (119) scored at the NCAA Championship. The five national outdoor crowns is the third most in Division III history.

His teams won the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Championship 19 straight years. Moore produced over 130 All-Americans and 24 NCAA individual champions. In addition, he had one NCAA Division I champion in the javelin and a total of five athletes that qualified for the NCAA Division I Championships. He was named the NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year five times (1980-84). Oscar Moore retired from coaching in 1993. Oscar Moore was been selected to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Hall of Fame in 2009. Oscar continued to race well a as a master into his 50’s winning a number of national masters championships and setting records from the mile to the half marathon (Philadelphia Distance Run). In his fifties he retired from competition after losing his desire to train hard and race. He was involved in a car accident in 2002 returning from a class that had been cancelled because of snow. As a result of the accident and developing cataracts he has lost all of the vision in one eye and has only limited vision in another. He is an ordained minister, is still an adjunct professor at Rowan and still does a bit of running when traffic is light, on the roads close to his home or on the track.

On Oscar

Tom Osler Rowan Professor, running author and AAU Champion: “Oscar is a beautiful man with a big heart. I would also agree with Browning that he is the smoothest runner I’ve ever seen.
Ted Corbitt always referred to him as “the great Oscar Moore”. When training with him I would pick up the pace to below six mile pace and I would look over at Oscar and he would look totally relaxed and he would easily respond, and wouldn’t even break a sweat at the faster pace.

In the 70’s one of the Professors at Rowan was arrested for inappropriate conduct. It was a scandal, and we all talked about how awful it was that this guy who we had known so long had done this. Oscar was the only one that visited the man in jail and gave him some comfort. None of us even thought to do that. He is a wonderful man. Quite often when someone is very accomplished at one thing, you often find they are equally as successful at something else—Oscar was a great runner and a great coach. ”

Gary Corbitt (son of long distance running pioneer and Hall of Famer Ted Corbitt): “I had the opportunity to see Oscar Moore run quite often in the 1960’s before he entered SIU. Actually during these years there was few races track, cross-country, or road races that I missed. Two races I did miss that I always wished I had seen were races Oscar ran. The first was a Met AAU 20K championship on the MacCombs course at Yankee Stadium. Pete McArdle rarely lost a race but on this date Oscar beat Pete. I remember my father describing the battle and I still remember wishing I had been there. The second race was the 1969 NCAA Cross Country Championship at Van Cortlandt Park. I was in my first semester of college and missed this Gerry Lindgren and Steve Prefontaine match-up at Van Cortlandt. I was recently reviewing the results of this race and noted that Oscar place in the top 15 or top 20.

I remember his running form to be smooth, beautiful, and fluid. He was a special athlete to watch in action. I followed his career at SIU and his range was phenomenal as he was competitive from one mile and up. (As one of the first African American US Olympic Distance Runners) Certainly Oscar made history in 1964. I believe there was at least one black distance runner who competed in an Olympiad in the 20’s at the 5k or 10k or perhaps at cross country. The club Oscar ran for New York Pioneer Club should be noted. An integrated club started by Joe Yancey in 1936. The Pioneers predated Jackie Robinson’s integration of baseball by 10 years. Here’s a portion from a Dec 5, 1971 letter from my father to Oscar where he tried to encourage him to try for a spot on the 1972 Olympic marathon team:

“I note your One Hour run with interest. This is the sort of thing you want to include in your training and you will want to get to the point where you can run 5 minute miles for 10 miles with no undue strain. In fact, a workout which has been suggested before should be good for you. One day every so often you run 10 miles on the track in the morning in 50 minutes. Later that afternoon you run another one on the track in 50 minutes. I suggest you try this one day this month. However, this is a tough one and you might try a build up to reach the double 50 minutes (or better) series and right now try to run 5:10 a mile which would mean a 51:40 effort. The next time aim for 5:05 and then 5:00 per mile on the third attempt.

“I was thankful to have Oscar at my father’s service to read scripture and recall some stories.”

Sid Holzer, one of Oscar’s runners at Rowan in the 1970’s: “Oscar was a great coach and is a great person. He knew how to bring out the best in us as runners and students. He would always be there to give us advice on any problems we had. He also treated all the runners the same, from the best to the worst.”

Bill Fritz, coached with Oscar Moore for 23 years: “The first time I was acutely aware of Oscar was in the early 1960’s when he and Tracy Smith had an epic battle in the 3 mile that was on TV…I was in South Dakota at the time and coaching in high school. Then in the mid-1960’s South Dakota State University [where I was an assistant coach] had an indoor meet in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Every person in that meet was ‘billeted’ out to a Canadian family…I happened to land in Tommy Comfort’s home. He was a very rich, Scottish, publishing tycoon who loved track. His family had a huge estate and they had kept Oscar the year before. Now it was the height of a harsh Canadian winter & they were highly entertained as Oscar had shown up with a light sports coat & slacks. Being from Southern Illinois University he was NOT prepped for -30-40 degree temps with high winds blowing the snow all over. I was coming from South Dakota and I wasn’t ready for the extreme, harsh weather. Another thing the Comfort’s got a kick out of was Tommy’s thick Scottish brogue---Oscar could hardly understand Tommy [and neither could I the next year].

