A Sprint to The Gold

This is the story of John Hurd, a boy who was so small that he was denied entry to the first grade in his local school because they doubted his mother and his birth certificate. He had to ride a bus to the outlying county school to be accepted for his first year.

In high school he missed out on athletics, because of his diminutive size. In ROTC class, his uniform pants had an 8 inch hem and his belt covered half of the shirt pockets. By graduation he had reached the height of 5 feet 6 1/2 inches and weighed 124 pounds.

At the age of 60 he learned about the National Senior Games Association, also known as Senior Olympics, and they had five year age brackets for Olympic types of athletic competitions for men and women ages 55 and up. They later began accepting members beginning at age 50.

So John began a self-directed program of training in the streets, and at 61 began a "hobby" of running up and down the oval track as a sprinter. As he gradually progressed he continued training year-round and had some fairly decent successes and awards.

In 2015 John had a book published about his life in general and experiences in the world of track and field titled "Johnny Run Lately."

One of the reasons John has continued, well after his retirement in 2000 from the business and academic world, is the people who frequently tell him they were encouraged to get off the couch and become more involved in taking care of the body they were issued.

It is hoped that the reader of this book will also be so encouraged to find an activity that you enjoy, and give it a go. This is not a book dealing with all the technical bio- mechanical movements of the sprint, but a training routine that you can adapt to your needs, and some tips about things to be aware of, and avoid, along the way. The final chapter is about the system John has used all these years to set goals and track his progress along the way.

In all, John has won national championships in three events twice, state championships in six states, 18 undefeated years in Florida, amateur athlete of the year twice, and inducted into the Memphis Amateur Sports Association.

Enjoy, and please remember this. Just getting involved is a big win.