The late Olympian Steve Prefontaine left us with this little proverb: “Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts.” Running is a personal, solitary act. All runners have their own reasons for putting one foot in front of the other, and despite what people might perceive, the inspirations usually go well beyond health and fitness. BRO decided to ask a diverse lot of regional runners why they run. In addition to the road racers, dirt devils, and ultra aces that constantly amaze us with their accomplishments, we also found ordinary runners with extraordinary motivation. We uncovered runners who regularly tie their laces and head out the door for political purpose, environmental awareness, spiritual enlightenment, humanitarian concern, and even in memory of lost loved ones.

Rebekah Trittipoe
Hometown: Bedford, VA
Age: 50
Who I Am: I am an experienced ultrarunner who chronicled a 2003 race through the Brazilian Amazon jungle in a book entitled Under an Equatorial Sky. I live with my husband and two sons and work in the field of cardiovascular perfusion.
Why I Run: Because I can. I know. It sounds too simple. But then again, running is inherently a simple thing; one foot placed in front of the other and repeated over and over again. Is it always easy? No way. Sometimes it hurts really, really bad. Sometimes you think you cannot go an inch further. Sometimes your body rebels by shutting down or throwing up. Sometimes the pain is so deep that the rest of the world pales in comparison. But, sometimes there are those “other” times.
The “other” times are what keep me running. Sometimes I open the door to head out and find solace and respite from the worries of the day. Sometimes I laugh out loud from getting a herd of cows to thunder as they run in the field alongside the country road. Sometimes I feel like I could run forever when the warm glow of the sun touches my face and my breathing is rhythmic and effortless. And sometimes, I take a minute to stand atop a mountain peak and marvel at God’s creation.
Yes. I run because I can. It’s that simple.

Chris Calfee
Hometown: Chesterfield, VA
Age: 39
Who I Am: In September 2005 I set a record for the longest run without sleep, when I ran 318.25 miles without a snooze. My run through the trails of Pocohontas State Park took me 91 hours, 56 minutes, and 45 seconds. I am a schoolteacher, and I have run 65 marathons, 30 ultras, and hundreds of road races.
Why I Run: I run to stay alive. Running breeds a sense of sanity in a life where many things do not add up. It keeps me focused; it energizes me; it keeps me out of trouble. I have a body that can run, so it would be a waste of a special gift if I did not run. In many ways, I run because I can.

Mark Lundblad
Hometown: Asheville, N.C.
Age: 38
Who I Am: I have logged first place finishes at some of the region’s most rugged races, including the Black Mountain Trail Marathon and the Shut In Ridge Trail race. Last year I won the Twisted Ankle Trail and Ridge to Bridge Marathons and placed second at the Great Eastern and Rattlesnake 50Ks.
Why I Run: My running has evolved from just trying to get in shape and lose 30 pounds after college to racing competitively at 50-mile ultras. I never thought I would run a marathon, much less ultras. Now I look at 50K as a shorter distance. I have at times lost sight of what running has given me, which is a healthier mind and body in comparison to how I looked and felt before I started to run.
I get caught up in the competitive side of running so much that an injury can be a rude awakening on how much running means to me in my daily life. I have an addictive personality, so too much of a good thing can apply to my running. If my body would let me, I would probably run day and night. Finding a harmonious balance between running for exercise and running to be competitive for a race can get precarious. I should probably revisit the question of “Why I Run” much more often, as it would keep me better grounded and grateful to just be a runner. I know one day running will come full circle, and I’ll be out on the trails with no thoughts of how I’ll perform at my next big race.

Wendell Golden
Hometown: Charlottesville, VA
Age: 81
Who I Am: I am living proof that age ain’t nothing but a number. I am a retired pastor who still runs 20-25 miles a week. Last year I competed in nine local races in Charlottesville, including the town’s well-respected 10-miler.
Why I Run: I’ve been running for 45 years. The Bible encourages us to take care of our bodies, and I believe running helps purify the body, mind, and soul. I might be addicted to it, but I still really enjoy the competition. I run against my watch everyday, which I have been told may not be a good idea at my age. When your age group is 80+ there is not a whole lot of competition. A member of my church gave me a t-shirt that reads, “Don’t pass me-I’m not in your age group.”

