Joe Gentry

“I am a runner. Years ago, that statement would have meant little more to me than an accidental choice of sport. A leisure time activity selected for reasons as superficial as the activity itself. Now I know better. The runner does not run because he is too slight for football, or hasn’t the ability to put a ball through a hoop or can’t hit a curve ball. He runs because he has to. Because, in being a runner, he is fulfilling himself and becoming the person he is.” ­– Dr. George Sheehan

American runner Frank Shorter became the first American in 64 years to win Olympic gold in the marathon at Munich, Germany in 1972. Thus starting the first running boom in the USA. This boom was fortified by an unknown Boston College graduate ­– Bill Rodgers ­– winning the prestigious Boston Marathon in 1975 in an American record time of 2.09.55. In the early 1970’s road races became common all across American and participation increased and a regional magazine Running World became a national publication and is still in publication today. The L.A. Olympic Games introduced the first women’s marathon in 1984 and American runner Joan Benoit-Samuelson defeated a talent-laden women’s field in an American record time of 2.24.52. The second running boom took off after her victory, and women’s running numbers increased through the 1980s and 90s. Races and participation continued to increase so that in 2023 the top 100 races included 1.6 million participants and 48 million people in the USA went running in 2023.

I too was affected by the first running boom and started down a nearly 50-year path as a runner. So much so that when I run into former colleagues and friends the first thing they usually ask is “Are you still running?” By the grace of God I can affirm in the positive. To be identified primarily as a “runner” at this stage in my life would have been laughable in my younger years. I was a baseball and basketball player and running was normally used as “punishment.” To think that I would turn into a running junkie would have been beyond comprehension. But I did and my life is better for having taken that road.

In 1978 AHS’s track and cross country coach, the late Tom Bennett asked our local running group if we would be interested in sponsoring a road race. We had little or no experience but committed to help Tom as enticement to keep his cross country runners active in the summer. We’ve been sponsoring this event ever since, and this year will be the 46th Annual Dork Brothers 5K on July 4th. In 1978, the nearest events were in Bay City, Gaylord, Cheboygan, or Traverse City.

For many years, our 4th of July event was the only race in our area. Eventually, Northeast Michigan hosted a Runner’s Cup series of 5-mile races in communities that included Hubbard Lake, Ossineke, Oscoda, East Tawas, Harrisville, Alpena and Sand Lake. Some of these events still continue, but most have gone away.

I’m delighted that in Alpena, running is alive and well. This year alone, area runners can test their mettle by participating in 11 running events! The first event is this Saturday, May 4, Break A Leg 5K, a Thunder Bay Theatre fundraiser. Next is the Mental Health Movement Run with distances of 2K, 5K and 10K on May 18, sponsored by Northeast Michigan Community Mental Health. The Wolverine State Credit Union is sponsoring the Summer of Color run on June 15 in support of the Boys and Girls Club. Run United is hosting the Run With Your Heart Alpena 5K and 1-mile on June 22, raising funds for Children’s Hospital of Michigan pediatric cardiology. The Dork Brothers are sponsoring their 5K and 1-mile race on July 4, with proceeds supporting the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Alpena and Presque Isle County. The Options Pregnancy Center and The Baby Pantry is holding a Fun Run on Aug. 10. My Michigan is sponsoring the Aliferis half marathon and 5K and bike events on Aug. 31. Tunnels to Tower 5K, sponsored by the Combat Readiness Training Center will be held on Sept. 7. Zonta Walks and 5K is scheduled for Oct. 5, and the Thunder Bay River Costume Run will be held on Oct 26. Finally, the Dork Brothers Turkey Trot 5K is scheduled for Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 28. Opportunities abound for walkers, runners and anyone wanting to rise to the challenge. For information on any of these events, you can reach out to United Way of Northeast MI at 989-354-2221 or email jgentry@unitedwaynemi.org.

So what is running’s appeal? First, there’s its universality. Running is the same in Kenya, Africa as it is Alpena, Michigan. Amateurs can toe-the-line with seasoned professionals and champions in the same event, i.e. Boston Marathon and other top races. The challenge is the same for all participants. There is also its spiritual quality: It’s impossible for a person to run for any sustained period without thinking, wondering, and in his or her own way, praying. And, finally, there’s its appeal to the everyday athlete ­– to teachers and nurses, the employed and unemployed, and soldiers and cancer patients and insurance adjusters. People striving to find the time in their day ­– that “hour with the gods” as Dr. Sheehan called it, to go for a run. And once they do, they want to share with other like souls how that hour graces the remainder of their day. People who love to run know that the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other can yield life-changing consequences. It doesn’t matter if you’re running toward something or from something ­– embracing the activity can bring you redemption and community and purpose and confidence and inner peace.

Joe Gentry is the executive director of the United Way of Northeast Michigan.