Then the next academic year I received a Track Graduate assistantship to SIU and Oscar was one of the world famous stars of the team-- that’s when I met Oscar for the first time face to face. He was humble, helpful and a magnificent athlete. The USOC took Oscar and others to Adams State College, CO two summers for high altitude training with a world renowned exercise physiologist [Jack Daniels]. This was in Alamosa, CO which is in a high flat valley [ 8000+ feet] with the Rockies[12,000-14,000 feet] all around them. The purpose was to prepare the distance runners for the Mexico City Olympics. Oscar adapted wonderfully and upon his return to SIU he was slaying everybody at various distances. Then tragedy struck—he stepped in a prairie dog hole on the SIU golf course while training and ruptured his Achilles tendon. Healing took a long time and then they had to operate a second time as the 1st surgery was not successful…..this caused him to miss to 1968 Olympics and a chance to run successfully with the Kenyans…..he did later comeback and made NCAA All American again.

Then we coached together from 1971 to 1993 at Glassboro State--we had so many exciting times in cross country, indoor outdoor that it is hard to pick out any one. We both remember Jack Heath, Mike Redfield, Sid Holzer and the effort those guys put forth! Oscar was just so laid back and calm during all the turmoil, chaos and excitement--he even let the guys make out the meet line- up card.a couple of the Division 1 coaches were aghast at this coaching maneuver. But it always worked to perfection. The trip we took to Orlando in Dec. 2009 when Oscar got inducted into the National Track Hall of Fame----was great. At the induction ceremony Oscar started talking and he had those 1000-1500 people entertained in a way that they were unaware of……the “O” was in his element and doing his usual great job.”

Jack Daniels, world renowned coach and exercise physiologist who ran the elite USOC distance camp in Colorado : “What I remember most about Oscar Moore is how smooth a runner he was; he typically made others in any race he was in look like they were not particularly enjoying themselves, while Oscar always looked like he was having a fun time. A most memorable incident was one time on the Sand Dunes National Monument outside Alamosa, Colorado. A group of elite runners (including a few other Olympians) were subjects of mine in an altitude study and we often raced to the top of the sand dunes. This particular day we decided to have a longer race, one that started a mile up the road from the sand dunes. We ran that mile to the dunes, then up to the top and back down, back up the road to where we parked our cars and then 3 miles up to the top of Mosca Pass (about 11,000 feet of altitude). The base of the sand dunes is about 8000 feet so we were running between 8000 and 11,000 the whole time during that approximately 8-mile "race." I don't remember the specific time, but Oscar won with ease. I think it was about 1 hour 10 minutes or something like that. I know I beat one of the guys and my time was over 1 hour 20 minutes. Up and back down on the dunes was usually about 30 minutes if going really fast, so this means a time of 70 minutes left 40 minutes for the 2 miles on the road plus the 3-mile run from 8000 up to 11,000 feet (about 8:00 mile average).

Oscar was always a quiet guy who let his running speak for itself. I never got to visit with Oscar during his coaching days, but he must have been a great coach to run for. I had the impression that he would be a pretty low-key coach; someone his athletes would love to run for. He was a quiet man and I think all the runners I knew, who knew Oscar, thought highly of him. “

Ringo Adamson ran for Oscar in the 1980’s, he was a 2 time Olympian (Steeplechase), winner of the Philadelphia marathon and is presently the head women’s coach track and Cross Country Coach at Rowan and race director continuing the Browning Ross series of races: “Running for Coach Moore transformed my life. I learned from his integrity and his hard work. My freshman year I ran 9:28 and missed qualifying for the NCAA Steeplechase by less than a second. I asked him how I was going to go (provisional qualifying, rounding etc) He said “you’re not, you didn’t make it.”

I couldn’t believe it. I thought about quitting but decided to train even harder. I didn’t go home, I stayed at Glassboro during the breaks and ran every morning with Coach Moore. The next season, I was NCAA Division III steeplechase champion (Ringo then went on to be a world cross country runner and two- time Olympian). Oscar quietly fed and clothed kids in the program when they needed it. He would give you his last dollar. He taught me you have to earn everything you get-- nothing is given to you without hard work.”

Memories

Oscar Moore on Browning Ross: “I had heard a lot about Browning Ross and about his Long Distance Log magazine from Ted Corbitt. I went to meet him at his store (Sports East) and he told me about his series of races. I ran his race in the woods, in Medford NJ-- I think at “Camp Chippewa” (Ed: Camp Ockanickon). I had a big lead but got lost! Nothing was marked. At the end of the race Browning was smiling and gave out gym bags and a lot of different prizes from the trunk of his car. He was a good guy.”

On Tom Osler:” I used to do my long easy distance training with Tom Osler in the summer. We’d run in the woods and Tom had a ponytail and it would bob around when we would run, shooing the flies away from him, I’d have to swat them away from me. We’d run over a railroad trestle bridge over a stream and one time Tom said “What would you do if a train came up behind? There’s no room on either side”. I said “No problem, I just have to out run you!”

On Coaching: “I miss everything about coaching but the traveling. Fritz and I would drive to a meet far away and the guys would want to come back right after the race so then we’d have to drive right home. Before iPods and headphones everyone took their boom boxes on the bus to the meets. One time on the way back from a meet we had so many different types of music blasting and people arguing for the others to turn theirs off, I pulled the bus to the side of the road and said “turn them all off or hitchhike back!” the rest of the trip was quiet! I really enjoyed coaching.”

On his goals for the future: “My dream is to provide recreational opportunities at Rowan for the people in Glassboro and surrounding South Jersey— from children to the senior citizens. For example, we could transport them to use Rowans swimming pools early in the morning in the summer, before the college kids are up. “Giving someone the opportunity to swim for half an hour in the summer, it doesn’t take much and it goes a long way to providing fun and helping their fitness.”

