RunnersWorld.com
- First Person Blog
June 17, 2007
Tony Reed: How I Became The First Black Runner To Complete
Marathons On All Seven Continents
By Tony Reed
On the eve
Kenya’s Safaricom Lewa Marathon, I was a nervous wreck. This race
would be the final jewel in my quest to run a marathon on all seven
continents (7C). As the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the
National Black Marathoners’ Association (NBMA), I felt that it was
fitting for Africa to be the grand finale. Hundreds of people were
awaiting the results of the race. I was also nervous because I may
be the first Black in the world to accomplish the 7C feat.
Since my first
marathon in 1982, I’ve counted the number of Blacks in the races.
Occasionally, I was the only one. Anytime there were more than ten
Blacks, I felt happy. Thus, running in a predominately Black
marathon would be very different. As the only Black, I’ve felt
that my failure to finish would leave a negative impression about
American Blacks and the discipline to complete distance races. I
especially felt this pressure during Antarctica’s Last Marathon in
February. I was the lone Black runner on the “white continent.”
I don’t think my friends would have let me live it down, if I had
quit the race.
As I as laid in
my tent, I thought about the warnings from the pre-race meeting. We
faced a dangerous mixture of high altitude (5,200 ft.), dry air, and
heat. Hyponatremia, the dilution of sodium by over-hydrating with
water, was a risk before and during the race. Fortunately, I’ve
trained in the Texas heat for 30 years. And I ran the New Mexico
(5,800 ft.) and Salt Lake City (4,800 ft.) Marathons without any
problems. Thus, I thought about the new, more challenging obstacles;
wild animal attacks.
The day before
the race, we saw three cheetahs, two rhinos, and a zebra herd on the
marathon course. The animals would be roaming freely during the
race. After all, it was their home and I was just a visitor. As the
cheetahs walked by the race marker, I asked our guide, “How often
do they eat?” He replied, “They’re excellent hunters and work
as a team to easily bring down a zebra. It would provide enough food
for about three days.” I hoped that there would be one less zebra
before tomorrow’s race. I realized that I couldn’t control the
weather or the wild animals, so I stopped worrying about them.
Instead, I focused on what I could control; me. Somehow, I managed
to fall asleep.
On race day, I
got on my running groove while listening to Parliament/Funkadelic’s
Cosmic Slop and Chocolate City. During the ride to the starting
area, I didn’t see any animals. But, I did notice the airplanes.
At the starting
line, I marveled at being surrounded by hundreds of Black runners.
It didn’t matter that I didn’t speak their language. I felt good
just being there. It was like being at my first family reunion. I
didn’t know anyone, but the closeness was in the air. I saw groups
of school children in their team colors straining behind the tape to
watch us start. They were also awaiting the start of their own race.
When the race
started, I felt like the entire NBMA was running vicariously with
me. We had just finished another successful gathering at the May,
2007 Rite-Aid Cleveland Marathon. The veteran runners noted that I
may be the first Black to complete the seven continents goal. Realizing
that about 200 people had completed this goal, it was a real
possibility.
Midway up a long
curving the hill, my eyes began to tear up. As I looked in front and
behind me, I saw a long stream of Black runners. In 25 years of
running 86 marathons and 150 races, I had never seen this many
Blacks in a distance race. Unforgettable.
After the first
loop, hundreds of half marathoners turned off towards their finish
line. Suddenly, the marathoners were alone. After participating in
marathons with thousands of runners and cheering spectators,
skyscrapers, and TV helicopters, the solitude (with the exception of
an occasional buzz) was a welcome relief. This is what long distance
running is all about; enjoying nature in all its beauty. The runners
and crowds were transformed into waves of blowing grasses. The
skyscrapers became majestic mountains. And the TV helicopters were
replaced by the prop planes. They “buzzed” the wild animals to
keep them away from the course.
Around 40K, I
reached the safety of the compound’s fenced area. I decided to
finish the marathon alone. I wanted to savor the moment and reflect
on the challenges that I had to overcome to reach that pinnacle. Who
would have imagined that a Black, non-athletic, inner city kid from
St. Louis would have run 87 marathons in 25 States and seven
continents, including Antarctica? This went against the odds. But
then, so has so many things in my life.