Sasha Greenspan
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Age: 23
Who I Am: I ran cross-country and track in high school and for two years at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. I’ve been running for a decade. I monitor sea turtles for the National Park Service on Cumberland Island, Ga., and I am currently conducting research in the rain forests of Costa Rica.
Why I Run: My first few years of running served to guide me up the steep and winding climb from adolescence into adulthood. Alone on the road, or alongside a wise runner-role model, I could assert my independence, think for myself, mull over who I was and who I wanted to become, ask any question, or seek advice. Ten years later, although life is much more of a gradual downhill and I feel a bit more sure-footed, running reminds me of those soul-searching years whenever I feel I have lost my course. In all aspects of my life, I am inspired by nature-its intricacy, beauty, mystery-and running is one of my favorite ways to explore it in myself and my surroundings. It satisfies my cravings for wildness, shows me the amazing capabilities of the human body, and allows me to taste, smell, feel, and wonder at the earth around me. Last but not least, running leads me to friends and builds incredibly unique relationships that I´ll always cherish. Whether I´m keeping pace with a loyal running buddy on a busy city street or with the waves of a deserted beach, I´m aware of kindred runner spirits the world over.

Janice Anderson
Hometown: Marietta, GA
Age: 40
Who I Am: I’ve won 53 ultramarathons and hold 15 course records, including a 16:03 world record at the Rocky Raccoon 100-Miler. I am a five-time member of the U.S. 100K Team and was the 2000 USATF Ultra Runner of the Year. I currently am president of the Georgia Ultrarunning and Trailrunning Society (GUTS) and a member of Team Phidippides.
Why I Run:

I run to see friends,
the mountains and the woods.

I run to test the limits,
to take the risk of failure, for the possibility of success.

I run to attempt epic journeys
and cross long distances that baffle most.

I run to feel the warm breeze as I slice through it,
to have sweat pour down and across my skin.

I run to fall, to jump puddles and streams,
to have dirt, mud, and bugs coat my legs.

I run to foster clever, free-form thoughts
and share them with friends.

I run as an excuse to travel near and far,
and eat copiously and drink good beer.

I run for the indescribable feeling of freedom and joy
felt when moving fast across the ground (mostly downhill these days).

I run because I have always run,
and we have always run, and I will always run.

Craig Tufts
Hometown: St. Louis, VA
Age: 60
Who I Am: I am a naturalist for the National Wildlife Federation. Last November I ran the JFK 50 Miler to raise global warming awareness.
Why I Run: I’m a field naturalist with a desk job. Day in, day out however, over my lunch hour, before dawn, dusk and beyond, and on weekends, I run. Trail running gets me out and away from my desk. It’s what I do most often to exercise my body, my mind, and renew myself.
But in November, I ran 50 miles for the first time in my life. I completed the JFK 50 Miler. If you love being outdoors, know that much of what we love is changing-changing much too rapidly. I dedicated my run to wildlife and to the immense concern we have for the impact of global warming on wildlife and people.
To the experienced eye, the outdoor world is constantly changing. The cycles that help keep me centered are superimposed over a larger picture of a world moving beyond the seasonal changes I’ve grown through in my 60 years. I can understand the science evolving daily about global warming. I didn’t need to see An Inconvenient Truth; my reading tells me our global climate has moved well beyond the sorry state that the former Vice President described.
What can you do? Take a look at The Climate Project (www.theclimateproject.org) and take some personal and community actions. Also, join with others on April 14 for a National Day of Climate Action (www.stepitup2007.org).

David Rapp
Hometown: Charlottesville, VA
Age: 38
Who I Am: I have always been an avid regional runner. Before last year, my longest previous distance was a marathon. A few months ago, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and run the Mountain Masochist 50 Miler in an effort to raise money for my church’s missionary trip to Uganda. I finished the race and raised over $5,000 before traveling to Africa in January.
Why I Run: In November, I ran to raise money for my church mission trip to Uganda in East Africa. I entered a 50-mile trail run and asked family, friends, fellow church members, and local businesses to pledge money per mile. After many prayers, the race was successfully completed and a significant amount of funds was raised for two weeks in Africa. Since returning from Uganda, a third world country, I realize that running is a pastime that people in the United States take for granted: to have money to buy new shoes every three months; to have proper nutrition and a refrigerator to keep food from spoiling; to have adequate clothes to wear; to have safe water to drink; to have a Bodo’s bagel to enjoy with friends after a run; to run free without a threat of being captured by a rebel army; to have hot showers; to have a car to travel to races; to simply have time to run-time not spent fetching water from the only water pump miles from home or re-thatching your roof before the rainy season starts. Maybe I am being too dramatic. I still run for the same old reasons (and will buy new shoes next month), but from now on when I lace up my Asics and head out the door, I am more thankful for the simple pleasure of running.

