I had the privilege to spend some time with Fay Bradley on Saturday, July 17, 1999. This nationally-ranked runner has been living in our midst, but races here only occasionally because he travels to national class races around the country. After spending twenty-five years in the Washington, DC area as a medical doctor with the Public Health Service "running" several clinics, he will have moved back to Kansas by the time this article is published.

At age 61, Bradley spent his last Saturday in Washington, DC collecting age group awards at a small 5K near his home in Washington, DC in the morning and the festive Rockville Rotary Twilight 8K as an invited runner that night. Having disposed of his car, most of his possessions, and sold his home, I gave him a ride to Rockville and he reflected on track and field through the years. The following weekend he traveled to the Greater Clarksburg 10K in West Virginia, winning his age group there as well.

As a kid and as a student at Kansas State, Bradley competed in the 440 yard sprint, pole vault, and hurdle events on cinder tracks before middle-distance road races and marathons became popular. He attended Howard University Medical School and left the area for three years for residencies in Staten Island, New Orleans, and Galveston. Later he moved up to longer distances as road races became more popular in the 1970s.

Bradley competed at national races before age group categories were developed. As a masters (40-49), veteran (50-59), and senior (60-69) competitor, he has consistently been nationally ranked from 400 meter sprints to the marathon. For the past five years he says he has averaged thirty national races per year. While living in Washington, DC, he averaged 40 to 50 miles per week, usually in Potomac Park near his home. He also is a former president of the board of directors of the American Running and Fitness Association.

At the Indianapolis Life Half-Marathon in May he shared a room with fellow elite runner Daniel Kihara. I also was fortunate enough to spend time with Kihara and learn about his training and lifestyle. Kihara's name was brought up because I was playing music he had taped for me. It was inspirational Kenyan music that his training group uses to magically create a mood to prepare them for some serious training. Kihara and Bradley share the same philosophy of life. As Seventh Day Adventists, both believe in helping other people. His discussion of sub-five minute miles and sub-2:30 marathons as a masters runner no longer held his interest.

Bradley's other passion is his work helping others. In honor of his mother he is financing a church school in Haiti. The project is managed by Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama and workers at the National Association for the Prevention of Starvation. After settling in a new home in Wichita, KS, he will also work with an endowment he established for track athletes at his alma mater.

Bradley has been competing in the Indy Life Masters Circuit. For 1998 he ranked fourth in the country in the age-graded masters division according to USATF Road Running 1999. He received $2,500 for his performance. He also had three of the top six performances for his age group in 1998: the Nortel Networks Cherry Blossom Ten Mile (58:58), Sallie Mae 10K (35:53), and the Indianapolis Life Half-Marathon (1:19:21).

When asked about the highlights of his career, he said the Boston Marathon was his favorite race. He has run twenty-two consecutive races with his best time being 2:26:45 at age 45. At age 59 he ran 4:54 at the Pennsylvania Avenue Mile and 53:38 at the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler while in his fifties. He has also run numerous 5Ks in the 16:00s and 10Ks in the 33:00s while in his fifties.

While not a frequent racer in Washington, DC, Bradley's was a familiar face at the races, and he will be missed. We wish him the best of luck in his new endeavors.