[…] a national age-group level in events such as the 1,500 and 5,000. He trains by running gobs of miles and has many great stories to tell of the old days of racing. One of these days I’ll get these two guys to meet and maybe even stir up some friendly competition at a local race. I would bill it as a “race to the death.”

Origins

Joe and Lisa Herbert, a husband and wife team of chiropractors who love to run, founded the Medina County Road Runners Club in 2007. Soon thereafter, I became aware of the group, met Joe at a club race, and signed up. They seemed to be a friendly bunch at the time, but I wasn’t sure what to expect.

A week or two later, at a different race, a guy introduced himself as an MCRR club member and further welcomed me to the club. “Mayor” Ladd Clifford isn’t a real mayor; he’s just called that by his wife, Marsha, and his many friends because of his inquisitive but friendly, welcoming nature. “If he sees another runner ahead, he’ll sprint up there to get a good look at them, and, if they’re not already a member, invite them to join the MCRR,” relates Jeannine Nicholson, his sometime training partner.

“What? Someone from Medina won the Cleveland Half-Marathon, and we don’t even know her? We have to get her in the club!” Ladd was talking about Mandy Yates, whom he did later recruit. Mayor Ladd also makes it his personal goal to pace others to help them meet their own goals, whether those goals are to finish a first marathon or to get a Boston qualifier.

Ladd’s better half, Marsha, is—as every mayor’s wife should be—in charge of the club’s top-notch newsletter. She has done such a great job on gathering stories, race results, and photos that it appears that no one—but no one—can ever take that spot over for her. She has the job for life. Well, maybe.

Running husbands and wives

Mandy and Brian Yates ran competitively in college. They took some time off to have children and are now both competing once again (although now it’s on roads). In fact, Mandy qualified for the 2012 US Olympic Trials. Brian may be faster at shorter distances, but Mandy has done better at marathons and half-marathons. It’s interesting that we rarely see the two of them running together. With their kids still young, one of them usually has to stay home to let the other one run. In rare cases they can find a sitter or family member, enabling them both to come to the same race or training run. And once in a while they bring the kids so they can both show up at the club’s Tuesday evening track workouts.

Joe and Lisa Herbert’s kids are young enough that their parents rarely train or even race together. In fact, they and another married couple of competitive runners, Matt and Denise Young, usually take turns with an entire marathon training

[…] cycle. For example, Matt may do a spring marathon so Denise can train for one in the fall, with Lisa and Joe doing the same sort of thing.

What do you call a training partner who happens to be of the opposite sex but is not technically your own spouse? Why, that’s your “running husband” or “running wife,” of course. An example is Jeannine and Ladd. Another is Marsha Clifford and Charles Elkins. Charles trained hard and completed the Bataan Memorial Death March Marathon wearing a 35-pound backpack. Marsha and Charles have both had gastrointestinal problems while running long distances. There is a story about the two of them stopping at a porta-potty partway through a marathon, he in back and she inside, where they could hear each other’s “

There are other running husbands and wives, but it may be best to leave the

terrible noises.”

story as it is, other than to say that nothing has ever gone over to the other side; it’s never gone further than hearing strange noises coming from the running spouse. Really. I think.

Peer pressure

About a month before the event, Ladd and I became aware of a 24-hour run on New Year’s Eve in North Carolina. “I’ll go if you do,” we told each other during an early-morning run. That evening at the track I ran with Dan DeRosha, an

A fun little club track meet with several club members.

Ironman finisher who has never been known to back away from a challenge. I told Dan that Ladd and I would go if he would. Within six hours, all three of us were signed up. “Ladd’s an addict; he’Il do anything,” says Connie Gardner. Connie should talk. (Connie was the subject of a November/December 2009 Marathon & Beyond article. She is undoubtedly the MCRR’s most decorated runner.) A month later we took a road trip, ran an all-day-and-night ultra, and had plenty of stories to tell.

This is quite typical of how things work in the club. Someone gets an idea, makes it known to a few others, and it often begins to take on a life of its own. The peer-pressure angle doesn’t hurt, either.

Medina is a small Ohio town 33 miles southwest of Cleveland. The seat of Medina County, it has a historic town square, good schools, and along with surrounding areas, pretty, rural scenery. But there is something else about Medina: everybody tuns. No, it’s not Boulder or Eugene, but for its size, it boasts much more than its fair share of runners, and they come in all shapes, sizes, and abilities.

Much of this is the direct result of two related factors: Connie Gardner promulgates running’s virtues to everyone she bumps into (a lot of people), and the Medina County Road Runners collectively encourage folks of all abilities to get out and get moving.

© John McCarroll

As for the second factor, I haven’t figured out exactly what it is, but the phrase “something in the water” has been heard more than once. Medina High School, nearby Brunswick High School, and to a lesser extent, the other Medina County schools, have proven to be powerhouses in track and field and especially so in cross-country. Many top young runners have emerged and continue to appear. Unlike other cities where the only focus is football or basketball, folks in this community are aware of and support these kids, who often continue to run well at the college level at universities near and far.

Best of all is the attitude of some of the cross-country and track coaches with whom I’ve spoken. To paraphrase one (Jon Brenenstuhl, a club member), “I try to instill a love of running that will outlast their competitive career, regardless of their ability. This is something they can keep with them the rest of their lives.” Jon is not alone among the local coaches in this attitude.

Double trouble and the North Coast

Since it’s still young, the club organizes only two public club races: Double Trouble, a local 5K/10K, and the NorthCoast 24-Hour Endurance Run (NC24), a national championship ultramarathon, which takes place in Cleveland. Joe and Lisa organize Double Trouble, and I am the race director for NC24. There are a couple of other races that are directed by MCRR members.