Category Archives: 10K

50 Years of Running: Cataclysmic convergence

Posted on April 20, 2023 by Christopher Cudworth

My competitive instincts had not abated much in my early forties, but one quickly learns as a caregiver that being competitive is not the answer to every problem. In fact, it constitutes an answer to few problems. It doesn’t help … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: Lessons learned

Posted on November 15, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

I can think of several big mistakes that I made during my competitive running career. The biggest blunder of all was running a 20-mile final training run the week before I was scheduled to compete in the Twin Cities Marathon. … Continue reading →

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Racing along with ease and joy

Posted on October 17, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

Yesterday on October 16, I competed in the Frank Lloyd Wright Races in Oak Park, Illinois. This was a return adventure to an event I won twice back in ’83 and ’84. That was 39 years ago. I ran 32:00 … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: Adventures in Race Direction

Posted on May 17, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

Working for the Boy Scouts of America in 1985, I inherited leadership of the annual Friends of Scouting 10K. Like most races in that era, the event drew between 200-300 people who paid an entry fee of $20-$30 for the … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: The Fuse

Posted on March 24, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

And the years that I spent lost in the mysteryFall away leaving only the sound of the drumLike a part of meIt speaks to the heart of meForget what life used to beYou are what you choose to beIt’s whatever … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: Exhaust fumes and lane changes

Posted on March 22, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

By November of 1984, I’d raced enough that by the 17th of November when I ran a 20:17 four-mile… that should have been enough to call it quits. But then my former coach and then-business associate Trent Richards got involved … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: An end to the city experiment

Posted on March 21, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

For almost two years my roommate and I made the best of our city life together. But both our lives were starting to change. His graduate work in exercise physiology at the University of Illinois-Chicago was winding down, and my … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: Hanging out with Bill Rodgers

Posted on March 18, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

My former coach and business associate Trent Richards ran a side hustle as a race director for road running events. He recruited his former athletes to work logistics, run timekeeping equipment and help with setup. It was always a bit … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: The Curse of Marathon Santa

Posted on March 16, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

In late September ’84, I was picking races closer to the suburbs as my time living in the city was coming to a close. Spotting an event listed in the Warrenville area, I signed up on race morning and lined … Continue reading →

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50 Years of Running: Noble causes and otherwise

Posted on March 15, 2022 by Christopher Cudworth

We didn’t even spend $500 on our trip out west to Colorado in mid-August 1984. Over the years, I’ve met other people traveling around the country on similarly meager funds. They always seemed happier than people spending tons of money … Continue reading →

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