‘Ironmen’ Ready To Run Ogden Newspapers Half Marathon For 47th Time
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WHEELING -- And then there were three ... and this trio of "Ironmen" is ready to tackle the Ogden Newspapers Half-Marathon Classic for a 47th time this weekend.
Pat Cronin, Michael Lemaster and Tim Cogan will lace up their shoes once again as part of the Ogden Newspapers Wellness Weekend presented by WVU Medicine. The three are the only three left to have run every Ogden Newspapers Half Marathon Classic since its inception in 1977, when the race was sponsored by Elby's Family Restaurant. The only years they haven't officially hit the course is when the race was suspended for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cronin said the Ironmen started out with around two dozen men, but those numbers slowly dwindled over time. With Cronin at 71 years old, Lemasters at 64 and Cogan at 77, they all said they're just hoping to finish the race. Yet each of them used to set time goals in past races.
Cronin said he loves running, which is why he's continued to race every year. He added when the race started, a running movement became popular in the country.
R. "Scat" Scatterday, the race's longtime director who died in 2019, coined the term "Ironmen" for the group because they had run in every race. Cronin has been preparing for the race by going out and training, with training that is not as rigorous as years before.
"Frankly, I'm looking forward to finishing it, finishing the race," he said. "I have no no real time goal in mind. Age and training have taken their toll, but it’s still something that I want to try to do as long as I can."
Cronin noted his best time finishing the race was an hour and 12 minutes, which was shortly after the inception of the race. He said his goal is to just get another one under his belt.
Cronin and Lemaster said their favorite year of the race was 1979. Cronin said because it rained and he enjoyed the fun element it brought, while Lemaster said popular big-name runners came in for the race and ended up staying in the room next door to him. So he got a chance, with a friend of his, to interact with him a lot, go on a training run with them and hang out together.
Cronin wanted to thank all of the sponsors and volunteers of the race who have made it possible every year.
Lemaster started running in the race when he was in high school after he had to leave the track team for work purposes. He has kept up with it since.
"Initially, it was really kind of fun and once again, I wanted to keep running," he said. "This is one of the races that I thought I would just keep on my calendar. But over the years, it’s just sort of become a tradition."
Lemaster's goal is to also just finish the race, saying he may not be able to run a great time anymore, but if he crosses the finish line, it's fun and worth it.
Lemaster has been trying to get out and run for whatever he feels is needed that day to prepare.
He said his favorite thing about running is the health benefits and the ability to break away from everything and be by yourself when running.
"Now I’m just happy to finish. That’s kind of what will make it different. From past years I thought 'I wanted to be halfway at this time, or try to finish in a certain time frame," he said. "This year, it’ll be different."
Cogan got interested in running years ago when a doctor named Lee Jones from Wheeling got a lot of people involved in running, including him.
Cogan described himself as stubborn, saying that's why he's kept up with the race all these years.
"I’ve been lucky. I haven’t been injured. I’ve had some operations. I’ve scheduled them in the off season part of the year, so I could recover long enough to still run the race," he said. "It’s just a part of my schedule."
Cogan added it takes him a while to run the race because of his operations, including a new titanium hip that won't let him run fast. He also has to wear knee braces.
He said running is normal to him and described it as breathing.
"It’s just sort of normal. It keeps me in whatever balance I maintain," he said. "It’s like saying, 'What’s your favorite thing about breathing?' What’s your favorite thing about eating?' It’s just normal. For a while, I swam in addition but it didn’t quite give me the slight high that running does."
Outside of the race, Cogan usually runs with his dog. He's been preparing a little bit by trying to get out and run more than usual.
Cogan is looking forward to trying not to come last, as in past years he has, but he still describes himself as a bit competitive.
"This is just part of my life," Cogan said. "I can’t imagine what I’m gonna be like when I really can’t do it anymore."
Cogan thinks the name Ironmen is a great honor to describe the three men left.
"It’s an honor, and it’s especially an honor when I think of these guys, I look at the list of people ... Some of the guys that were in our group and had to drop out. They were tremendous runners, just tremendous. And to think that I’m still doing it in some fashion, and they are not is
is mystifying to me."