To watch Oscar Moore running in the 1964 AAU championships: http://home.comcast.net/~coachheath/MultiMedia.html

To read Oscar Moores winning race articles from the 1960's: http://home.comcast.net/~coachheath

To read about running against Oscar Moore as a Masters runner: http://growingbolder.com/blogs/sports/other/levels-in-sports-260188.html

Larry James-- The Mighty Burner Still Burns Bright

2011-02-01T20:46:00.000-08:00

"And where does the power come from to see the race to it's end? It comes from within." Eric LiddellNote: Sadly our friend G Larry James passed away on November 6, 2008 from his battle with cancer. He will be greatly missed.

When F. Scott Fitzgerald said: "There are no second acts in American lives" he obviously had never met anyone like Larry James. Larry James has had a second and third act at least as good as his first-- Olympic gold medal winner and world record holder.
Of course Larry is best known as a member of the 1968 United States Olympic 4x400 relay team which held the oldest American running record in track and field 2:56.16, and for winning the Olympic silver medal in the 400 that year. Many long time track and field fans recall Larry's winning 400 leg for Villanova in the 1968 Penn Relays-- named one of the 10 greatest moments in Penn Relays history-- where the "Mighty Burner" ran a 43 second leg beating a Baylor runner who ran "only" a 45 second leg. Long time Villanova coach Jack Pyrah called it the greatest race he had ever seen.

James settled in Smithville, New Jersey with his wife Cynthia to raise a family and to start an even greater second act. He served in the US Marine Corps reserves as a Major. He coached the Stockton College (NJ) track and cross country teams and then became Stocktons Athletic Director. During this time James coached thousands of runners through his camps with Browning Ross and later his Mighty Burner Speed Camps (until the mid 90's). I met Larry at one of these camps and consider him the greatest motivator I have ever met. My favorite Larry James saying? "You can only give 100%. That is the max. You can't give any more than that. Anyone who says they just gave 110% probably is used to only giving 75 or 80 % most of the time. "
James has been instrumental in putting Stockton College on the map. He set up training camps at Stockton for the Women's US Olympic basketball team in 1992, and for Saudi Arabia's World Cup Soccer (1994) and Olympic Soccer Teams (1996).
During this time James was inducted in the Villanova Hall of Fame and Sports Wall of Fame, the White Plains High School Hall of Fame, the Penn Relays Wall of Fame and the National Track and Field Hall of Fame. James philosophy seemed to be "The most valuable gift you can give is your time." Somehow he always continued to inspire and find time for those he had met along the way.
James has set the bar even higher for his third act-- his motto: "Once an Olympian always an Olympian, Never former, never past." He was selected to serve as the chair of the USA track and Field Budget and Finance Committee, and has continued to mentor world class athletes as manager for the 1997 World Championship Team in Athens, the 2003 World Championships in France, and the 2004 Olympic Training Camp. He is Dean of Athletics and Recreational Services at Stockton and spearheaded the successful effort to to build a $17 million, 70,000 square foot recreation center which was completed in 2000. The center, contains NCAA state of the art facilities as well as recreational and fitness centers for the use of Stockton students.

As a runner in the late 1960's, Larry James did things other runners didn't think possible.
Stockton decided to return the favor by bringing together many of Larry's friends, co-workers, family and teammates in 2007 with a special event "G. Larry James: Four Decades of Excellence" tribute at the Stockton Sports Center. Those in the over 1000 in attendance included his world record setting teammates from the 1968 Olympic 4 X 400 team: Vince Matthews, Ron Freeman and Lee Evans. At the tribute the Stockton track and soccer facility was renamed the "G Larry James Stadium" and a legacy fund was created in Larry's name to benefit deserving students.

Former Villanova teammate Dave Patrick recalled Villanova's famous 1968 Penn Relays victorious mile relay:

"28,000 fans (with most rooting for the hometown Wildcats) were just waiting for
this event. Rice's Dale Bernauer had a 15-yard lead going into the anchor leg, but you could see by the look on his face that nothing would stop Larry. The roar of the crowd was unbelievable--deafening". James not only caught Bernauer, he never let up and went on to win by about 10 yards.
Sitting in the stands, Patrick and other Wildcats checked their watches to see what James's split was.
They all had the same thought--"I must have messed up--no one can run that fast". "And then", continued Patrick, "we hear Jack O'Reilly (the late "Voice of the Relays") say, `Larry James just ran 43...
and you couldn't hear the rest, the roar was so loud". James had run an incredible 43.9 anchor (for yards!), the fastest relay split in history at the time. James was encouraged by his teammates to take a victory lap in front of the thousands of fans who were still buzzing about James' incredible performance.
Patrick concluded his time at the microphone by telling James that Erv Hall, one of his 1968 teammates (and the Olympic silver medalist in the 110-hurdles) had a gift for him. James had to be convinced it wasn't a practical joke, but then opened the box to find a Villanova warm-up shirt, emblazoned with his worthy nickname, "The Mighty Burner", and his Penn split--43.9y. At that point, all of his Villanova teammates stood up, each holding their own copy of the shirt. -- Used by Permission and Courtesy of Walt Murphy.

Of course Larry continues to inspire others despite his battle with cancer. His philosophy is simple and direct: "Dream Big - Plan It - Do It" Larry continues to inspire. He spoke last month at the Gilda's Club South Jersey "Teen's Touched by Cancer Conference" at Stockton. Larry has always gone wherever he is needed the most. He also provides virtual inspiration through his beloved "The Inspiration Guy" web page. Here is a sample of one of Larry's positive posts from The Inspiration Guy:
"The Law of the Garbage Truck"

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport.We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches!
The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean he was really friendly. So I asked, “Why did you just do that?
This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!” This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, “The Law of the Garbage Truck.” He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment.
As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they’ll dump it on you.
Don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don’t take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.
The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life’s too short to wake up in the morning with regrets,so….. “Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don’t.” Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!
Larry James has made the world a better place through his actions and caring. He has used his God-Given talent and world class heart and hard work to do the simple things that no one else had ever been able to do as well-- whether it was running one lap on the track faster than anyone else has ever done or to be the difference maker in so many lives. As F. Scott Fitzgerald once said: "Action is character." Or as former Stockton Dr. Vera King-Ferris, said, “The ‘G’ in G. Larry James stands for George, but I like to think it stands for GREAT.”
Amen.
A Larry James Stockton Legacy Fund 5k run and walk has been established in 2008-- the race was held at Stockton and proceeds will benefit the G. Larry James Legacy Fund.