I gathered myself
together and crossed the finish line as (possibly) the first Black
in the world to join the exclusive Seven Continents Club. I topped
off my adventure by having Paul Tergat
autograph a copy of his biography, “Paul Tergat – Running
to the Limit.”
Tony
Reed, CPA is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the National
Black Marathoners’ Association. When he’s not running, he runs
an information technology-based(IT) project management consulting
practice. He’s a sought after professional speaker, writer, and
accomplished photographer. Tony.Reed@AchievementEquation.com.
Top
The
(Cleveland) Call and Post
May 23, 2007
National Black Marathoners Run Rite-Aid Race
By Arana Lynch
When 53-year old Warren Elzy ran across the
finish line Sunday at the Rite-Aid Cleveland Marathon, he did pretty
well, both in his age group and in the group of Black runners he was
competing alongside.
"As far as the group, I came in
second," Elzy said. "I was third overall my age group in
the whole marathon."
Elzy is the captain of the National Black
Marathoners' Association.
This is the third year the NBMA took part in
the Rite-Aid Cleveland Marathon and members' goal was to make it the
best one to date. The NBMA is a not-for-profit organization open to
everyone, regardless of athletic ability or previous marathon
experience.
Its goal is to encourage African-Americans
and others to pursue a healthy lifestyle through long distance
running and walking. NBMA services a vehicle for African-American
runners across the nation to meet in a mass single marathon. Members
traveled from as far away as California to wear the red and black
uniform of NBMA members.
Nearly 150 of them crossed the finish line
on Sunday. That many runners is a good sign.
"It was really inspiration for
us," Elzy said. "It means we are going to continue growing
and get even more organized as time goes by. Hopefully, by our
fifth, we can actually have members from each city and set up a
situation to get a head count ahead of time.
"We felt as though (this race) gave us
an opportunity to put the organization out there. There are other
people out there. There are other people out there, they did not
have a clue we existed."
They do now. The group is raising its
profile a little bit every race, step by step.
Top
The
(Cleveland) Plain Dealer
May 18, 2007
Marathon Group Wants to Get Black Community Up and Moving
By Joe Maxse
Growing up in
St. Louis
, Tony Reed admits he was not much of a runner. Even as a member of
the high school track and cross-country teams, his gait was not the
stuff of Olympic aspirations.
Photo
by Suzie Hudgens
Tony
Reed runs in the 2007 Antartica
Marathon
.
But Reed, 51, will be one of the most
satisfied participants Sunday at the Cleveland Rite Aid
Marathon
. In a little more than five years, the college accounting teacher
and Texas Instruments consultant from
Dallas
helped found the National Black Marathoners Association.
The fledgling nonprofit group, with
approximately 500 members, wants to get the word out to the black
community that getting and staying fit, whether running or walking
and no matter the distance, should become a matter of concern.
"It's all about getting out there and
just doing it," said Reed, who has run 86 marathons since 1982.
"Maybe there are not that many role models [in distance
running] for blacks and there is also the age factor. Once you get
out of high school and college, people stop participating in
sports."
There is also no hiding the health factors
in the community, with blacks at a greater tendency than whites to
suffer from cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and high blood
pressure.
According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention of the
National
Center
for Health Statistics:
* Approximately 2.7 million African
Americans 20 or older have diabetes. However, one third do not know
it.
* Heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and
No. 3 killers of African Americans, claiming more than 100,000
annually.
* The prevalence of high blood pressure
among African Americans is among the highest in the world.
Reed said he was galvanized to act through
personal experiences.
His parents have dealt with high blood
pressure and diabetes and he had health issues when he was younger.
Also, while running a marathon in his hometown of
St. Louis
, he was touched when several black children ran alongside him for a
distance.
"I was running past the projects where
I grew up," said Reed, who has run three marathons this year,
including one in
Antarctica
. "Sometimes in the city, there are no safe places to run. But
we can change that."
At the Black Data Processing Associates
national conference in
Chicago
six years ago, the health issue topic spawned the NBMA.
