Many runners are passionate about their running.  Some run races every weekend, some prefer to keep a low profile and just run to stay in shape.  Over the past thirty plus years of running I've met all kinds of runners.  Here is a cross section of runners that may provide some insight into why runners love to run.

Nancy Marcotte lives in Ann Arbor and has been running on and off for 25 years. One year, at the Dexter /Ann Arbor 10K, she dropped her then husband off and went to the finish with her two kids to wait for him.  As she watched everyone finishing, the energy and determination on their faces excited her.  She liked seeing so many happy people and the fitness of their bodies.   Marcotte said to herself, "well you could plan on standing around at a lot of finish lines or start running". She began the next day.  The Dex/A2 was one of her favorite races but recent changes and the loss of beer at the finish line has her scouting for new ones. Marcotte leads one of the local Hash House Harriers and is affectionately known by her friends as Mother Inferior.   Hashing is her favorite and most frequently enjoyed running activity.  The camaraderie keeps her coming out rain, snow or shine.

Amy Masternak, from Livonia, has been running for 22 years.  She looks too young to have been running that long.  Masternak loves night races such as the Fantasy 5K, Treadmill/Zanglin and Allen Park Street Fair.   She finds it harder to get up for early morning races but loves Frankenmuth's 4th of July race, " where there's beer for those who win a beer stein".  Mackinac Island's Great Turtle race and the Michigan Trail 1/2 marathon on the Potowatomie are tough but the trails make it worthwhile.  Out of town favorites include the Ice Age 50K in Wisconsin, Montana's Grizzly Marathon and Pikes Peak Marathon for its real hill workout.   

Masternak loves the feeling you get when you're done with a good run or fast race.  "Makes you really feel like you've accomplished something, no matter what pace you run, even on a day when everything else may have gone wrong".  She also loves the people she has met from all over the country with all sorts of running experience.  "You get to hear stories of races they've done and their opinions on everything from training to injuries.  Just be careful who you ask about their running though or you might be there a while".    One highlight was meeting her boyfriend Roman Krzyzanowski while running.

Brad Behrman from Plymouth has been running regularly since 1972 and began racing in l973 while living in Boston.  He loved Boston's small running community and races with big name stars like Bill Rodgers and John A. Kelly.   It seems natural that he loves the Boston Marathon. "Because it's been the biggest, most well supported single day event in that city for so many years and has so much tradition".  His favorite Michigan races are the Dexter to Ann Arbor Run and the Great Lakes Relay.

Behrman enjoys the benefits of regular physical activity.  He chose running because he loves being outdoors in the fresh air, at any time of day nearly any day of the year and either alone or with others.  He especially loves cool, quiet morning runs on trails or isolated bicycle paths through scenic parks or shorelines, places you can't go in a car.  He stays motivated to run regularly though his running group the Downtown Runners and by entering occasional races.  Per Behrman, " Running helps keep you feeling young.  I don't feel any older today than I did when I first started running thirty years ago, and I feel especially energized the day after a good hard run. Running is a great way to keep in shape for other activities such as tennis".

Philip Hartley Jr. lives in Northville has running for 22 years. He started running to maintain his weight after he quit smoking. Per Hartley, "There are not many things that are harder to do than trying to run after you've smoked for 15 years. Especially in the early 80s when there were few running clubs to help support you.

 The Dexter- AA 1/2 marathon, Crim 10 miler, Grosse Isle 5 miler and Trail 1/2 marathon in Pinckney are among his favorite races.  Per Hartley, "Races make me feel good about myself, it gives me a sense of accomplishment. Running encourages me to take better care of my whole self, both physically and mentally.   I eat better, and with the proper amount of rest, I'm more alert to things around me".   Hartley thinks runners look younger than there age and also finds that running is a great stress relief.

Hartley has met a lot of great friends and acquaintances through running and finds that runners are always very upbeat and friendly. Thanks to one running friend, he met the love of his life to whom he has been married for 17 years.