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What made you start running?
I initially started running because my sons, Corey and Wade, were joining the Boy Scouts of America and the Troop 719 was mainly involved with hiking, back packing and camping in the local mountains and the High Sierra’s. All of the fathers and scouts would run and train to stay in shape for the 3 to 8 days that we would camp and hike in the wilderness. To stay in shape, I would always look forward to running the local Los Angeles Marathon every year. I always looked forward to running the LA Marathon because I enjoyed running through all of the streets of Los Angeles that I was very familiar with.
When and why did you decide to run a half-marathon or marathon on all seven continents?
The interest in the marathon on all seven continents started with the year 2010 AD. My wife, Loris and I heard that the Athens Marathon in Greece was celebrating the 2500 years of the “Greek Marathon”. The opportunity of having the Chance to run in the City of Marathon to Athens was very exciting and enjoyable. After running “The Legend of Marathon” and meeting other runners, we enjoyed hearing and meeting other runners in all of the different countries. We began to meet more runners with each of the different races and it was terrific to meet other people who would tell us about other marathons and countries. As we started to meet more wonderful people, we became more anxious to try to visit other cities that other runners would tell us about. Everyone was always very helpful and we were able to meet so many nice people who would provide us with a lot of ideas as to the greatest place that they enjoyed. We thank them ALL!
How many marathons and/or half-marathons have you run?
Marathons 36
Half Marathons 56
What is your favorite race and why?
The Amazing Maasai Marathon in Kenya was very fun and exciting. We were able to see all of the wild animals up close and it was exciting to have a great guide who knew where to locate the animals. The entire trip was very exciting and the living quarters and food were wonderful. We were lucky to see the animals begin the migration and our guide did everything he could to show us the school and the people living in that area. My daughter, Robyn, is a teacher so she really was able to meet and talk with many of the young girls at the school. The landscape of the area and the migration of the animals was spectacular. We enjoyed Jacqui and Ann as our guides and leaders because they did such a fantastic job in guiding us throughout the entire trip.
What race did you learn the most about yourself?
As I get older, I start to realize that there are too many things in this world that I take for granted. I never really worried about where in the world I would like to visit and run a marathon. With the pandemic affecting everyone, it is difficult for anyone to just jump into a car, plane or ship to just explore and visit. Running was always easy to just decide what city or country that you would want to travel to after you saved your funds for your next trip. But now, we all need to make sure that all of our family and friends can stay safe and that we as runners do not expose any of our friends, family, and other runners from any pandemic diseases. I felt that the Boston Marathon did a great job in organizing the start of the race and did not have large corrals and all the runners had the appropriate shots.
What is your favorite part about running and traveling?
It is so special and exciting to see such wonderful and beautiful landscapes. We see many pictures in books and television, but to have the ability to actually run right next to an animal or landscape is unforgettable. My wife and I were lucky to be able to kayak in the South Pole, watching animals, like penguins, seals, and whales. The most important favorite part is to make new friends and to be able to enjoy new friendships over the years.
It doesn’t have to be a race, but what is your favorite place/city to run?
I live in Southern California, so I typically do a lot of my running along the beach or ocean.
What word would your friends use to describe you?
“Runner”
What words of advice would you give to someone who is training for their first marathon or half-marathon?
Try to follow a training schedule so that you can enjoy the completion of your first marathon or half-marathon. Training with friends always makes it easier and typically more fun. No matter how fast you run, enjoy the camaraderie, enjoy the running route, and the crowds of people that are cheering you on!
Photo #3 Description: In 2006, I was fortunate to run with Dean Karnazes (the Ultramarathon Runner) who ran 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days. I was fortunate to run the official course of the Boston Marathon (but not the same day as the official Boston Marathon in 2006). Therefore, I am sharing the picture of Dean, Loris (my wife) and myself after we completed the “Boston Marathon “official course”. Dean Karnazes went on and completed the rest of the marathons in each State.
