Amby Burfoot

Amby Burfoot
Resides in: Emmaus
Years running: 48
Current age: 63
Websites: ambyburfoot.com
Blogs: peakperformance.runnersworld.com; footloose.runnersworld.com
Twitter: twitter.com/exerscience

What are some things you’ve learned about yourself from running?
That hard work pays off. That I’m a natural-born fidgeter: I can’t sit or stand still. I feel best when I’m moving. That I enjoy being alone. That I enjoy being with others. To everything, there is a season. That I most enjoy the simple things in life.

Best piece of running advice you’ve ever received?
To get off the beaten path and run in areas of natural beauty, where you can reinfuse your spirit while renewing your body.

What is the strangest/funniest thing that has happened to you on a run?
You mean, like when I was doing a solitary trail run, and turned a corner, and had to steeplechase jump over the two naked and intertwined bodies on the trail?

What is your favorite running mantra?
I’m not a mantra person. When I’m running, I like to just open my mind to whatever thoughts meander through. I find my thoughts immensely entertaining, even though I’m pretty sure no one else would give a damn. If I went fishing for a mantra, it would probably be: “Slow and steady wins the race.”

What would your family and friends tell us about your passion for running?
My wife would say I’m an exercise addict, since I spend an hour or two a day on our recumbent bike at home while reading books, newspapers, and magazines. My children would say that I’m really lucky to have found a passion that turned into an incredible job and took me on trips around the world. My sister would say that no matter how much I run, I’m still going to die, and maybe I should slow down at some point to smell the roses.

Who is your running hero?
Emil Zatopek, the great Czech runner who won the 5000, 10,000, and marathon at the 1952 Olympic Games–a feat unlikely to be equaled. He was the hardest trainer of all time (relative to his peers), a great experimenter, a polyglot, and perhaps the greatest sportsman and humanitarian ever among distance runners. He gave one of his 5 gold medals to Ron Clarke, who was never able to win one. He spoke openly and readily with all his peers and competitors (my high school coach John J. Kelley, the 1957 Boston Marathon winner, met Zatopek at the 1956 Olympics). When Russian tanks rolled into his homeland in 1968, Zatopek spoke up against the loss of freedom. The Russians responded by giving him a lowly job in a post office. I met Zatopek once in New York City in the late 1970s. He was a guest of the New York City Marathon in a nice hotel room in New York. He kept bustling about, bringing tea and a warm smile to me, Bill Rodgers, Frank Shorter, and a bunch of other running people in his room. He was so humble, so friendly, so engaging.

Favorite brand of running shoe?
Mizuno.

Most embarrassing race moment?
In college, I was winning a cross-country race by a comfortable margin, and circling a soccer field near the end of the race. When, all of a sudden, all the other runners appeared right in front of me on the same path but running in the opposite direction. We flew past each other like two trains on side-by-side tracks. Apparently I hadn’t listened very carefully to the pre-race instructions. I could have been disqualified, but the local race officials were good enough to figure I would have won in any event–I ran the exact same distance as the others–and they let the results stand.

What is your biggest running accomplishment and why?
Of course, I’m happy to be able to call myself a Boston Marathon winner (1968). My two finishes at the famous Comrades 54-miler in South Africa also stand out. But I’m proudest of my 47 straight finishes in the Manchester Road Race in Connecticut on Thanksgiving Day. I won as a high schooler, 9 times as an open runner, and the last 4 years in the 60+ division. As distance runners, I think many of us value consistency and years of continued fitness more highly than someone’s impressive PRs. I know I do.