PROFILE--Doug Kurtis has been running for 52 years

Kurtis broke 3 hours in 5 consecutive decades.

(Jun. 2020) Doug Kurtis has long been recognized as one of the U.S.'s toughest, most consistent marathon runners. While working fulltime at Ford motors in Detroit, he accumulated 76 sub-2:20 marathons (PR--2:13:34), and won international marathons around the globe. He has also served as race director of several big Detroit-area races. Now retired at 68 and living just outside Asheville, NC, Kurtis continues running about 30mi/wk. He says he succeeded by investing in this talents. "The payoff can be tenfold," he notes.

Career-profession? I’ve worn many hats. Retired from Ford Motor Company as an IT systems analyst (31 years in 2007). Professional Marathon Runner (1981-1995). Running Columnist – Detroit Free Press (2001-2007). Race Director of four Major races in Detroit (1993 – . Currently still race director of the St. Patrick's day Corktown races).

When did you start running and why? 1968 – Junior year of H.S. X/C. My gym teacher encouraged me to join the team. I actually won

PROFILE--Rich Castro has been running for 59 years

(June 2020) As a longtime resident of Boulder, CO, Rich Castro has been close to that community's many famous runners and races. More than just a participant, he has also launched and nurtured some of the most important initiatives. Today, at 72, he continues to run and compete vigorously, while also supporting many running events. He notes: "What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.” He also advises us to "invest in yourself. Take care of your body" and to connect with the global community.

Career-profession? I was fortunate enough to make a living as a recreational sports administrator at the University of Colorado for 34 years, while combining it with my passion for running. The university administration encouraged me, and that latitude was the cornerstone for the majority of my accomplishments.

How and why did you start running? I grew up in La Verne, CA a small town in southern California that had a great track history. The local hero was the Rev. Bob Richards, the first man on the Wheaties Box and

PROFILE--Neil Rosen has been running for 40 years

(June 2020) Neil J. Rosen seems to be a man of few words. That makes him like a lot of other runners. He began running 40 years ago, ran many strong races in the Philadelphia area (including a best marathon of 2:33:24), and now lives in Tucson AZ. At 67, he still races frequently, and wouldn't mind if he could turn back the clock a few years. "I detest getting older and slowing down," he admits. He keeps at it because he's inspired by the many stalwart age-group runners that he races against (or reads about in articles like this one.) Also, he's no quitter, believing that "The final chapter hasn't been written until you've given up."

Career/profession: Retired draftsman, aerospace telemetry.

When did you first start running, and why? I started running in April, 1980--40 years ago. First for

PROFILE--Barbara Latta has been running (and streaking) for 36 years

(May 2020) Barbara Latta has the second longest women's running streak in the world, having passed 13,300 days in a row (almost 36.5 years). She has run on every continent and in 55 countries. In her missionary work, she has landed in some dangerous places, requiring creativity. She ran on rooftops in Haiti, porches in Cuba and recruited the Ambassador to Lebanon as her running partner in Liberia. Latta, 78, from Raleigh, North Carolina, is also a member of the Citizens Emergency Response Team, a group of volunteers who are trained to help first responders in a major emergency.


Career/Profession: I am a retired elementary school librarian as well as a college reference librarian. But I have never retired

PROFILE--David Cook has been running for 42 years

No better prize than fresh lobstah.

(May 2020) David Cook started running in 1978, and didn't win any prizes for almost 40 years. He didn't run for the glory, he ran for the feel-good. Maybe that's one reason he's still going strong. Cook never ran more than about 22 miles a week, but he mixed it up with modest doses of cycling, swimming, and good humor. The latter is crucially important; don't we all know it! Cook's advice for other runners: "Don't take yourself too seriously," and "Be humble, and treat others kindly." We'd like to second those emotions.

Your career-profession? I spent the first 19 years of my career in shallow water oceanography working for Raytheon Co. in Newport RI. I switched to the environmental field in 1989, set up my own company, and have been an environmental consultant since that time. I do inspections of commercial properties, testing of soil and ground water, and cleanups. Before work, I grew up in Morristown, NJ, graduated from Hamilton College, and got a doctorate in geology from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. I moved to Connecticut in 1969, and have lived in Lyme since 1971.

When did you start running and why? I got into exercise early, and did swimming and cross country in high school and college. In my early working career, my exercise came from swimming during the lunch hour at the Newport YMCA. My brother in law talked me into trying a 5K

PROFILE--John Volkman has been running (and marathoning) for 39 years

(May, 2020) John Volkman, of Fresno CA, was sailing along pretty smoothly last fall, with more than 150 marathons in the bag in his 69 years, when he started feeling chest pains. He got himself to a cardiologist--smart guy, this John!--and learned that he needed surgery and a stent. This is perhaps the news most feared by runners, but Volkman didn't let it keep him down for long. On March 1 of this year, he returned to the site of his first marathon in 1981 (Napa Valley), and covered the distance yet again. He's also one of those guys who proposed to his wife in a marathon. She was waiting for him at the top of Heartbreak Hill in Boston; he got there, and dropped to one knee. Video links below. 

Career-profession? 36 years as a high school librarian

When did you start running and why? Dared by teacher/friend to run a 6 mile race because he said I wasn’t in very good shape for our city-league basketball team. That was in March 1980. Exactly a year later I ran my first marathon and broke 3 hours.

How much did you run in your peak years? 50-60 miles per week for 10 years and then I decided to get more

PROFILE: Covid-19 OR nurse Robin Venick has been running for 50 years

(Apr. 2020) Robin Venick is a prolific runner, having completed 68 marathons, including Comrades in South African, and 5 Ironman Triathlons. She loves a challenge, and that's what she facing now as an OR nurse at Manhattan's NYU Langone Medical Center during the Covid-19 pandemic. "I always try to remain calm and positive in these crisis situations," she says. "I’m a glass half full kind of girl." Venick, 57, lives in Manhattan with her husband, Jeff, also a runner. Both are also art lovers, so after every marathon in a new city, they visit local art museums.

Career-profession? (See above.) In normal times I do all types of open-heart surgery and specialize in congenital heart defects on babies. Also, we do a lot of heart and lung transplants. I grew up in Maryland and attended Johns Hopkins Hospital for my nursing degree.

When did you start running and why? I started running as a little girl, probably around 7, with all the boys