While growing up in Chicago with her twin sister Barbara, Betty Blank participated in gymnastics and synchronized swimming. At twenty-one she began jogging as a hobby during the early years of a 17-year career as an Eastern Airlines flight attendant.

While in a flight crew lounge in New York, a co-worker asked if anyone would be interested in competing with him in the Trivera Twosome Ten Miler in New York. Despite the fact that the longest run in her life had been five miles, she considered the offer. After barely surviving a ten-mile run while on a layover in Texas, she agreed to compete. She finished the race in roughly ninety minutes.

The same person to whom she owes her competitive running career encouraged her to try a marathon. With eight weeks of training and aching knees, Blank finished the 1979 Marine Corps Marathon in 4:18. Mentally determined to lower her time, she acquired orthotics to treat those aching knees and four months later ran the Shamrock Marathon in 3:53. That same year she lowered her time at the New York Marathon to 3:20, qualifying for Boston.

Determined to run even faster, Blank began working out on the track with the Washington Running Club. In 1983, she was on the first place women's team at Boston where she finished in 3:04. The following year she set her half-marathon PR in Philadelphia (1:24:26). She also lowered her marathon PR to 3:02 in Chicago, where she was the fifth American female.

As a flight attendant she spent many hours running while on layovers. Ten years ago Blank started a personal training business, Betty Builds Better Bodies, that is affiliated with three health clubs and also goes to clients' homes. While at home she either runs and swims or runs and bikes each day. To date she has competed in 48 marathons, 31 triathlons, three Half-Ironmans, and 30 duathlons.

As a runner in the masters division, Blank is consistently ranked at the top of her age group in the Washington Running Report. Her best times as a master are Ferndale-Linthicum 5K (19:20), Alexandria Turkey Trot 8K (32:36), and the Georgetown Classic 10K (40:36).

At 47, she had a great year in 2000 and competed almost every weekend. Her goal is to stay at the top of her age group locally and to be ranked nationally. She trains regularly with the Northern Virginia Running Club and serves as the club's social director. She has helped with coaching new runners, workouts at Tuesday night track, and with longer club runs.

"It is not always easy to get motivated for early morning runs, but I love to compete against women in my age group each weekend. Running is not over at forty or fifty. Like wine, you can get better with age. Running is in my blood for life. I will always run, hopefully until I am 100," she says.

And we think she'll do it!