Reed does not want to dwell on the health
scare tactics. Instead, he wants his organization and other
grass-roots groups and schools, to get more black children and
adults participating at some level. A college scholarship program
has been started.
"We want to have visibility at races
and have an impact on health," said Reed, whose organization
designated
Cincinnati
in 2005 and
New Jersey
last year as their national events.
The NBMA's
Cleveland
chapter will be headed by Team Marathon, which has been
participating here for more than 25 years. Veteran runners Warren
Elzy and Vincent Walls of Team Marathon are helping organize the
local contingent.
"We're expecting about 75 runners from
around the country," said Walls, 48, an RTA bus driver.
"We're all going to wear red and black and have 'Freedom Run
1865' on our shirts. We'll have a stand at the expo."
If you can't make Sunday's race here, there
is time to get in shape. Next year's NBMA event will take place in
Arizona
on Feb. 17, 2008.
For more information, go to blackmarathoners.org
or teammarathon.org.
Top
Heart & Soul
(www.HeartandSoul.com)
August / September 2006
What Makes a Marathoner & Going the Distance
By Carolyn White
Going the Distance
For years, African-Americans have dominated the
world of competitive sprinting, but been far less visible in
distance racing. The two-year old National Black Marathoners'
Association wants to shine the spotlight on the growing number of
African-Americans who are not afraid to tackle a 26.2-mile race,
says Atlanta-based co-founder Charlotte Simmons. "When I
started running 20 years ago, there were no African-American
marathoners," she says. "Our goal is to be visible in our
red shirts and black shorts that nobody will ever question if
African Americans run marathons again."
So far the group has 225 members nationwide. Next
year's event: The Rite-Aid Cleveland Marathon and Half Marathon on
May 20.
What Makes a Marathoner?
- Angela Ivory Realized a Dream, One Mile at a
Time
Don't be deceived by Angela Ivory's Southern charm and
modesty. This diminutive 5-foot-4, 135 pound runner showed off the
heart of a champion and the spirit of an elite athlete when she ran
marathons in all 50 states.
Since she began her odyssey in 2001, Ivory has actually completed
67 marathons and 20 ultra marathons ranging from 30 to 50 miles.
Today, the Tennessee native, who lives and works in Nashville, is a
member of the Esteemed Fifty States Marathon Club. Although she had
a lifetime to complete her goal, Ivory squeezed in most of her
marathons in 2004 and 2005. "You set a goal. You accomplish it.
It makes you feel good," says the iron-willed, 38-year-old,
whoo completes most of her marathons in less than 4.5 hours.
Why does Ivory run? "I tell people that I'm running from
this fat butt that keeps following me," she says with a laugh.
"I was trying not to gain weight and I went through the natural
progression - first the gym, then walking when I couldn't get to the
gym. Then I decided I wanted to boost my weigh control
regimen."
Today, weight is not Ivory's only concern. Three years ago, she
was diagnosed with breast cancer. "I'll tell you one thing:
Running a marathon is a lot easier than chemotherapy," she
says. "I'm doing fine now. I know that I exercised and ran
before this happened. But now, I'm motivated by the fact that
training hard could prevent me from getting any more cancer."
Although she ran only one marathon while undergoing chemo in 2003,
Ivory completed 15 marathons in 2004 and a combination of 47
marathons and ultramarathons in 2005.
While other marvel at her endurance and stamina, Ivory takes it
all in stride. "I don't think of marathons as grueling. I think
of them as fun. I just go out there and do what feels good and
natural to me."
Now that she's completed Goal No. 1, Ivory's ready for a new
challenge. "So far, I've done only 12 ultramarathons," she
says. "I'd love to do one of them in every state as well."
Top
Missouri Runner and Triathlete
September / October 2005
National Black Marathoners Association to Gather at Lewis & Clark
Marathon
By D.M. Strauss
Nearly 10 months after its founding, the National Black
Marathoners Association will stage its first group run at the fourth annual
Lewis & Clark Marathon, Sept. 18, in St. Charles, Missouri.
The organization, created last December, is the
brainchild of a small group of African American marathon runners who met at a
National Black Data Processing Associates meeting. Founder and executive
director Tony Reed, a Dallas CPA and IT consultant, spearheaded the effort to
register the organization.
