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 Mike Koskan didn't begin running until he was 33 years old. ``I was a couch potato, pretty much,'' he said. In the 27 years since, the Plano resident has achieved quite a remarkable record. He was inspired to start running after watching a show, based on a true story, about a desperate woman who began running to find herself. The woman trained hard, participated in a marathon and didn't finish until dark, long after the finish line had been dismantled. Only her son was there to greet her. Anyway, since then, Mike has been competitive in whatever age group he has competed. He has run several marathons, qualified for Boston and said he has never ran worse than a 3:03 for the 26.2 miles and has a best of 2:47. He hasn't run one in about 10 years, though, saying he can't do the mileage he once did -- 100 plus a week. He has been active in just about every running club in the area. |
 Fiona Green is a virtual newcomer to the area, having moved from Montreal, Canada, in November of 2005. Since then, though, she has introduced herself quite well by winning several women's masters and overall titles. A native of Scotland, she didn't begin running until she was about 21. She took up running to help lose some weight that had been increasing during her collegiate years. She increased her running after moving to Montreal and meeting a college professor who was an enthusiastic runner. Even without putting the necessary training, she ran the Montreal marathon and finished under four hours. She has continued to improve since moving here and is contemplating competing in a triathlon -- if she can learn how to swim better, which basically she said means moving forward. |
 David Martin is known among longtime runners as co-director of the defunct Mid-Cities Running Club. David, who ran some in high school, moved from Ohio in 1981. He said he began road racing in 1986 and ran until about 1992 when he quit because of personal problems. He started back a few years ago. After a tedious return, he has since lost weight and is regaining some of his former speed. He already has fulfilled one of his goals upon returning by qualifying for the Boston Marathon last April with a 3:27 at White Rock in December '05. He and Brad Gardner helped make the MCRC a popular fall venue as both helped direct the club known for its difficult courses. |
 Brad Gardner has been one of the top area runners for several years. For the past eight years, he has been one of the top masters runners. Although he isn't seen at too many road races anymore, he can be found competing in track events, where he has been a formidable competitor. When Brad was on the roads, he and former Fort Worth runner and veterinarian Robert Rose had several exciting duels. Brad, known for his finishing sprints, usually would clip Robert in the shorter races and Robert, a strong runner but without a fast kick, usually would nip Brad in the longer races. Brad and David Martin, left, helped make the Mid-Cities Running Club a popular monthly fall venue for runners prepping for marathons. The courses, ranging from 5 to 20 miles, were famous for a few difficult hills. |
 John Ross has been running competitively in the Fort Worth-Dallas area for about 20 years. John, 59 as of July 2006, has run ``about'' 30 marathons, including three Bostons. He qualified for his first Boston with a 3:28 at the White Rock Marathon. He began running about five years after joining the Air Force in 1965. After about 20 years in the Air Force, John, who entered law enforcement, began running with his four daughters. But after they hit a ``plateau,'' he cranked up his competitive gears and has been a force in his age divisions for several years. He's a determined competitor, who says running ``isn't fun.'' But he likes the competition and the demands of running. ``You get out of it what you put into it,'' he says. He's also added more biking to his training to help alleviate the pounding absorbed by the body through running. John figures this is adding years to his running career. |
 If you've been to a race, you've probably seen Lupe Rodriguez. At least his back. Lupe has been going strong since he started road racing in 1987. Until then, he had played soccer, so he wasn't exactly coming off the couch to join the running crowd. He decided to leave the fields for the roads after noticing so many people running on the roads and trails. Lupe figured he could do that, too. After meeting several runners who urged him on, Lupe has been a formidable foe in his age divisions ever since. He has run several marathons and has posted a best of about 2:54 at Cowtown. He consistently is in the 3:13 to 3:15 range after moving into the 50-54 age division. If Lupe's not racing, he usually can be seen somewhere on the Trinity Park trails when he gets time from his demanding job at a steel plant. |
