Maybe it is because I have a good memory or a love of history or a combination of both that I chose to write an article about some of the DC region's living running legends. These are folks who have run for better than 20 years at a fairly competitive level. This means, at the very least, college to the present. In some cases it dates back to elementary and high-school.

When most athletes who perform at a high level are retired or burned out by their early to mid 30s, these warriors have persevered through the multitude of ups and downs of life and found a way to keep running as a stable partner through it all.

David Haaga
I first met Dave Haaga, formally that is, while waiting in line at the porta-potties at the Leesburg 20K three or four years ago. I had seen Dave at races before and always was impressed by his red beard and kneepads. He is a true running warrior. Anyway, on this morning, Dave was waiting in line reading the financial section of the NY Times. I thought to myself, "Well at least he is interested in how the real world truly operates." I struck up a conversation with him and the rest is history.

Dave grew up in Bethesda and was an okay runner in high school. Clearly, he had more potential in academics as he went on to Harvard. He was a decent runner in college but nothing to write home about. After college, he went to graduate school to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology. For the next seven to eight years, his life was consumed with school and family, and he ran only to stay in shape. In his mid-30s he came back to the DC area and picked up running as a competitive endeavor once again. From his late 30s throughout his 40s, Dave has been a regular top finisher in his age group. Below is a list of some the accomplishments Dave is most proud of.

Martha Merz
It was the name Martha Merz that first brought her to my attention. What a cool name I thought to myself. Sounds like a runner, I kept thinking. I soon discovered how good a runner she has been and is.

Martha has been involved in the DC running scene for more than 30 years, going back to her high school years. She grew up in Potomac, MD, and ran for Seneca Valley High School in Germantown. It is in college and beyond that she excelled. Some of her accomplishments in the running world are:

* All American honors at Gettysburg College in cross country
* 2007 Marine Corps Marathon (2:56) at age 45, 
* Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10-miler 2000 (59:51) 
* A PR 59:09 in 2002 at the Credit Union Cherry Blossom
* Setting the masters record of 59:49 at the 2002 Army 10 
Miler, 
* Running 40 races in her 40th year . . . and still setting 
PRs  
* GW Parkway Classic 1985, her first road race, which she won. 
It is the race that kept her coming back all these years. 

Martha maintains her love of running because she has a very balanced life and keeps running in perspective. She is a mother of three and is, first and foremost, dedicated to her family. Yes, she gets in her daily runs but not at the expense of taking the kids to lacrosse, etc. Her husband happens to be her favorite training partner.

Jim Hage
"The Legend" is how some refer to Jim Hage (photo by Jim Kelly). For such a humble and gracious soul, I am not sure if "The Legend" term is so necessary. Nevertheless, Jim Hage is our region's most distinguished male runner. With more than 32 years of competitive running and a running streak dating back to the summer of 1981 (the precise day unknown) running and Jim are married and forever intertwined.

Jim's running accomplishments are many including the following:

* Columbus Marathon 1992, 2:15:51
* Olympic Trials, 1992, 8th place, 2:16
* Marine Corps Marathon, winner 1988 and '89
* 1987 Philadelphia Distance Run, 1:04:30
* 1987 Cherry Blossom, 48:35
* These are in addition to the hundreds of other races 
Jim has won or placed highly, in the DC area and throughout the 
country.

One of the secrets of his success and longevity is that Jim has always known his limitations. For example, in 1992 he came in 8th at the Trials. He predicted he would come in 8th and did. This quality has perhaps made running fun rather than an endeavor filled with disappointments.

His love of the sport is reflected in his writing. Over the years he has written for numerous publications including the Washington Post, Washington Running Report, Running Times, and Runners World among others. When there is a big race in the DC area and Jim is not running it, he is almost always there to cover it for a local publication.

Of course, another key ingredient to his long-term success is that for the most part, he has remained injury free. I should note that, having recently turned 50, he is beginning to feel human as he is battling an Achilles strain. Despite some pain though, he continues to run every day and keep the streak alive. On a somewhat humorous note: Recently, on a trip to the Caribbean with his wife, Susan, the two of them were both diagnosed with a flu. Susan, pregnant, was quarantined. Jim spent a few moments in great fear thinking the same fate awaited him and wondering how he might escape from his room if he was quarantined. Fortunately, he was not and was able to go for a six mile run.

The streak and Jim survived to go on another day.

