250th Column
- By Doug Kurtis
Free Press Columnist

Last week was my 250th column. I faithfully have shared running information every week for the past five years, and it has been a privilege. Some highlights of the past 50 columns:

·   Promoting and supporting running events is my duty and should be for all who call themselves runners. The Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank Marathon and Half Marathon, the Fifth Third River Bank Run and the Crim are the big three in my book. The Detroit Turkey Trot and Dexter Ann Arbor runs are usually on my writing roster.

·   Races that have been around for more than 20 years deserve acknowledgement. They include the Hillsdale Gina Relays, Borgess Run for Health in Kalamazoo, Clark Lake, Run Thru Hell and Oak Apple Runs.

·   Recognizing out-of-state races provides a destination idea you might not have thought about otherwise. The Las Vegas Marathon is a great place to race, gamble and sightsee. With the Devine Racing organization behind it, runners worldwide will put this one on their list.

·   The Country Music Marathon in Nashville is one of five music marathons put on by Elite Racing. They have become a huge draw for many marathoners and half-marathoners. For me, Nashville was a perfect excuse to visit some friends as well as witness this organization's operations.

·   I get the most e-mail when I write columns featuring specific individuals. Kermit Ambrose, the 95-year-old Royal Oak resident who is a fixture in Michigan running for the many roles he has filled, was a fascinating interview. I dined with him several times and was amazed at his recollection of high school and college experiences. It was a pleasure to highlight former Michigan State runner Stan Mavis, who left Brooks Sports earlier this year to become the president of Sugoi Performance Apparel. It had the connection of his success at Michigan State as a runner and his support of the Hanson's Distance Running Project.

·   Book reviews take a lot of time, yet are fun when I've met the person behind the writing. Dick Beardsley is one of the nicest runners I've met and his biography was heart wrenching. Marybeth Dillon-Butler has been supporting our running community since the '70s, which made it easy to promote her children's book, "Myrtle the Hurdler and her Pink and Purple, Polka-Dotted Girdle." I first met coach Bill Squires at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. He was long overdue to share his training ideas in a book. Serious runners should check out "Speed With Endurance," which he developed with another coach, Bruce Lehane.

·   My review of the 2004 Canadian movie "Saint Ralph" is one of my favorite columns. It was a bonus to discover that writer and director Michael McGowan won the Free Press Marathon. If you haven't rented the movie it's worth your time, especially if you are thinking of running the Boston Marathon.

I appreciate when you share your thoughts with me both at races and from email responses.  Rarely do I get phone calls except the humorous (and often hysterical) ones from fellow writer Bill Laitner. Please don't hesitate to give me feedback.

Contact Doug Kurtis at Detroit Free Press, 600 W. Fort St. Detroit, 48226