Courtesy of Running USA wire

July 30, 2004

My connection with Jim and his family came about because of what happened to him six years after he retired. It would still be about four years until we met, but in 1977, when Jim was 68 years old, he suffered a mild heart attack. The doctors said he needed to start exercising or he would likely have another one. Now, you would think that keeping on top of six children would certainly be enough for anybody. However, that's not the kind of exercise the doctor had in mind.

The doctor wanted Jim to begin a walking program, so Jim diligently took himself to the track at nearby Central High School. He found that going around the quarter-mile track was not as easy as he thought. He also felt that just walking was a bit boring, so...he walked and ran and gradually did more and more, working his way up to 32 laps, which is 8 miles.

We have a fair number of older runners who compete these days. However, here was a man who had never competed in high school...didn't work out through middle age (how could he with those six active children?)...and, though he was a hard worker who put in long hours, certainly had no athletic background.

In 1980, at the age of 72, Jim was on vacation in Daytona and entered his very first race. He loved the experience! And a year later, in 1981, at age 73, he ran the first of his 18 marathons, The Detroit Free Press International Marathon, a race that is 26.2 miles long. What a terrific year to run it! In the 40-year history of that race, there has never been a larger field, and Jim's time of 4:43:15 put him ahead of 329 younger runners who finished the marathon.

After this race, bitten by the marathon bug, Jim competed in marathons in Boston, Columbus, Cleveland, Maryland, Pittsburgh and Wisconsin, as well as many other shorter races. In 1994, he decided he had run enough marathons and would stick to races of a lesser distance.

However, when his wife, Julia, died in 1998, Jim decided to attempt the marathon one last time as a tribute to her. Running 26.2 miles was not easy as a 90-year-old! But, as a larger than normal crowd waited for him at Hart Plaza, Jim walked and ran the Detroit Free Press Marathon and, in the end, set a national 90-94 age group record of 7:52:50.

Jim received many honors throughout his career. He was one of Running Times Magazine's "Athletes of the Year." Besides the marathon, he set U.S. records at 10 miles and 25K several times and was honored by the Michigan Association of USA Track & Field. He raised money for many different charities and, for ten years, the Jim Ramsey Street Race was held in his honor on the streets of Detroit near the African-American Museum. In 1999, Jim was named the "Male Amateur Athlete of the Year" by the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and was also featured on a special Oprah Winfrey recognition show. Furthermore, Michigan Runner, in its January 2000 issue, highlighted Jim's career with a special feature honoring him for his many outstanding accomplishments.

Both Jim and his wife Julia have been an inspiration, not only to the running community, but to my family as well. They both accompanied Sue, our three children and me on a trip to South Bend, Indiana, in the early 1980s where Jim was already being honored early in his running career. Since that time, both Jim and Julia have always kept up with how our children were doing. I am honored that Jim was loyal member of the Motor City Striders, and I am proud to have witnessed the remarkable legacy he so graciously gave to the sport of long distance running.

Jim will be deeply missed by my family and the entire running community.

EDITOR's NOTE: Jim Ramsey passed away on Friday, July 23 at the age of 96. Marathoner Doug Kurtis also wrote a nice tribute to Jim Ramsey in the Detroit Free Press. http://www.freep.com/sports/ othersports/running28e_20040728.htm .