Alisa Harvey
Alisa Harvey is the region's most distinguished female runner. She is a four-time Olympic Trials qualifier, running the 800m, 1500m and the marathon; in addition, she has won more road races than she can count, including an outright win at the Victory Lakes 5K in Bristow last November. Like Jim, Dave, and Martha, she grew up in the area. She was born and raised in Alexandria, VA. She fell into running during high school where she soon excelled. Upon graduation in 1979, she went on to the University of Tennessee where she became an All American. Upon graduation she went professional and immediately began racing very seriously. Like many people in their 20s, she was torn between running and trying to enjoy her youth. She enjoyed dancing, dating, and being a 20-something. In retrospect, she did not give running and training the serious attention needed to make an Olympic team during those peak athletic years. Looking back, this is one of her regrets, as she knows she had the talent.

During her trials and tribulations as a pro runner she was married, had a child, got divorced, and lived in several areas of the country. In her mid-30s she came back to the DC area where she became a recognizable figure on the local road-racing scene. Often a winner or runner-up, Alisa was always game for the challenge.

In fact, it is the challenge and her competitive nature that has kept her going and going. Alisa loves to compete. Judging from the list below, it is clear that the competitive fire burns strong. Below is a list of her many running accomplishments:

*	1983 High School All-American, Track & Field
*	1983 Prep "Miler of the Year," Track & Field News
*	1986 NCAA Division I Outdoor 1500M Champion
*	1987 NCAA Division I Outdoor 800M and 1500M Runner-up
*	1987 World University Games, Zagreb, Yugoslavia
*	1988 U.S. Olympic Trials 1500M Finalist
*	1989 World Indoor Track Championships, Budapest, Hungary
*	1991 World Indoor Track Championships, Seville, Spain, 7th in 1500M
*	1991 Pan-American Games, Havana, Cuba, 1500m Gold, 800M Silver
*	1992 US Olympic Trials 800M and 1500M Finalist
*	1993 World Outdoor Track Championships, 1500M, Stuttgart, Germany
*	1996 U.S. Olympic Trials, 800M and 1500M Finalist
*	1998 Goodwill Games Women's Mile, Long Island, New York (4:29)
*	1998 Army Ten Miler Champion
*	1999 World Indoor Championships, 1500m, Maibashi, Japan
*	1999 Army Ten Miler Champion
*	1999 Richmond Marathon Runner-up (2:49:28)
*	2000 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon
*	2000 U.S. Olympic Trials 800M and 1500m
*	2000 Avon Women's Global 10K Championships, Milan, Italy
*	2003 Army Ten Miler Champion
*	2005 Marine Corps Marathon Senior Champion 
*	2006 W40 800M Masters Indoor U.S. Record (2:07.23)
*	2006 W40 Mile Masters Indoor U.S. and World Record (4:50)
*	2006 W40 Mile Masters Outdoor U.S. Record (4:46)
*	2006 Lady Volunteer (Univ. of Tenn.) Hall of Fame Inductee
*	2006 Army Ten Miler Open Champion, Masters Champion, and record holder
*	2007 W40 Mile Masters Indoor U.S. and World Record (4:47.)
*	2007 W40 800M Outdoor U.S. Record (2:07.56)
*	2007 U.S.A.T.F Masters Athlete of the Year  
*	2008 W40 800M Masters U.S. Record (2:05.75)
*	2008 W40 1500M Masters U.S. Record (4:26.18) 

Mark Malander
I first met Mark Malander (photo courtesy of brightroom.com) several years ago at the WAWA Ten Mile race out in Fredericksburg, VA. Mark was soaking his toes in the pool waiting to get his prize for being the first masters division runner. We struck up a conversation, and Mark told me about his running and commitment to the sport over the years. Like the other runners in this article, Mark has been running most of his life. He started running in grade school back in Minnesota and then became an All American runner at the Division 3 College of St. Thomas. Upon graduation, he went on to get a masters degree in geology. He then went to work for Mobile Oil in New Orleans. In his mid and late 20s, he was a prolific road racer in the New Orleans area. Like many, he got married, had kids, and his career blossomed; there went his running. For eight years or so, he ran only to stay in shape.

At age 40, he rediscovered his love for running. For the last nine and some odd years, Mark has been in the upper echelons of the local masters division of the Runner Rankings. He runs most distances up to 10 miles. He still loves to get on the track and run the mile and he almost always comes out to run the Credit Union Cherry Blossom (where he ran 57:48 to earn the grandmaster RRCA champion title for 2008) and Army Ten Mile races. Mark is aiming at having a terrific season this spring in the local DC racing circuit and to not slow down from prior years.

