Let us now praise famous men. Johan Visser and Mark Nader, known in the Grand Rapids running community for their vigor and generosity, died within 20 days as 2002 started.

Both left legacies to inspire - and to carry on.

SHARING JOY

Nader, founding director of the Pietro's Run Fasta Eat Pasta 5K, built that event from nothing 15 years ago into one of America's top 100 road runs, according to Runner's World magazine.

He introduced kids runs and diaper dashes to West Michigan, held pre- race pasta fests and expos, split men's and women's races so each would receive attention, recruited Kenyans, Russians and U.S. Olympic hopefuls.

Mark was always looking for special touches. Pre-race aerobics and meal discounts. A fuzzy "Tomato Man" for the kiddies and single roses for women finishers ...

Mark loved seeing people, elite to plodders, happy. He made what could have been a nondescript April 5K an Event.

After 21 years with Pietro's, including 14 as race director, Mark left as its operations director to take a similar job at English Hills Country Club. Mark went to a hospital New Year's Eve and learned his white blood cell count had plummeted. On New Year's Day, the husband and father of two young daughters died. He was 38.

The 15th annual Pietro's Run Fasta Eat Pasta 5K April 13 will be held in Nader's honor. The Grand Rapids Track Club will work with the restaurant to carry on in Mark's spirit of energy and joy.

THE IRONMAN

Visser was like a cub scout, with life his candy store. Johan (pronounced YO-han) tackled challenges with such zest he drew others with him. Which made him happy.

Despite (and because of) Johan's eagerness to excel, he was encouraging to all who came in his orbit. I was one.

Not long after I moved to Grand Rapids, I interviewed Johan for a magazine. Quite a character. Having come to the U.S. from Holland (the real Holland) at age 17, he had climbed from a buffer of refrigerator handles to owner of Triangle Window Fashions, a multi-million-dollar business.

In the process, he'd evolved from a five-pack-a-day smoker to a champion triathlete, who, at age 59, was training for his first Ironman - the famous one in Hawaii.

That was in 1995. Johan wound up finishing 10 Ironmen and more than 70 marathons, while serving as inspiration and coach to other aspiring athletes.

He introduced me, shy and new in town, to friends in the Grand Rapids Track Club. He urged others to chase their potentials and have the time of their lives while doing it. To connect with themselves and others. He didn't preach it: that's how he lived.

At age 64 he was diagnosed with brain cancer. Last April, given a special exemption, he hobbled the last 100 yards of the Boston Marathon with his son. On Jan. 19, Johan passed away.

We mourn necessarily. But Johan, like Mark, lived his life as a celebration. Seeing his end coming, Johan left money to start a triathlon, with proceeds going to cancer research.

Steve Webster, owner of Striders running store in Grandville, will direct the first Johan Trifest June 22 at Sandy Pines. "We've put together a great race committee and plan to put on a first-class triathlon for Johan," Webster said. "He deserves the best."