Francesca Conte
Hometown: Charlottesville, VA
Age: 34
Who I Am: I have placed first in 11 ultramarathons, including the Old Dominion 100 Miler, Arkansas 100 Miler, Mountain Masochist 50 Miler, and the Bull Run Run 50 Miler. I am the co-owner of Charlottesville Running Company and race director for the Charlottesville Marathon, Great Eastern 100K, Bel Monte 50K, and several other trail races.
Why I Run: Safety and faith are a state of mind. To some, a sheer rock wall can feel safe, and so can a construction site 100 feet up. People have faith in humanity or religion. My safety and my faith are the woods and the mountains, and running is the vehicle that takes me there. Statistically speaking, isolated forests are much safer than Los Angeles or Chicago. Nevertheless, people ask if I’m afraid to run in the woods by myself. It’s a matter of perspective. Running is the time when I am reminded I am in control of time, distance, and my own safety. Running is life at its purest form, one of the few things that we as humans were born to do. As a civilization, we rose amongst trees and wildlife, not cement; every occasion I get, I use running to remind me of that.

Neal Jamison
Hometown: Roanoke, VA
Age: 38
Who I Am: I am a middle-of-the-pack ultra runner and an accomplished author who likes to explore why extreme athletes push beyond normal limits. My books include Running Through the Wall: Personal Encounters with the Ultramarathon and The Thrill of Victory, The Agony of My Feet: Tales from the World of Adventure Racing.
Why I Run: I run because when I was just a kid I heard about people who run 26.2 miles at a time, and I thought, “I can do that.” A bit later in life I learned that there are people who run even farther. Thirty miles? Fifty miles? Sure, why not. One hundred miles? Might as well give it a try.
It is amazing to me just how far our bodies can go if we really try. Running reminds me that we can endure great stress without breaking down. We are strong and powerful-but we do have our limits. Don’t we?

Norman Blair
Hometown: Asheville, N.C.
Age: 49
Who I Am: I finished 10th place in the 1985 Boston Marathon and have a marathon PR of 2:19. I also won the Grandfather Mountain Marathon and Carolina Marathon in the 80s, and I’ve twice placed in the top 25 at the Peachtree Road Race 10K and have eight top-ten finishes at the Shut-In Ridge Trail Race. I’ve coached teams and individuals to numerous state championships, and I am currently the owner of Jus’ Running and a coach with Fit Athletics.
Why I Run: I started running as a high school freshman who wanted to keep up with his older brother. Thirty-five years and over 121,000 miles later, I’m still running. The first 17 years were spent with competition and running fast being the goal. I retired from competitive running in 1988. I didn’t stop running or racing, but simply ceased training with a purpose. Today, I still view myself as a competitive runner, but the reality is that my running and its motivation are far different from yesteryear. Running is actually more intertwined in my life now than in the past since I own a specialty running store and do individual coaching. Being a small business owner, my running provides stress relief as well as energy renewal on a daily basis. So why do I run beyond the stress and energy benefits? Since I’m a bit older, health is a factor. My daily runs challenge me mentally and physically. I look forward to the camaraderie of runs with friends while catching up on the latest gossip and many strange thoughts most runners possess. The anticipation of completing a hard 10-miler or difficult track session still gets my blood up. Though I don’t run many races now.

William Harwood
Hometown: Asheville, N.C.
Age: 42
Who I Am: I teach middle school for fun and run on mountains for prophet. My career highlight is placing 16th in the 2005 Black Mountain Marathon. Common occurrence is licking raindrops off the rhododendron leaves when the Gatorade gives out.
Why I Run: I run primarily because God is trying to turn me into a preacher and exercise is how I procrastinate. I run to avoid sacred service. I run into the woods and hide. A divine draft dodger, I huff and puff it up and down the mountains, converting all the squirrels. (Lo, any day now, vast hordes of the newly Christianized critters shall descend upon the cities with good tidings in their cheeks.) I run to snuff my inner lizards in the dirt. I run to flush my soul with light. I run to keep from falling down.