To see the G Larry James Website: http://jamesgl.com/AboutLarry.aspx
For information on Gilda's Club South Jersey: http://www.gildasclubsouthjersey.org/aboutus.htmor contact: sarah@gildasclubsouthjersey.org
For information on the G. Larry James Legacy site and to make a contribution: http://intraweb.stockton.edu/eyos/page.cfm?siteID=145&pageID=1
Written by Jack Heath

Remembering Browning Ross

2011-01-30T10:25:00.000-08:00

Browning Ross is known as the "father of long distance running" in America. He started the Road Runners Club of America in 1957, he also founded the first national long distance running magazine the "Long Distance Log" (below, right). He coached hundreds of runners in high school(Gloucester Catholic and Woodrow Wilson High Schools) and college (Rutgers)and influenced thousands of other runners. He was a long time track official, and of course put on thousands of road races and track meets in his career. But more importantly, to those who knew and loved him best he was just "dad" or Browning or Coach Ross. His passing in 1998 left a void in the lives of those who knew him that can never be filled. Some of those who knew him best took time to reflect on the man they knew and miss:

Harry Berkowitz-
"I met Browning in 1956, while he was teaching history at Woodrow Wilson HS in Camden. He coached me in track and cross country until I graduated in 1958. Browning always treated me as a friend. I was at his house several times during those years. Browning, Kenny Lovell, a high school teammate, Tom Osler, and myself traveled to races together. In February 1958, Browning took Tom and myself to NYC for the first national, organization meeting for the RRC.
Many times, I would be running a race and Browning would drive up and ask me if I needed any coaching. Then he would laugh and drive off. He would show up at the 6 Day Races at the Cooper River and ask the same question."

Bonnie Ross (one of Browning’s three children [son Barry and daughter Barbara])
Mom and Dad loved the beach and we got to spend summers in Cape May when we were young. Dad worked for the Railroad and would ride the train back and forth from Philly to Cape May. I believe that Dad’s favorite runs were on the beach. He would say “OK, I’m going to run to Sea Isle,” (from Cape May) and then he would dive in the ocean when he got back.
(Browning put on a five-mile race in Avalon, NJ for over 25 years. In the eighties Browning was setting up the race finish line on the beach when the Avalon police stopped and asked him for a permit and fees. They briefly took him (and me) to the Avalon police station stressing that future races would need a permit. We made it back in time for the race but Browning decided that would be the last year for the race. I have fond memories of running the course with him and jumping in the ocean before the race each year.)--Jack Heath

Bob Romansky- "Years ago, Browning worked in the Carneys Point YMCA as the physical education director. One of the day trips that he took was to Don Bragg's Green Acres camp near Batsto. The bus driver was Max Weeks. Browning And Max took the kids to
Don's camp by a long, circuitous route involving a lot of extra mileage, or so Browning thought.... Upon completion of competition between the YMCA kids and Don's campers, Browning came up with a new plan: "Max, I know a way through the woods on the sand roads that will save us a lot of time going back home. I can take you one these back roads and we'll end up within sight of the Batso Historical area." "sounds good"replies Max.
So off they went, driving the big bus with thirty kids along the narrow, winding sand roads, the bus banging against the low hanging branches of the trees lining the road.
Finally, just as Browning had said, they came within sight of Batsto. However, there was one minor problem...... ........there was a chain link fence stretched across the road!!!!! Browning never missed a beat. "O.k., Max, I've got us this far, you can take over now!" It's a true story".

Tom Osler- Running author and friend of Browning for over 50 years. "I started running in 1954, and I met Browning at the National AAU 30 K Championship on the Atlantic City board walk. I later found a picture of myself at the finish line watching as Browning won the race. Browning will be my hero, coach and mentor for my entire life. No other man except my own father had so much influence on so many aspects of my life. When he nominated me for the Gloucester County Hall of Fame it was his last gift to me after a lifetime of giving. Browning's memory lives on in those who were fortunate enough to know him personally. He was the first runner I ever met, and no other runner has influenced me more. He was a mentor and a friend whom I miss dearly. Part of him became part of me, and I am the better for it." Tom got to see Browning still running at a high level in the fifties--“There was a three-mile course in Farnham Park in Camden that was used frequently. Browning came to the Park one day to do a workout. He ran one three-mile loop of the course under the course record by himself as a workout. He then proceeded to do a second loop also under the course record. It was amazing to witness this.

Jane Hoopes-Met Browning in the 70's through running in his races and was inspired to start her own Running Store and Race Timing Company (Athletes Korner Sports Timing Systems) because of his inspiration:"One piece of instruction I remember Browning telling me was not to take too long to run because he wanted to get home in time for dinner! It was Browning who encouraged Gene (husband) and I to get involved in race timing-- and he would recommend our company - Athlete's Korner Sports Timing Systems - to race directors looking for clocks and equipment. He would often help out himself, volunteering at races by helping pulling tags or doing results. Our Thanksgiving turkey trot was inspired by Browning. We, in turn, helped Browning out with his summer running camps in Medford for several years. Many athletes who attended his camps are still fine runners today. One thing that really impressed us was that no matter how many months went by between the time we saw each other, Browning was always happy to see us. No matter what the circumstance, we could always catch up on family, friends, life, etc. I remember a runner questioning him about a course he said was TAC certified. "TAC means Trust A Coach" he said with a laugh. He mentioned to the runner that the runners in front of you would have still been in front of you whether the course was certified or not. Browning possessed the gift of unconditional love."

