THE HISTORY OF ORGANIZED RUNNING IN OMAHA

_{Part 1: The Early Days by Lou Soukup}

Today, running is a mainstream activity. You can hardly read a newspaper or magazine without finding an article discussing obesity in America. The experts tell us exercise and diet are the keys to healthy lives - and very few people would disagree with that advice. Because, running and walking are the recommended forms of exercise, many people are either currently running - have tried running in the past - or are planning to run in the future. But it hasn't always been that way.

There was once a time when running was something kids did in school. Athletes ran to get in shape - mostly on a track. And men's track and cross-country were extracurricular options at most high schools and colleges. But once out of school - running was not something grown adults did. Personally, I competed in high school track and cross-country in the late 60's -- and remember being yelled at and harassed regularly when I would go for summer training runs. And it wasn't just me and my awkward style of running. My teammates would often discuss having bottles thrown at them, being "doored", and being heckled by passing motorists. Current ORC membership chairman Dick Burrows started running in 1970 - and agrees "there were not many people running" when he took up the sport. It was not a popular activity at all. In fact, he used to do his running at night so his neighbors wouldn't see him.

The birthplace of organized running in Omaha was Elmwood Park. Many people are aware that the current Omaha Running Club evolved from the Plains Track Club. But prior to that - we were the UNO (or Omaha University) Track Club. And before that - the Elmwood Park Track Club. Elmwood Park offered distance runners a place to meet and test their prowess - particularly during the summer. There wasn't a lot of organization - but there were lots of opportunities for competition and camaraderie.

Initially, Ken Gould laid out several cross country routes around the golf course - everywhere from two miles all the way to eight miles. On the track - there were midweek all-comers meets, and challenging events such as the pentathlon and even the septathalon. The entry fee was 50 cents. No T-shirts, no hardware, no published results and no overhead clocks. At the cross-country runs, the race director would start a stopwatch at the beginning of the race - and toss the watch behind a bush. The first one to finish retrieved the watch and called out times for the rest of the finishers. Being the guy to read times was an honor - of sorts. At the end of the summer - the entry fees paid for watermelons to celebrate the end of a season.

In the late 60's, the group that met was comprised mostly of elite college and high school athletes. The list includes many Big Eight and NAIA gold medal winners. Training runs were held daily - meets were once a week. Cross-country one week - track the next. There were also a few coaches who continued to run after graduation -- but it wasn't until the early 70's that "older" runners started to show up. Frank Perrone, one of Omaha's road racing pioneers, said that initially only he and three other guys "over the age of 30" were involved. The young, fast runners didn't seem to mind - and they stayed around and called out times until all the old guys had finished. Later, Air Force runners from Offutt heard about the runs and started to show up.

The mass media has always led the public to believe that the running boom started with Jim Fixx and his book The Complete Book of Running - which was published in 1977. But those who were running in the seventies - disagree with Fixxs role. According to Jim McMahon - the race director for the first Omaha Marathon in 1974 - running really took off after Frank Shorter won the marathon gold medal at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.

Suddenly, people became interested in running a marathon. In a period of a couple of years - marathons started showing up in every major city in the country. Runners World magazine really fueled the craze by publishing the fastest marathon, 10K, and 24 relay times in each of the 50 states.

It was a unique time. There was the excitement caused by Frank Shorter winning a gold medal. There were millions of baby boomers becoming concerned about their health - and their aging bodies. Dr. Kenneth Cooper wrote his first book describing the benefits of aerobic activity. And running was "in".

The Omaha running scene would change dramatically over the next few years. A fence would be erected on the Elmwood Park Golf Course - destroying the cross-country trails. There were older runners showing up for events - and they were more interested in road races than running track meets. The UNO track club would change gears and its name - to the Plains Track Club. The first road race would be held at Lake Manawa in 1973. A track coach at Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln named Mick Freeman would host the first event (and he is still at it today). Road races were popping up everywhere. Sporting goods stores, realizing the surge in running shoe sales - began sponsoring events. And soon, everyone wanted to get into the act.

I interviewed several people for this article - and there was one common theme with each of them. Everyone really had fun in those early days. Even though the events were simple - they provided a competitive outlet for those that wanted to test their abilities. Not only could you compete - but you could also be around people who shared your interests.

Continue History:

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12