Sharon Schreiber
Hometown: Hampton, VA
Age: 40
Who I Am: Every year when I run the Ntelos 8K in Richmond, I run for my mom, who passed away in 1998. I can take some solace in the fact that her irreplaceable loss provided for others, as my mother’s organs saved three lives. The organ donor advocacy group Life Net is the beneficiary of the large race, so I enjoy running this race to raise awareness for future donors.
Why I Run: Depression anxiety disorder runs in my family. Two of my mother’s brothers committed suicide, and I was diagnosed with depression anxiety disorder four years before she died. On Friday, Sept. 4, 1998, my mom hanged herself in my backyard. I want people to know that I am not ashamed of how she died; she had an illness. Something good came out of my tragedy, though. My mom saved three lives through her organ donation. I had two choices after she died. I could let my depression get the best of me, or I could get out there and let people hear my story and tell them how proud I am of my mom. My mom was my life, so I chose to let the world know what a great person she was. I started by becoming a volunteer educator for Life Net and off I went. About three years ago I was asked to participate in the 8K, as part of the Donate Life Team. We raise awareness about organ and tissue donation and have a great time. Every time I participate in a race, my mom is with me. I wear her picture on my shirt, and at the end of these races it is bitter sweet. I miss her but I am proud of her. All of my Life Net friends are at the end cheering me and my mom on. My eyes are filled with tears of joy because I know my mom can see me as I cross the finish line, and she is cheering just like everyone else.

Cecil Bothwell
Hometown: Asheville, N.C.
Age: 56
Who I Am: I am a member of the Run Against Bush Club, which formed in Washington, D.C., before the 2004 election and by November had chapters in all 50 states. Our Asheville chapter runs a mile through downtown past retail sections of town and numerous outdoor eateries wearing t-shirts with the slogan “Running for Peace, Running for Impeachment.” Several of the runners have joined the local Veterans for Peace in their weekly downtown vigil as well.
Why I Run: The war in Iraq is illegal under national and international law, which means that George Bush is guilty of war crimes as well as violation of his oath to uphold the Constitution and laws of this country. Once a head of state illegally goes to war, all of the deaths, torture, and destruction that ensue are also capital crimes under international law. We have never had a President whose crimes were more impeachable. I run to reinforce that idea. I am much more an activist than an active runner.

Zika Rea
Hometown: Blowing Rock, N.C.
Age: 31
Who I Am: I was the runner-up in the 2005 US National Marathon Championship, and my time of 2:41:06 at the Twin Cities Marathon qualified me for the 2008 Olympic Marathon Trials. As the co-founder and director of ZAP Fitness in Blowing Rock, N.C., I coach runners ranging from the 5K to the marathon.
Why I Run: I run because I love the peace of being outside on a run through the woods; I love how running makes me feel. I love the sense of accomplishment when I finish a hard run, or when I finish a run that I didn’t really want to do. I love competing against myself and others in races, and I love being fit and strong.
I coach runners because I want to help others enjoy the sport as much as I do. I love working with elite athletes because they have the talent to do things I never could, and I want to help them reach their greatest potential. I love working with recreational runners because running can play such a positive role in their hectic stressful lives. I enjoy helping all runners reach their goals and accomplish more than they ever thought they could.

Jim Hoer
Hometown: Asheville, N.C.
Age: 46
Who I Am: I am an internal medicine physician with three teenage kids. I’ve been running since age 14-with a 10-year break for med school and residency. In terms of running accomplishments, I’m probably most most proud of running the last nine Shut-In trail runs and trying to stay up with the young studs. In a previous life, as a junior in high school, I ran a 4:26 mile, 9:48 two-mile, and 14:46 in cross (back then it was three miles not 5K). During my senior year I began dating my future wife and running did not seem as important.
Why I Run: I don’t think anything boosts my spirits more than a 10-mile solo trail run after work or a three-hour run with a bunch of slugs on Sunday morning at Bent Creek. Running also allows me to compete: against myself, a watch, a particular course, a particular mountain, and sometimes against other runners, although that is becoming less important as I become slower. The sense of accomplishment after a run, even a lousy one, is always there. Beyond that, the list of reasons is long but includes the physical health benefits, providing a role model for my children, being able to practice what I preach when extolling the benefits of exercise to patients, and to compensate for my nasty eating habit without becoming obese.