Chet Dirkes- Track Official. "I loved officiating with Browning, he was unflappable and always in a good mood. One time we were timing a freshman championship mile race together and he told me "You get first and I'll get the other ten places. I've got a new watch that can get 100 splits." After the gun fired to start the last lap I heard him say "Oh shoot, my watch stopped!" Without hesitating he proceeded to line up each kid as he finished and give him a time. The times must have been really close to what they ran because no one complained! Cool under pressure!"

Mark Kordich Accu-run Timing Systems finish line expert, and longtime friend.
" I remember meeting at Sports East in Woodbury (NJ) every friday night to talk with Browning and a small group-- Jack and some others. We would drink a coke or a coffee and talk about anything that came to mind. I really looked forward to it every week. If I could relive any moments of my life it would be those Friday nights and the conversation at Sports East with Browning."

Jim Plant- One of Browning's best runners from Gloucester Catholic in the late 70's- "This might sound dramatic, but if I hadn't meet Mr Ross I don't know if I'd be alive today. I met him at the right time in my life and he gave me focus and encouraged my running. Running has led to a lot of great things in my life including college, where I am living (Boca Raton Florida), my job and my music career."

Jack Heath (ran for Browning in the ’70s and later coached with him)
When you ran for Browning it was always a 100% positive experience--You ran for the right reasons--positive reasons. He never yelled at us. I think to do your best in anything it has to be done for positive reasons. As Harry Berkowitz said, he treated you like a friend from the first time he met you--it’s a great thing for a 14-year-old new to the sport to have a mentor and friend like Browning. He made you laugh every time you saw him and had good advice for you every time you asked.
In college, I remember running a 5000 on the track (for Rowan University) in a Conference Meet and Browning was the official. He cheered and offered me encouragement every time I ran by: “C’mon Jack pull away from these guys on the straightaway! Atta Boy!” I’ll never forget the looks of surprise on the faces of the other runners that the official was pulling for another runner in the race. We knew he was an Olympian and a running pioneer, but what meant the most to us was his friendship and his great sense of humor--he taught us how not to take ourselves too seriously. As a coach, many of his training methods were way ahead of their time. He had discovered them through his own running. Most importantly he showed us that running was fun and a great lifetime sport by his example.
During one Friday night July “meeting” at Sports East, Browning sorts through his mail, mostly catalogs. “Huh! Here’s my Sports Illustrated; guess the mailman is done with it!” he said. Then he turned to ask me if I was running the Whitesbog Blueberry 10K cross-country race the next day, and if I could swing by and pick him up. Despite 90-degree temps, sand, and a six-foot stream that was forded in mid-race, Browning won his age group. I won mine and placed second overall. We both won a flat of Blueberries, an electric pencil sharpener, and some other prizes. When I pulled up to Browning’s house he said, “Jeez, do you want these blueberries? I didn’t tell anyone I was going to a race. I said I was going out to get a paper!” I said I would have a hard time eating the ones I had so Browning took all his prizes into the house.
While I was coaching cross-country with Browning, I noticed him staring intently at each runner passing by us during a major cross-country meet. I watched and encouraged the kids we were coaching and some of the other kids I knew but didn’t pay as much attention to the other runners in the race as Browning. After they had all passed by he remarked, “I thought I’d see a lot more Asics. It looked like a lot more Nike than last year…” He was surveying the percentage of different brands of shoes the kids were wearing to get an insight about what to stock in his store.”

Ed Dodd, Co-Author of the book Ultra Marathon with Tom Osler and a long-time friend of Browning:
The first time I met Browning was at the Cooper River 10 Miler in May of 1962. I was in my second year of high school and the race was my first road race. It consisted of two laps of the river with the Browning Rd. chute and three laps of the track in the beginning and one lap of the track at the end. I was by far the youngest person in the race. I ran around 67 minutes on that hot Sunday afternoon and finished back in the pack. Browning was first, second, or third. At the awards after the race, Browning’s prize was a large trophy. When he got to me, he told everyone that this was my first road race and then handed me his trophy as my award. You can just imagine what a 15-year-old felt like to be handed a huge trophy in his first race by an ex-Olympian.
I remember a race that consisted of five or six rectangular loops in front of Memorial Hall in [Philly’s] Fairmount Park. It was a cold winter day with the wind howling from the west. So, one long at least half-mile-straightaway was run against the wind. Each lap Browning would run right behind me. On the last lap he then proceeded to out-kick me to the finish. After the race, he smiled and said, “You didn’t mind me running behind you against the wind, did you?” And you know what, I didn’t.
Another time I was helping him officiate at a race in the woods someplace. The course was a classic, somewhat-convoluted Browning course. I think it was Herb Lorenz’s first local race. Browning was running in the race, so I was doing the finish line until he finished. The finish was in a dirt parking lot. I saw Herb coming out the woods on a trail in first place. Then several seconds later another runner approached the finish, but from the opposite direction. Then another came out of the woods from a third direction. When Browning came in, I asked how we could tell who finished where. He said to just use the times that they got to me at the line. “They probably all ran about the same distance, anyway,” he said. Several times before races he would ask me if I wanted any advice. When I said “yes,” he would say. “Go out hard. Pick it up in the middle. And sprint at the end.”
I knew Browning for over thirty years and I never saw him angry. I know my parents thought that this running thing couldn’t be so bad with a man such as Browning so deeply involved. Browning and my father, who was just about Browning’s age, were very similar: quiet, reserved, and always willing to go out of their way to offer someone help. I think of the two of them often, almost every day, and try the best I can to emulate them. I can’t think of two finer people. I miss them.