The NBMA's mission is simple: to encourage black
Americans to pursue healthy lifestyles through running or walking; to meet en
masse for a single marathon that also offers shorter distances and to provide
scholarships to deserving high school distance runners.
The group expects to meet its initial goals in
September. Testimonials from new members pour in saying they began running or
walking for health reasons. Two scholarships to high school students have been
awarded and the first group run and meeting is scheduled.
The association is open to people of all ages who enjoy
running and walking. There are no annual dues although donations are encouraged
to help fund student scholarships. Members receive a newsletter and the
opportunity to meet fellow runners through a designated race. In addition, the
NBMA website features a list of African American running clubs and member
profiles. Membership exceeds 200.
"There's a 50-year age difference between our
youngest and oldest member and our members' backgrounds vary," says Reed.
"There are people who took up running 6 months ago who are looking for
group support and people who have been running for up to 40 years. But, like me,
they found themselves going to marathons and seeing only a handful of black
runners."
Race selection director Charlotte Simmons recognizes
the importance of the group's camaraderie. "I like running and I like
traveling," says the Atlanta resident. "But usually when I go to races
I don't have too many black marathoners. [Through NMBA] I enjoy being able to
find other African Americans who can travel and run races with me."
The Lewis & Clark Marathon was selected for its
variety of runs, a marathon and half-marathon, and St. Charles' proximity to
local attractions, Simmons says. Members are encouraged to wear red singlets and
black shorts on race day.
A vital component of the NBMA is its commitment to
encouraging healthier lifestyles. A St. Louis native, Reed was diagnosed with a
pre- diabetic condition as a child and made up his mind to become active in
sports. He ran cross country in high school, and jokes that he wasn't one of the
better runners. His allegiance to running came while he was a Washington
University student. He recalls reading Aerobics by Kenneth Cooper and finding a
section that addressed how healthy lifestyles could lower or even eliminate the
use of insulin among diabetics. Reed took to the road and hasn't stopped since.
Reed had an initial goal of running 50 marathons by the
time he turned 50. By the time that birthday rolled around he'd already
completed 68 marathons. He also set a goal of running 50 marathons in a single
state. He's done 51 in Texas. Now he's trying to run a marathon on every
continent; he spent his 50th birthday running in Australia's Gold Coast Airport
Marathon. "I just don't see any reason to quit," he says.
Top
Missouri Runner and Triathlete
September / October 2005
Lewis & Clark Marathon on Track to Hit Record Attendance
By D.M. Strauss
When the starting horn sounds on Sept. 18 at the fourth
annual Lewis & Clark Marathon in St. Charles, Missouri, race co-director
David Spetnagel will most likely be overseeing his most successful race to date.
The number of registrants was already 3 weeks ahead of
where it was last year by Aug. 1. More runners are coming from out of state and
the event will play host to the National Black Marathoners Association, which is
participating in the Lewis & Clark Marathon for its inaugural group run.
"It looks like we're going to hit the 3,000 mark
this year, " says an optimistic Spetnagel. "We could reach 3,500, but
I guess it could all come down to race weekend weather." The Lewis &
Clark Marathon debuted in 2002 with 1,500 entrants. The number climbed to 2,300
in 2003 and reached 2,800 in 2004.
The only difference in this year's schedule is the lack
of a marathon relay. That option was eliminated in 2005 when post-race surveys
showed more people were interested in completing a half-marathon, even if they
had to walk part of the way.
"We decided to put more focus on the marathon and
half-marathon and make it more novice-friendly if we could," Spetnagel
says. "If we continue to grow the race and the city of St. Charles
continues with its support, we'll consider adding a shorter event like a 5K to
bring in more families."
The half-marathon course consists of one loop that
starts and ends at the St. Charles Family Arena. Participants pass the Lewis
& Clark Campsite, the historic St. Charles antique district and enter Point
DuSable Park where they pick up the smooth-gravel Katy Trail. Later, it's back
to the roads and the Family Arena. Full marathon runners will run this same
course twice. With the exception of one 200-meter long hill, the course is flat
and spectator friendly.