Some of Mark's accomplishments include the following:

All-time: 5K, 14:25; 8K, 23:50, New Orleans; 10K, 30:13, Crescent City Classic, New Orleans; half-marathon, 1:07, New Orleans; marathon, 2:25:19, Houston.

Master (2006): 8K, 27:11, St. Patrick's Day; 10K, 33:05, Pike's Peek; Marathon, 2:44, NYC; Mile, 4:42, Road Mile in Connecticut.

Chuck Moeser
Perhaps it is only fitting that I save Chuck Moeser as our last featured runner.

Where would the local running scene be without Chuck? He is our true running warrior and free spirit. I first remember Chuck at a Lawyers Have Heart 10K sometime back. There was this "old" shirtless guy with lots of muscles running like the wind. After the race he came up to me and said, "Hi, I'm Chuck Moeser, I am 48-years-old and just kicked your butt."

Chuck, unlike other runners interviewed for this article, is a grandmaster. This means he is out of his 40s and early 50s and is a young 56. Chuck began running when he got out of the Army in 1976. At that time he was a cross-country ski instructor at Waterville Valley in New Hampshire. He met up with some folks who decided to teach Chuck how to run. They trained him and soon he was running local races (in Speedos) and doing well. He ran his first marathon in Dartmouth New Hampshire in 1978 in khaki cutoffs and Chuck Taylor shoes. I am sure Chuck cut a dashing figure. Regardless, he ran 2:48 and from this point on dabbled in many marathons, running in the mid 2:20s to the 2:30s.

In 1991, Chuck moved to Sterling, VA where he started a construction business and took on the task of being one of the best runners around. By this time, he was 40 years old. Despite his rather "old" age for being a competitive runner, Chuck was able to almost always win the masters category and always place in the top 10 of the large DC area races.

What keeps Chuck motivated to run well into his 50s? He loves to stay fit, he loves people, and he loves attention. Beyond it all, Chuck has a great passion for the sport and this passion often rubs off on others. His best races/running experiences, in his own words:

"My best races, etc. are not necessarily my fastest nor are they all wins; but each one put me to a test against other runners who I was able to better. In 1992, I raced a 5K in Williamsburg -The Drachenfire. The top 25 finishers got to ride the roller coaster before the park opened. I ran 15:21 and set a then masters record for Virginia. We spent the day at Busch Gardens. Then I got on Amtrak overnight and ran Boston the next day. I ran 2:35 and hitchhiked home.

In 1994, I raced the Jingle Bell 10K in DC. I was in the lead pack for the first four miles. Then I started to fade to fifth. A friend of mine screamed at me to 'Get back in the race!' I did and worked my way back up to third at 5.9 miles. I promised myself I'd give all I had at the 6 mile mark no mater what happened. I did. I won. 32:15. I remember Jim Hage was covering the story for the Post and ran alongside me the last tenth of a mile yelling I was going to win.

In 1995, I raced the Mobile Masters mile at George Mason indoors. There were 12 runners in the race, including Frank Shorter and Bill Rodgers. I won in 4:35.

In 1995, I raced the Alexandria Turkey Trot. I rode to the race with my best friend, Ron Kulik. The entire way down to the race he badgered me about how slow I was and how he was going to beat me. My daughter, Rose, was in the car. At 3 miles we were both 100 meters back off of the pack. Ron kept yelling 'don't give up;' at 4 miles I kicked. Passed everyone and won the race. Both the open and the masters. Ron came in second. I had run much faster the year before and came in sixth. Ron didn't say a word on the way home. This year (2007) I ran 26:00, winning cash and a trophy.

In 1997, Rose was a sophomore at Broad Run High School. She raced the 800 and mile at the Loudoun County Track championships. She won both races. They changed her life.

In 2002, my son Lee was a sophomore at Broad Run High School. He raced the mile at a big invitational track meet in Winchester. He won in a PR of 4:39. That changed his life.

In 2003, at age 53, I raced the Steamtown Marathon and ran 2:37. That was fun because I got to run almost the whole race with a really good friend of mine, Chris Bain."

Summary

Well, we have seen a slight glimpse into the lives of these local running legends. What has and does keep them going is now more apparent. Furthermore, we see the commitment and drive needed to maintain optimal fitness and passion for the art of running over a lifetime. Thanks to all the local running legends for sharing some of yourself and I hope you continue to enjoy running and sharing it with us all.