Neil Weygant, finisher of 42 consecutive Boston Marathons:
I first met Browning in the Margate 3-mile Beach Run in June 1964 and was immediately impressed with his obvious love of running, his humility, and his sense of humor. By the fall of 1965 I was a regular at Browning’s Middle Atlantic Road Runners Club races and developed many lifelong friendships from the races. He signed me up for his South Jersey Track Club and told me to tell everyone that I had been with them for several months! That club, composed of an eclectic group of young and older runners would go on to win National Championships and other big races. At the start of the race he would always say, “When the going gets tough, quit!” It was his way of relaxing everyone for the challenge ahead. We were very proud when he was chosen as the US team manager for the US International Meet in the 1960s. I still have the postcard he sent from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
It’s hard to believe but for some races Browning would send out the entry blanks, collect the post-entry fees, start the races, often run and win the race, help time the others, and give out the prizes! Truly amazing, especially in this era of mega-races. (Note: One of Browning’s Long Distance Log magazines from 1958 contains an article on the Road Runners Club he had founded as well as race results from the American record he had recently set in the one-hour run.)
I was honored to sit with Browning, wife Sis, and Jack and Jean Pyrah when they were honored at the 75th Anniversary Villanova Track Banquet in 1997. It was an honor to be there with two icons of our sport and their supportive spouses. Sis should be given a lot of credit for “being there” for Browning as he pursued his love of running. Also, his three children (Bonnie, Barry, and Barb) were there for him behind the scenes. I remember showing up early for the 1998 Glassboro 10 Miler. Browning had been honored the night before in Berwick for his 10 victories at the Run for the Diamonds. They had presented him with a scrapbook and we sat in his car and studied the articles. I also remember how many of his friends gathered at the National Distance Running Hall of Fame in Utica, New York to honor him in 2002. I and many others were fortunate to have had Browning as our coach, mentor, and role model. I know his influence will be with us throughout our lives. He is greatly missed, but his memory lives on to inspire us.

Ken Kling was the top runner in South Jersey in the early 1970s and would often run with Browning who was still an excellent runner in his fifties and sixties: "I remember running along in some woods near the Woodbury area and all of a sudden, Browning picks up the pace as we weave through a narrow path. All of a sudden he comes to a complete stop. He laughs and says, “Ken, you turn around here--this is a dead end!” So we turn around and have to get started again.
We’d be running along in the woods and I’d say to Browning, “I’ll be right there, I have to relieve myself.” He says, “Okay,” and as soon as I pull over to the side, without me knowing it, Browning sprints away as fast as he can. When I am done and see how far away he is I have to sprint all the way to catch up to him. Meanwhile as I catch up, he is giving me his famous laugh.
Browning liked to run next to you and tap you on the back of your opposite shoulder. As a reflex you turn in that direction, and Browning would laugh and say, “You’re very easy to fool!”
I remember running a race at Cooper River and it is a real windy day. We are running on the track side of the loop and at that time we ran in the street. During the real windy section, Browning is running right behind me. I notice that as I move to the right, he moves to the right, as I move to the left, he moves to the left. I finally decide to give him a real test and start zigzagging back and forth. He follows my every move. After the race he says, “Ken, you make quite a windbreaker!”

Larry James, Olympic Gold and Silver medal winner 1968, fellow Villanova Hall of Famer, and Stockton College AD who put on a running camp with Browning for years:
I put on a five-mile race at Stockton (Pomona, NJ) and asked Browning for some help as I had no idea what I was doing. He came down and helped me set everything up. About 10 minutes before the race was to start Browning asked me about the prizes. I mentioned that I had gift certificates to the Smithville Inn for age-group prizes. He said, “Then I’m going to run!” He proceeded to get changed to run the race and I started to panic. Sure enough he ran the race. At the finish, runners were coming in from five different directions and I was going crazy! Browning won his age group and the gift certificate. He always kept that “world-class runner guilt if he wasn’t training” thing even when he got older. He told me he had a three-mile course in his house he would run if the weather got bad. He could have been pulling my leg but I believed him!

Vince Phillips ran Browning’s races for decades and is also one of the deans of Burlington County (NJ) cross-country coaches. Vince gave some insight into how Browning designed one of his many courses:
I came down one Sunday with my younger son, Patrick, to run a “TAC certified” 5K in Fasola Park in Deptford, NJ. Pat and I were the first ones to arrive in the parking lot. Browning showed up about two minutes later. I started to get out of my car but Browning came running over and said, “Do you have one of those trip gauges that you can zero?” I said “yes,” Browning jumped in the back seat behind Pat and said, “Turn around here and zero it, then drive out the entrance.” I complied. As we exit the park, Browning tells me to turn right, continue straight, and let him know when the trip gauge gets to 1.5 miles. Again, I dutifully follow the Master’s directions. When we get to 1.5 miles, Browning sees a fire hydrant a few yards up the road and declares, “That’s the turnaround.” So much for TAC certified! I really miss him.

Don Bragg, Olympic gold-medalist pole-vaulter (1960) from Villanova:
Browning was the epitome of a long-distance runner. He kept to himself, and was very calming and easygoing and most of all dedicated to what he believed. That dedication brought him to the pinnacle of his career. My friendship with Browning led me to mentoring his son, Barry, whose life I continue to be a part of. Barry carries on his father’s legacy as pastor of a church in South Jersey. Barry’s mannerisms of kindness, giving, and caring were the traits of his father. It was definitely my pleasure to have known and been a friend to Browning.