Marathon and half-marathon entrants will have a chance
to receive the "Run Around Town" award. The award, announced in
February by the Lewis & Clark Marathon and the Spirit of St. Louis Marathon
& Family Fitness Weekend, honors those individuals who finish either the
marathon or half-marathon at the Spirit of St. Louis and complete either the
marathon or half-marathon at Lewis & Clark. Recipients will be awarded a
special medal recognizing their achievement.
While Spetnagel acknowledges the Lewis & Clark
Marathon may one day alter its course to accommodate growth, he's confident it
will remain a September event. He says many entrants include running part of the
Lewis & Clark Marathon in their preparation for the October LaSalle Bank
Chicago Marathon.
Top
The
Cincinatti Enquirer
Monday,
April 25, 2005
Promoting Healthier Lives -
Distance Runner Reed's Individual, Collective Goals Lead Him to Cincy
By Colleen Kane, Enquirer Staff Writer
Tony Reed points to the numbers
distributed by the American Heart Association during Black Heritage Month.
Forty percent of
African-American women and 41 percent of African-American men have
cardiovascular disease, with a 1.5 percent greater rate of heart disease death
than Caucasians because of higher blood pressure. Of African-Americans, 68.3
percent of women and 58.4 percent of men are overweight, and 46 percent of men
and 57.1 percent of women are sedentary, "with no leisure-time physical
activity." Reed also points out figures from the American Diabetes
Association that state that 11.7 percent of African-Americans have diabetes.
Reed is determined
not to be one of those numbers, so he puts up a big number of his own - 65, as
in marathons run.
Reed, a
49-year-old Dallas CPA, college accounting teacher, Texas Instruments IT
consultant and executive director of the National Black Marathoners'
Association, will run his 66th marathon Sunday at the Flying Pig Marathon. After
reaching his goal of running 50 marathons by his 50th birthday a couple years
early, he is running a marathon a month during his 50th birthday year, including
one July 3 in Australia - his 50th birthday (July 2 in the U.S.).
It's all part of
his way to stay healthy. As a child, Reed was diagnosed with glucosuria, a
condition where glucose is found in the urine. Doctors told him that by age 20
he would probably have to take insulin. As a high school student, Reed worked
with a cook at a barbecue restaurant that lost an eye and a leg to diabetes.
So he began to
focus on staying active, playing sports in high school and then running his
first marathon in 1982. He has yet to take insulin. Now he's hoping to help
other African-Americans. He founded the NBMA after meeting other runners at a
national conference for the Black Data Processing Associates.
"We talked
about the fact that many of us had medical issues that led us to running,"
Reed said. "None of us wanted to experience those things, so we'd try to go
running three or four days a week." The idea for a national organization
that would promote healthy living through distance running was born and began to
take shape this December.
"We want to
get more African-Americans involved in a healthy lifestyle, to turn off the
television," Reed said. "There's a lack of involvement in fitness
activity. There's the idea that when people get out of high school and college
instead of participating in sports, they watch sports."
The NBMA has
already gained support in 18 states with official membership for the no-dues
organization nearing 200, with an average age of 43, Reed said. They plan to
meet in September at the Lewis and Clark Marathon in St. Charles, Mo., where
they will wear the same color jersey to help inspire others.
But Reed also
wants more. Recently, he returned to his hometown for the Spirit of St. Louis
Marathon, which ran by the site of the housing projects in which he grew up. As
he ran by, a group of young black children started running with them. "I
thought if we could somehow instill fitness in the minds of young kids. If they
see us out there, then as they get older they will also want to stay
active," he said.
So the NBMA has
set up a fund that will award a scholarships to senior high school distance
runners, promoting both fitness and education, Reed said. The group has also
talked to an educator in Washington D.C. about starting fitness programs in
inner-city schools.
Until then, Reed
keeps running, thinking of one of the many people he met in one of his many
marathons along his journey. "He said he stopped watching sports on
television. He said, 'In the time I spend watching athletes on television, I can
become my own athlete.' So whenever he wants to look at an athlete, he looks in
the mirror," Reed said. "There's too much worshipping the athletes on
TV. We can be our own athletes."
