我们跑马的又多了一个烈士。


所有跟贴·加跟贴·新语丝读书论坛

送交者: HunHunSheng 于 2006-12-11, 09:51:35:

Durango marathoner dies at race
Marc Witkes, 40, collapses near finish of Tucson event


December 11, 2006
By Thomas Munro | Herald Staff Writer

Marc Witkes, a leading light of the Durango running community and a Durango Herald columnist, died suddenly Sunday in the last mile of the Tucson Marathon.

The cause of death has not been determined, said Elizabeth Wright, spokeswoman for the Oro Valley Police Department. Witkes was 40.

From 1999-2005, Witkes was president of the Durango Motorless Transit Club, a running club boasting nearly 250 members. His replacement as club president, Marjorie Brinton, was running in the same marathon. Her husband, Scott Brinton, witnessed Witkes' collapse.

Scott Brinton said he had seen Witkes at the halfway and 19-mile points and he had appeared his normal focused self.

"He was going at his pace, and I turned my camera on to take a picture as he came by 26," Mr. Brinton said. As he pointed his camera at Witkes, the runner fell.

Mr. Brinton said two people quickly began to administer CPR to Witkes. Emergency services were called at 10:51 a.m., and Mr. Brinton said it did not appear Witkes was breathing when they arrived. Wright said she did not know if Witkes was still alive when he arrived at the hospital.

Mrs. Brinton said Witkes was "a fabulous guy, upbeat and encouraging. He got me into running, and he was very encouraging to the newcomers." She said that eagerness to involve everyone, regardless of their beginning fitness level, set Witkes apart.

Mrs. Brinton called Witkes one of the fittest people she'd ever known, a claim evidenced by a lifetime of superhuman running achievements. He had competed in the Sri Chinmoy 700-mile run, Earth Journey Vermont and at least 30 marathons and 25 ultramarathons. He took part in double and triple Ironman competitions - in the latter, he would have kayaked 22 miles, biked 336 miles and run 78.6 miles, all within 60 hours.

Witkes was also a regular participant in the Hardrock 100, an ultraendurance race organized by City Councilor Dale Garland, a fitness enthusiast and high school teacher. Garland said he had known Witkes for 15 years and found him to be a caring and compassionate person.

"Durango lost an important part of the running community," he said. "But a lot of people have lost a really good friend."

Garland said Witkes, as president of the Motorless Transit Club, helped revive running in Durango at a time when bicycle racing had grown more popular. Like Marjorie Brinton, he attributes Witkes' success in growing the organization to his eagerness to help those just starting in the sport.



"You didn't have to be an elite athlete for Marc to care about you," Garland said.

Richard Ellis, owner of Gardenswartz Sports, also was a friend of Witkes' for more than 15 years. He said that while Witkes was an extremely focused athlete, he was always more interested in tackling personal challenges than in winning any given competition.

"He loved to do things that were unusual and very difficult," Ellis said. "He set the goal really high for himself."

John McAward, who has been a friend and frequent running partner for 16 years, said Witkes was "the most social runner you'd ever want to be with.

"He'd stay with you, walk or crawl with you," McAward said. "And he'd talk the whole time if you let him."

Witkes, who liked to be called "Wiggy," grew up in Worcester, Mass., and was a rabid Red Sox fan. His sports interests also extended to biking, which had recently become a focus of his frequently self-deprecating column in the Herald. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in business administration from Fort Lewis College in 1992, worked for more than 13 years at Gardenswartz Sports and had been the night auditor at the DoubleTree Hotel since 1999. He was divorced and did not have any children.

In addition to The Durango Herald, Witkes had his freelance writing published in Rocky Mountain Sports, VeloNews, Colorado Runner, Adventure Sports Magazine, Paddler, Marathon and Beyond and Inside Outside.

"When I heard he died doing the marathon, my first reaction was what his would have been - 'Did he finish?,'" Ellis said. "I'm just glad he died doing something he loved."





所有跟贴:


加跟贴

笔名: 密码: 注册笔名请按这里

标题:

内容: (BBCode使用说明)