Browning’s sense of humor is recalled by all of those he touched. A number of runners who ran for Browning in the 1970s recalled when one of his teams started to repeat a ribald pirate-like chant that had been passed on from upper classman during a track warm-up. “Hey! Knock it off!” said Browning. The team quickly fell silent, sorry for having embarrassed their beloved coach. “What do you think you’re doing? That’s not appropriate.” Again, silence. “Besides, I’ve heard better chants than that--like the Norfolk chant. (Norfolk, we don’t drink or smoke, Norfolk!) With that lesson learned, laughter, and the tension diffused. When one of his runners would mention he was going out to dinner that night Browning would ask where and what time so he “could press my nose outside against the window while you are eating.” Browning mentioned that he had struggled through French class while a senior at Woodbury High. He recalled his French teacher mentioning she had passed him with a clean conscience knowing that he would “never, ever have to speak French again.” Within a year Browning sent her a postcard from France where he was stationed during World War II. He loved to recall stories about his Coach Jumbo Elliott who was as curmudgeonly as Browning was pleasant. His favorite story involved one of Browning’s Villanova teammates telling the legendary Elliott he was a lousy coach.” He said, “Jumbo, I didn’t say you were the worst coach in the world, I just said I’ve seen better!” Browning would laugh at the recollection and it was a good lesson in humility for any coach who would take himself too seriously.

Barbara Ross, Browning’s daughter:
He didn’t talk much about his accomplishments at home. To us he was just a great dad. He always had time for us and all of our activities. He was very encouraging. I really miss his sage advice.

Many of the runners who ran for Browning recall his advice for injuries-- "rub peanut butter on it" and how the freshmen runners always had a faint whiff of peanut butter. Recalls one runner who ran for Browning: "We thought this was his way of discouraging runners from complaining about every little ache and pain and doing it with a sense of humor. I was surprised to read an article in the newspaper 20 years after high school about an Australian study that claimed peanut butter was a great tonic to facilitate recovery if spread on sore muscles. I couldnt believe my eyes. I read the article again and cut it out and gave it to him. Browning read the article, smiled and put it in his pocket: "See, I told you so!" he said.

To read more about Browning Ross and to see videos of him running and putting on his races: http://home.comcast.net/~coachheath/BrowningRoss.html

Excerpted from an article in August 2008 Runners Gazette: www.runnersgazette.com/features/rembrowning.htm

Jonas Cattell 10 mile Race coverage from the 1970's

2011-01-19T12:04:00.000-08:00

The Jonas Cattell 10 mile run from Haddonfield NJ to National Park NJ is held each October to commemorate Jonas Cattell's revolutionary war run of the same route (see previous post).
The point to point race is now South Jersey's oldest continuous race, and has featured a who's who of the best runners from Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia over the years.

Attached are newspaper reports on some of the races from the 1970's. (Click on to read). We are still looking for coverage of the first Jonas Cattell race in 1969 to post.

Gloucester Catholic 2010 Cross Country Pictures

2010-10-27T18:52:00.000-07:00

Maroon Goes Green GCHS Cross Country Team at Phillies Game

2010-10-04T15:04:00.000-07:00

Villanova Women Celebrate 2009 National Cross Country Championship

2010-06-15T07:39:00.000-07:00

Villanova University honored its 2009 NCAA National Championship Womens Cross Country Team March 29, 2010 at the Villanova Conference Center. Athletic Director Vince Nicastro remarked on the outstanding efforts of the athletes and coaches to earn the National Championship-- the teams first since 1998. Nicastro also mentioned that many of the runners from that team and other Villanova teams, supporters and family members were in attendance. The President of Villanova, the Rev Peter Donohue O.S.A., has been a big supporture of the Villanova Track and Field and Cross Country program (The program is directed by Irish Olympian and Mile Great Coach Marcus O'Sullivan).

Rev Peter Donohue (pictured at left) addressed the team and those in attendance and thanked all those who made the victory possible. He also noted that the Women's Cross Country team are the definition of true student athletes and were named the Division I Cross Country Scholar Team of the year (with a cumulative team GPA of 3.38). He also noted the team was honored with a Congressional Resolution for their victory.

Marcus O'Sullivan remarked on the great job the team and Women's Coach Gina Procaccio(pictured at right) had done all season to build the program and to bring back the National Championship. Marcus also mentioned how much fun he, the tmens and womens teams and the Villanova staff had every day, along with doing the hard work necessary to become a champion.

After a video presentation of the season, Women's Head Coach Gina Procaccio gave moving remarks about the obstacles the team faced during the season, the contribution of every runner on the team, the great support they received at Villanova from Rev Peter Donohue, Marcus O'Sullivan, her assistant coaches including Meghan Courtney and the other staff member, trainers etc at Villanova to keep everyone healthy. Coach Procaccio also mentioned that the team was never ranked #1 all season (Washington) going into the meet despite consistently outstanding team performances in winning the Big East Championship, NCAA Regional Championships and of course the NCAA National Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana.

In the NCAA Chamiphship victory junior Amanda Marino finished 6th, junior Sheila Reid finished 13th, Soph Bogdana Mimic finished 22nd, Junior Ali Smith finished 24th, senior Nicloe Schappert finished 26th-- (all were NCAA Cross Country All-Americans). Frosh Brooke Simpson finished 60th, and Senior Kaitlin Tallman finished 98th in the enormous field.
Coach Procaccio was named 2009 NCAA Division I Coach of the Year by the US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Other members of the Cross Country Team included Meredith Altenhofen, Shannon Browne, Anne Francis, Meagahn Higgins,Calie Hogan, Katherine LaCosa, Sarah Morrison, Ariann Neutts, Kristen O'Down Kaitlin O'Sullivan, Theresa Rush and Meghan Smith. (Note: LaCosa and Rush are the only seniors).

