David Hardwick (Dave) : Member Profile : Thoos

I started running in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia at the age of 53 while working for the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi ARAMCO). My wife, Lada, had just returned to the USA to pursue a career in the ministry (Episcopal Church). I was on bachelor satus in Saudi Arabia and faced a decision on the use of the time that I wasn't working, eating or sleeping. I could either run or sit or join the geographic single life of parties, etc.. I decided to run and haven't stopped since.

I ran three miles on a track every day for about two years. Then I had enough confidence to join the Dhahran Road Runners Club and enter 1 mile, 3K, 5K, 8K, 10 mile and half marathons in Saudi Arabia and later in Houston, Texas, where I worked for the ARAMCO Services Company. After several years, I started placing in the age group in small races. Running kept me sane, healthy and married during the 7 years of frequent separation from my family while working overseas or in a distant city.

I retired from ARAMCO in late 1999 but kept running daily in southern West Virginia, mainly on the 52 mile Greenbrier River Trail and the Allegheny Trail near White Sulphur Springs. I continued participating in local races and ran half-marathons in Parkersburg, W. Va. and Roanoke, Virginia.

In mid-2000 Lada accepted a call to churches in the Sandhills of North Carolina and we moved to Rockingham, NC. I fell in with the Mangum Track Club and a 5 day a week running program. I started running marathons every 2 months in the South and Colorado and surprisingly started placing in the age groups. My program peaked with a marathon PR of 3 hrs 45 min at Jacksonville in 1992, a 4 hr 7 min. Boston Marathon in 1993 and a 29 hr 20 min. Leadville Trail 100 mile run in August, 1993. I figure that God called Lada to the NC Sandhills so that I could run with the Mangum Track Club!