Article Side
Bar
NATIONAL BLACK
MARATHONERS' ASSOCIATION
What: An
organization created in December to encourage black Americans to pursue a
healthy lifestyle through long-distance running.
Members: About 175 in 18 states, according to Reed.
Events: Meeting at this September's Lewis and Clark Marathon in St. Charles, Mo.
Fees: None, although people are encouraged to donate to the scholarship fund,
which will award scholarships to high school seniors who participate in running
events longer than 1,500 meters. (Deadline for application is May 15.)
Visit: www.Blackmarathoners.org
Others: The Avondale Running Club, which coordinates weekend runs, monthly
meetings and a Flying Pig water station.
Visit www.avondalerunningclub.com
Top
The
Cincinatti Enquirer - Editorial
Tuesday,
April 26, 2005
Healthy Gains for Black Runners
Dallas CPA Tony
Reed has run 65 marathons and, in the process, outrun diabetes. When he competes
in Sunday's Flying Pig Marathon, he'll be running with a message:
African-Americans are at high risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and
diabetes, and regular exercise, such as running, can help cut those risks.
As founder and
president of the National Black Marathoners' Association, Reed is zigzagging the
nation to underscore numbers that he thinks are too often overlooked.
African-Americans have one of the highest rates of hypertension in the world. In
the United States, they have the greatest risk of cardiovascular disease and
stroke of any ethnic group. Now, better than 40 percent of African-American
adults have cardiovascular disease, and more than 100,000 will die of heart
attacks or strokes each year.
Reed knows the
statistics on diabetes even more intimately. As a child, he was diagnosed with a
pre-diabetic condition and told he'd be taking insulin by the time he was 20. To
keep it at bay, he ran. Now, still insulin-free, he competes to let people know
that nearly 12 percent of African-Americans have diabetes and many more are at
high risk of it, including many children.
These are numbers,
he reminds black Americans, that they don't have to accept.
We applaud the
black marathoners' association for taking on these health risks in an inspiring
and engaging manner. They are challenging African-Americans to take their health
into their own hands, to forgo being a spectator to others' athletic pursuits
and to become athletes themselves. That's terrific advice for everyone.
The marathoners
understand that fitness - and, conversely, lack of fitness - begin in childhood,
and that once begun, either habit is hard to break. The association is promoting
running among youth by sponsoring college scholarships for distance runners and
by encouraging urban schools to do more to encourage fitness.
The group also
understands that when it comes to health habits, children are better led than
pushed. They're hoping to lure children to running by encouraging cities to
include more children's events in marathon festivities and to promote those
programs at inner-city schools.
The Flying Pig now
features a health and activity clinic for children and the Kahn's Flying Piglet
Fun Run that has activities for infants, toddlers and older children. A 5K run
is especially geared to teenagers and older children.
Inclusiveness and
visibility are keys to attracting minorities to sports. In recent years, such
sports as golf and tennis have widened their participant base and their audience
by having successful and widely known minority athletes. The black marathoners
hope to raise their own visibility by wearing the same color of jerseys during
races, and they hope more marathon courses will include African-American
neighborhoods.
Hook young people
into running, they believe, and the health benefits will last a lifetime.
Top
Running
Times Magazine
May,
2005, page 8
Heard
on the Run
A new organization has been
formed to promote distance running in the African-American community. According
to their mission statement, the National Black Marathoners' Association (www.blackmarathoners.org)
seeks to encourage a healthy lifestyle that involves long-distance running and
walking. Among their plans are to bring together African-American distance
runners at a single marathon in the U.S., and to provide scholarships to
deserving African-American high school distance runners.
Top
Runner's
World Magazine at www.RunnersWorld.com
February 28,
2005
A Brief Chat
with Tony Reed
Tony Reed of
Dallas, who ran 50 marathons in the state of Texas before his 50th birthday
(he's 49), is President of the National Black Marathoners Association, a
not-for-profit organization promoting distance running among African-American
adults and offering scholarships to Black high school distance runners. The NBMA
is concerned about combating increasing diabetes rates among African-Americans,
and aims to decrease diabetes-related complications like blindness and
amputations. One aim is in encourage distance running and walking as
alternatives to insulin dependency. The organization's own website is www.BlackMarathoners.org.
