For most runners, dogs are something to avoid. For Joan Coven, an outstanding age-group runner from Williamsburg, dogs got her into the sport, and dogs are still a key part of her running life.

In 1993, when co-worker and friend Nancy Roeser found out that Coven had run for ten years with her golden retriever (more to exercise the dog, not herself), Roeser was persistent in trying to convince Coven, then 51, to get into organized running. Both worked for the mental health division of the Colonial Services Board in Williamsburg. Coven relented, and her first race was the CommonHealth Run for Wellness 5K at Eastern State Hospital on October 30, 1993, where she won the 50-59 age group in 25:58, still her slowest 5K ever.

Coven, an active member of the Colonial Road Runners, has many more age-group wins since 1993, and her 5K times have gotten considerably faster. One of the more remarkable aspects of Coven's running is that, even though she turned 60 last June, there has been no discernible slowing down through the years of her 5K times. If anything, she continues to get faster. From 1994 to '98, she ran in the 23's or 24's for all her 5K CRR races, including bests each year for 1994 (23:51), '95 (23:15), '96 (23:54), '97 (23:42) and '98 (23:01).

She had tried the weekly CRR interval sessions once in '94, but said, "I can't do this." Several years later she changed her mind, and returned to speedwork. "I wanted to be better," said Coven. "I could do the long-distance stuff on my own, but I really need a group to do intervals." The workouts helped, but it was retiring from her job as a community mental health nurse that led to a breakthrough in '99, when she had her two fastest 5Ks, a PR 22:22 at the Queens Lake 5K in April, and a 22:31 at the 5K Run for Mental Health in May, both at age 57.

That year was the first that she had a chance to run the Mental Health 5K. Coven and Roeser had founded the race in '94, and Coven was either co-race director or the sole race director through '98. After her PR in 1999, the millennial year saw a slight step backwards, but remarkable consistency with bests of 23:02, 23:00, 23:00 and 23:03 in CRR races. In 2001 she had a 22:32 at age 59 at Queens Lake in April, then a 22:48 at age 60 at the Hospice Run in September. Coven bettered that age-group best April 6 this year with a 22:40 at Queens Lake.

This year's Queens Lake race was also noteworthy, as Coven moved into the lead with 21 current age-group records in Colonial Road Runners Grand Prix events, moving past Rick Platt's total of 20 CRR records. The CRR have compiled five-year age records in all their races since 1993.

Before Coven turned 60, she was a perfect 12 for 12 for CRR race records, all in the 55-59 category, including the all-time CRR 55-59 mark of 22:22. She added the 60-64 all-time standard with her 22:48 in September, then bettered it with this year's 22:40.

From 1994-97, Coven was consistently beaten in her age group by Andrea Hess of Midlothian, including a memorable 23:14 to 23:15 loss at the '95 Governor's Land 5K. But since '98 Coven has a streak of 27 consecutive CRR races where she has been the first 50+ runner.

While Coven prefers the local CRR races ("It's the group I know"), she does test herself occasionally in longer or out-of- town races, including the 1999 Anheuser-Busch Colonial Half Marathon (a 1:52:50, where she beat Hess for the first time), the Shamrock 8K in Virginia Beach (where she usually wins her age group, including a PR 37:11 in '99), the '98 Bay Days 10K (48:59, her only 10K), the Yorktown Freedom Run 5K (with an age- group record 22:58 in '01), the Neptune Festival 8K (37:19 in '01), the Carter's Grove 8 Miler, and the Yorktown Battlefield 10 Miler (1:20:49 in '01).

Coven continues to exercise her dogs early each morning with a two-mile run, but dogs are now with her all day long. In 1998, Coven and her daughter-in-law Mattie Coven purchased the Stonehenge Kennel in Williamsburg, and the daily routine of running the kennel serves as cross training. Joan only has "official" runs (without her dogs) three times per week (Wednesday intervals, a long run on the weekends, and one other 4-5 mile run), but she also stairsteps twice a week (and occasionally rollerblades).

That Coven has become such an elite athlete is surprising considering her non-athletic background. She did no sports at Somerville (N.J.) High School (where she met her husband Glenn; they were married in '62), nor at Rutgers (class of '63). Glenn, a professor of law at William and Mary, and Joan moved to Williamsburg in 1983. While not a runner, Glenn is either the finish line coordinator or head finish line judge at most CRR races.