Villanova Track and Cross Country All American Frances Koons (pictured at right with mother Lisa), a Graduate Assistant for the Cross Country team, and a former Mid Atlantic Cross Country Runner of the Year and Big East Track Runner of the year gave the Benediction for the team.

Click here for complete results: http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/ncaa/sports/c-xc/auto_pdf/2009-D1Champ-WomenTeam.pdf

Gloucester Catholic 1985 Cross Country Teams

2010-04-28T09:09:00.000-07:00

The 2009 Gloucester Catholic (NJ) Boys and Girls Cross Country Teams had their best season in years:

The girls finished 7-0 and won the Tri County Conference Diamond Division again while the boys were 8-1 finishing second in the conference. To find the last time both cross country teams had comparably successful seasons in the same year you would probably have to go back to 1985.

In the 1985 season the boys had their first season with double digit victories since 1977, while the girls finished with a school record 11 wins and qualified for the NJSIAA meet of champions by finishing 3rd in the state. The girls team finished third in the state despite only having 8 girls.
While there have been seven indiduals qualify for the NJSIAA Cross Country Meet of Champions (Jack Heath, Ann Wodarczyk, Chris Callinan, Ted Callinan, Tabitha Francks, Damian Gallagher and Emily Ward), the 1985 girls team remains the only Gloucester Catholic team to qualify for the NJSIAA Cross Country Meet of Champs as a team.

The 1985 Boys team consisted of: Chris Callinan, Ed McCarty, Dan Magee, Rich Piasecki, Nick Simila, Jim Delaney, Brian Aster, Dick Butwin, John Pardini, Andy Wodarczyk, Andy Currie, Ken Davis, Mike Hampton, Joe Falcone, Dave Townsend and Dan Hopkins.

The 1985 Girls team consisted of: Sue Steckel, Mary Sigmund, AnnMarie Wodarczyk, Melanie Mullins, Amy McKenna, Diane Sigmund, Maria Madson and Janine Nestore.

We recently caught up with some of the members of the 1985 team for an update on their current status and memories of that outstanding season:

Chris Callinan- presently a math teacher and track and cross country coach at Cherokee High School, school record holder at Cabrini College.

"I remember the people that I ran with at GC. I enjoyed the times that we got to travel and run together. I remember the times that I got to run with my coach (Jack Heath). I also enjoyed meeting and spending time with Browning Ross. I still see some of the people that I ran with at Gloucester Catholic."

Andy Currie: Seved on active duty with the Marines from 1988 to 1993, graduated from Penn State with and electrical enginnering degree and works for Lockheed Martin in Virginia.

"I remember running and being on the team being a lot of fun. There was one time we ran a race (againtst Audubon, NJ) and finished on the track between the uprights on the football field during half time of their football game in front of packed stands."

Dan Magee: Dan was one of the captains of the team and is presently an Active Living Recreation Director living in Decatur, Georgia.
Tom Magee: Lives in Marlton, NJ with his wife and two sons. Tom is a police officer (12 years) and DARE officer for Evesham, NJ police Department. For exercise, Tom rides a bicyle over the Commodore Barry bridge during the Police Unity Tour with 500 cops http://www.policeunitytour.com/. He is married and has two sons. "I enjoyed running over the Ben Franklin Bridge and stopping at the Bourse for a soft pretzel."

Joe Falcone: Joe lives in Bellmawr NJ, is married with 4 children and a police officer for Bellmawr (20 years). Joe was a varsity cross country runner, baseball player and bowler at GCHS.

He is a police officer in Bellmawr, NJ where he resides with his wife and four
children. During his career as an officer Joe has received 6 citations for life saving. He enjoys interacting with the community and making sure every resident feels safe. "Cross country taught me how to stay focused.

I really enjoyed practice. Coach Heath always motivated us no matter how tired we were."

Dick Butwin: Dick is married, and lives in Myrte Beach, South Carolina. He and his wife recently welcomed a baby girl Helena. Dick is a Villanova grad who works as a mechanical engineer. "I remember the ways we would get around not having a track or cross country location of our own, and the unique and varied ways we still practiced as a team, from the Bridge runs to the runs to Audubon, to the Philadelphia Zoo 10k. Several years ago I was in South Korea for work, and went for a jog along the river bank. Most of the South Korean joggers had masks on to ward off swine flu and the smell of the river. It made me think that maybe not having a track at Gloucester Catholic was not so bad after all!"
Question: Why do you think the 1985 teams so successful?
Coach Jack Heath: "I had started coaching at Gloucester Catholic with my coach Browning Ross while still running for Rowan University (Glassboro, NJ). I visited some of the sending Catholic grade schools at that time that didn't have track programs to talk about cross country and put on some mini races with prizes and food-- Browning Ross style. When I graduated from Rowan I taught at Gloucester Catholic for two years, Browning Ross had temporarily retired and I coached both the track and cross country teams. A few of the kids that ran really in those grade school races, like Nick Simila (St Marys Gloucester NJ) came out for the team. A few others like Chris Callinan and Ann Wodarczyk I saw in the halls and asked to come out.
You could tell they were going to be good runners. The 1985 teams were definitely among my favorite teams that I've coached, and everyone has gone on to do really well."

Click here for the top songs of 1985: http://eightiesclub.tripod.com/id215.htm