Oct 22, 2007 Jim Soter - Running For MSAMS By Doug Kurtis

Jim Soter of Plymouth has run all but the first Free Press Flagstar Marathon. He was born and raised on the Westside of Detroit (Del Ray) and attended All Saints High School.



He missed the inaugural marathon in ‘78 because his kids were born just a year apart during that time. After that he wanted to stay in shape to play with them. “Once I started running I realized that it gave me a lot more energy, plus I started losing weight like crazy.”

Patty, his wife of 32 years, likes the shorter distance runs and is an excellent walker. She is the volunteer signage captain for the marathon. She also helps at the finish line.

Marathons that stand out: “The year the race finished at Tiger Stadium and I always liked the traditional finish on Belle Isle. It was something to look forward to because of the scenery and atmosphere, plus it always seemed to be a good day, weather wise.” He said the toughest and most discouraging year was when runners had to pass the finish line on the island and still had another mile to go.

Soter said the increase in participation hasn’t really affected his view of the race because he gets into a zone and is focused on what he needs to do. He senses the motion around him but pays more attention to running a reasonable pace.

His best time was 3:32, about ten years ago. “My times have gotten slower but the desire is still there. On race morning if I still have the butterflies, I know I’m OK. When I don’t have them anymore that’s when I know I’m going to quit. My dream is to qualify for Boston.”

Soter remembered one story from the Michigan Avenue years when a lady was standing near the twenty mile mark with a full length fur coat on. “A lot of us were really struggling at that point. She opened up her coat and all she had on was a bra and underwear. She yelled words of encouragement and walked down the street to another group of runners. It was something you couldn’t forget and it certainly took our mind away from the pain.”

Sorter now runs in the four hour range and frequently crosses paths with the same local people. One year when he started cramping up he came across fellow MSAMS team member Steve Nyquist. “He’s one runner that’s perfect to run with because he knows a little bit about everything. It took my mind off the cramps and we ran side by side the last seven miles until we crossed the finish line at Chene Park.”

“My training has changed over the years because I have other priorities, plus recovery takes a lot longer. In my hay day, I would do ten miles in the morning and whatever I could fit in during lunch at Ford’s Dynamometer Lab, which had tunnels that you could run through during the winter.” He often gets up at four or five in the morning to work out.

Soter likes the early quiet of the morning and runs from his home in Plymouth along Edward Hines Parkway. His whole family participates in the Father’s Day Run in Plymouth. He said it‘s the one day where he doesn’t feel guilty about consuming his time at a race. And he gets to spend time with his five grandchildren.

Since 1982, Soter has been part of MSAMS: Making Strides against Multiple Sclorosis. Until 2001 it was the only charity associated with the marathon. In 1993 it became an official team thanks to Tony Robino. It’s a group of about sixty runners who want to do something more than just the race. They develop awareness for the disease and hopefully help to find a cure. “MSAMS enabled me to take my marathon to a more personal level. For more than ten years I’ve been running for a particular individual that has MS. It’s a real motivator.” He estimates that he has raised over $40,000. Each year, his goal is to collect over $2,000 in donations through friends, co-workers and organizations he is involved with.