Reed is an information technology director and a certified public accountant and
teaches accounting and tax courses. Originally from St. Louis, he attended
Washington University and Webster University (both in St. Louis) as an
undergraduate. Reed has an MBA in management from Abilene Christian and an MS in
accounting from the University of Texas in Dallas. His fastest marathon was a
3:36 in Dallas "20 years ago when I was 20 pounds lighter."
Runner's World Daily: Tell us how the National Black Marathoners
Association came into being.
Tony Reed: Several of us had been tossing it (the idea) about for several
years. Things finally reached a head at a National Black Data Processing
Conference in Chicago, where I was making a presentation, which had to do with
goal-setting. During the presentation, I mentioned that I had run, at that time
47 or 48 marathons, with the goal of completing 50 before I turned 50.
Afterwards, several people approached me and said they really had never met an
African-American who had run that many marathons. So we all started talking and
they said "when you get ready to run your 50th one, let us know and we'll
see if we can make it." They actually ended up running it. While we were
running, we really tried to lay the foundation for this organization, talking
about how we could communicate, how we could keep people abreast of what was
going on. At the same time, we started talking about the different medical
issues that all of us were having to face and deal with. Diabetes was one of the
major ones. Based on that - and this goes back to about a year and a half ago -
all of us kept in contact with each other and decided now was a good time to go
ahead and form the organization, and also focus on promoting distance running to
high school students in the hopes that they will continue that on after high
school even if they don't compete at the college level. We try to stress to them
that this is a lifelong sport that you can do up until you're 70, 80, or 90
years old even.
RWD: And you personally have run 50
marathons in one state, Texas?
TR: Yes. It was actually about 15
(Dallas) White Rock Marathons, 17 Cowtown (Fort Worth) Marathons, plus Houston,
Austin, San Antonio, and Lubbock, and Wills Point. I've run in some marathons
that had as few as 39 finishers.
RWD: We sometimes hear that diabetes
and heart disease rates are higher among Black Americans. Apparently, you're
trying to raise awareness about those matters.
TR: Yes. For example, when I was
somewhere between eight to ten years old, I was diagnosed with a condition
called glucosuria. That's a medical condition in which you have sugar spilling
into your urine but not into your blood. It's a pre-diabetic condition. I was
told that by the time I was in my late teens or early 20s, I would probably be a
diabetic and I would become insulin-dependent. But fortunately, I participated
in sports all through high school, including cross-country and track and I
didn't have to take any injections. And then when I went to college, one of the
required reading books was "Aerobics" by Kenneth Cooper. There were
paragraphs about the fact that people who maintain a healthy lifestyle are able
to either lower their insulin or go completely off of insulin (injections). I
decided to continue running as a way of keeping that at bay, and as of yet, I
haven't had to take any insulin. I'm not on a special diet or anything like
that.
RWD: Do you see a lack of interest in
distance running among Black athletes? Is it undervalued by Blacks, and do
coaches tend to push Black athletes into other events?
TR: I don't exactly consider distance
running to be what you'd call a glamour sport. It's not on television very much.
It takes a lot of time in order to become proficient at it. In the high schools,
it's not exactly something that's pushed or stressed that much. And it's tough
to train in the inner city where there are not a lot of parks, places where they
could go out and do proper training.
RWD: How are you going to go about
creating more interest in distance running among high school kids?
TR: That's where the scholarship
comes in. A number of the marathons now are looking at involving elementary
school kids into the festivities, perhaps by having 1K races and 5K races (in
conjunction with the marathons). We're going to try and work with race directors
to also be more inclusive of the various inner city schools. I was really
impressed with the fact that the St. Louis Marathon actually went through the
inner city and the African-American Community the way the course was laid out.
It literally ran right by the projects I grew up in, and I was amazed that they
did that. And the Black kids that were there were able to watch and see us. I'm
hoping that instilled in them that just because you get to be 18 doesn't mean
you have to stop being an athlete.
RWD: What will people see at www.BlackMarathoners.org?
TR: One thing is that we are in the
process of selecting a marathon that individuals can show up at. There's no
membership fee, there's nothing for anybody to buy. All we are really trying to
do is get as many African-Americans together as we can in a marathon, and
everyone will run in the same color jersey. We want to encourage others to run.
It'll also be an opportunity for us to get together and perhaps start
identifying the next races, and start working together more as a team.
Hopefully, when people go to website, they'll see that we are accepting
donations for the high school scholarship. We're actually looking to have our
first ones awarded toward the end of this year. If we're able to secure enough
funds before the school year is out, we may go ahead and award one this
semester.
RWD: Will you be looking for a
recipient who is a fairly established and successful high school distance
runner?
TR: I'm less concerned with the
person being a successful high school distance runner than I am that the person
(just) do distance running.
RWD: So it could be a good student
who runs a mile in 5:30.
TR: Correct. That would have been the
category that I probably would have fallen into. I had lots of fun, but wasn't
good enough for college (varsity).
Top
The
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Posted on Sun, Jan. 30, 2005
Runners Keep Sport in Step With Times
By Tracey Myers
Tony Reed was only a child when doctors told him he would be on insulin by
his late teens or early 20s. But Reed took up running in college, after he read
how aerobic activity keeps insulin levels normal. More than 20 years later, Reed
is still running. He never developed diabetes.
Running has been the exercise of
choice for millions over the last several decades, especially after Jim Fixx's
book, The Complete Book of Running, was released in the late 1970s. The book
became a phenomenon, and the running boom spread across the nation.
Reed, founder and executive director
of the National Black Marathoners' Association, said while the book didn't start
him on the track, it did affect him. "It made me realize that, as I got
older, I didn't necessarily have to stop because I got older," Reed said.
"Age was more of a mental thing than a physical thing. That really got me
to embrace running as a lifelong sport."
The first running boom began in the
mid-1970s, after Frank Shorter became the first American to win the Olympic
marathon in 64 years at the 1972 Games. He won the silver in 1976 and then, in
1977, Fixx's book was released. "That first real boom there was a lot of
competitiveness, when people wanted to be the next fast person," said Dave
Watt, executive director of the American Running Association. "That's
distinguished from the second boom, which a lot attribute to the emergence of
the more fitness-oriented runner."
Dr. Tom Kleuser's love of running
was born in the mid-1980s, not long after his sister ran the Cowtown Marathon.
The 54-year-old Kleuser began running 10Ks, then moved to the marathon when he
realized it wasn't as crowded. He has run the Cowtown 19 times. This year's will
be his 67th marathon. "It takes more dedication, but it's nice to have that
sense of accomplishment," Kleuser said. "People think you're so
awesome."
In these days of hectic work
schedules and hectic lives, it is sometimes hard to fit in a trip to the gym or
an exercise class. Some runners say running gives them some flexibility.
"I'm busy and I spend a lot of time doing different things," said Fred
Harvey, president of the Cowtown board of directors. "You can stay in good
shape running 45 minutes, five days a week."
The emphasis on running might not
have ever been as critical as it is now. With obesity, especially in children,
spiraling out of control, Watt said his group's focus is to remind people to get
moving. Now. "We're trying to get more people overall active and not be
obsessed about developing the next elite athlete," Watt said. "We're
trying to challenge those out there to have a moral obligation to their friends
or relatives, and get them moving with some type of activity."
Top
Runner's World Magazine
at www.RunnersWorld.com
January 23, 2005
Daily Bookmark
The National Black Marathoners'
Association (NBMA) is a not-for-profit organization that promotes distance
running to African-American adults and offers scholarships to African-American
high school distance runners. Scholarships will be awarded to a high school
senior, boy and girl, who competes in distance events (1500m+ &
cross-country). Also, every year the NBMA will choose a multi-race (marathon +
other distances) for its members to participate in, en masse, wearing a uniform
color jersey to promote their mission. With the increasing rates of diabetes
among African-Americans and the related complications, this organization
encourages distance running and walking as an alternative to becoming
insulin-dependent.
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