CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- George Adams, an avid runner for 30 years, competed in 19 Charleston Distance Runs as well as assorted other races and even marathons.
George K. Adams, who died in March, ran his first 15-mile Charleston Distance Run in 1978. He was a longtime FBI agent based in Charleston.
His wife of 53 years, Jody Adams, said her husband's greatest passions were grandsons Caleb and Jacob, WVU athletics and running. He told her his goal was to run the 15-mile Charleston Distance Run once more for a total of 20 times.
George died March 30 at the age of 78, but his presence will be felt this year by fellow runners as Saturday's Distance Run is dedicated to his memory.
"He ran the race several years and was a big supporter of athletics in general in the area," said Gary Smith, director of the Distance Run. "He was a big supporter of WVU athletics. Everyone knew him as a big WVU fan."
Family members participating in this year's run will be clad in blue-and-gold T-shirts emblazoned with "G.K. Relay in Memory of George K. Adams."
His daughter, Joni Adams; son, Ben; and grandson, Caleb, will run as a relay team.
Among family members cheering from the sidelines will be his sister and brother-in-law, Jean and David Jordan, who will travel from North Carolina for the event.
George's daughter was the first family member to begin running and will participate in her 33rd Distance Run this weekend. Joni, 52, is a teacher at South Charleston Middle School.
"I started running in 1976, and then Dad started running in 1977," she said. "He was an FBI agent and a member of their SWAT team.
"In order to be in top physical condition, Dad began a running program. My mom later told me that he was concerned about me running all over Charleston by myself. So, he began doing some training with me. In the summer, Dad and I ran at night."
George ran his first Distance Run in 1978 and over the years traveled to numerous other races with his daughter, including Marine Corps Marathons. In 1996, they won the father/daughter division of the Ashland (Ky.) 10K race.
In 2000, George switched gears to run the 5K Charleston Distance Run with his grandson Caleb, who was then 9 years old.
"Dad was thrilled to have the opportunity to run with Caleb and did so from that point on," Joni said. "Caleb is now a senior at Sherman High and is running on the cross country team."
She recalls when her dad would regularly meet buddies at noon for a run at Laidley Field. He deemed the group the "Laidley Field Track Club."
"Dad loved running, walking and joking with these guys," Joni said. "Dad would always come home with a Steve Fox joke, which he would preface by saying it was the worst joke he'd ever heard. Yet he'd always laugh as he relayed it to us.
"Steve, on the other hand, would swear that George Adams had the worst jokes and that the only good ones Dad told were the ones he had stolen from Steve."
The Rev. Steve Fox, pastor of Kanawha City Church of Christ, said he met George about 25 years ago. He remembers him as a dedicated noontime runner as well as a motivator.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- George Adams, an avid runner for 30 years, competed in 19 Charleston Distance Runs as well as assorted other races and even marathons.
His wife of 53 years, Jody Adams, said her husband's greatest passions were grandsons Caleb and Jacob, WVU athletics and running. He told her his goal was to run the 15-mile Charleston Distance Run once more for a total of 20 times.
George died March 30 at the age of 78, but his presence will be felt this year by fellow runners as Saturday's Distance Run is dedicated to his memory.
"He ran the race several years and was a big supporter of athletics in general in the area," said Gary Smith, director of the Distance Run. "He was a big supporter of WVU athletics. Everyone knew him as a big WVU fan."
Family members participating in this year's run will be clad in blue-and-gold T-shirts emblazoned with "G.K. Relay in Memory of George K. Adams."
His daughter, Joni Adams; son, Ben; and grandson, Caleb, will run as a relay team.
Among family members cheering from the sidelines will be his sister and brother-in-law, Jean and David Jordan, who will travel from North Carolina for the event.
George's daughter was the first family member to begin running and will participate in her 33rd Distance Run this weekend. Joni, 52, is a teacher at South Charleston Middle School.
"I started running in 1976, and then Dad started running in 1977," she said. "He was an FBI agent and a member of their SWAT team.
"In order to be in top physical condition, Dad began a running program. My mom later told me that he was concerned about me running all over Charleston by myself. So, he began doing some training with me. In the summer, Dad and I ran at night."
George ran his first Distance Run in 1978 and over the years traveled to numerous other races with his daughter, including Marine Corps Marathons. In 1996, they won the father/daughter division of the Ashland (Ky.) 10K race.
In 2000, George switched gears to run the 5K Charleston Distance Run with his grandson Caleb, who was then 9 years old.
"Dad was thrilled to have the opportunity to run with Caleb and did so from that point on," Joni said. "Caleb is now a senior at Sherman High and is running on the cross country team."
She recalls when her dad would regularly meet buddies at noon for a run at Laidley Field. He deemed the group the "Laidley Field Track Club."
"Dad loved running, walking and joking with these guys," Joni said. "Dad would always come home with a Steve Fox joke, which he would preface by saying it was the worst joke he'd ever heard. Yet he'd always laugh as he relayed it to us.
"Steve, on the other hand, would swear that George Adams had the worst jokes and that the only good ones Dad told were the ones he had stolen from Steve."
The Rev. Steve Fox, pastor of Kanawha City Church of Christ, said he met George about 25 years ago. He remembers him as a dedicated noontime runner as well as a motivator.
After Fox had pacemaker surgery in 1999, George paid him a visit at the hospital.
"He said 'Fox get outta bed. We are going to Laidley Field and run one mile. I'll crush you.' I couldn't run for a month and then George Adams got me through that."
Fox described George as a West Virginian Republican conservative, an ice cream addict and a horrible joke teller. "He told awful, awful jokes. They were not funny."
Fox added, "He was one of those guys everybody knew because he was just a good guy. It's neat that the whole race is dedicated to him. He deserved it."
Joni recalls how much her dad loved ice cream. He would remove a half-full carton from the freezer and ask if anyone wanted any. If nobody did, he simply polished it off.
She also remembers a 5K race that Baskin-Robbins used to sponsor. Participants got a banana split at the finish line. Once after running that race with her dad, she had an upset stomach. So, she gave him her ticket and he ate both banana splits.
Dr. David Santrock of Sissonville described George as "one of the dearest friends I ever had."
They first met when running at Laidley Field and their friendship flourished.
When Baskin-Robbins stopped holding a 5K, Santrock said the guys created their own route through Kanawha City that ended with banana splits.
He described George as patriotic, polite, funny, opinionated, unassuming and devoted to family.
George's wife was never a runner, but she was an avid supporter. She said her husband ran slowly and sometimes she walked as he ran. Unless he was injured, he ran three to five miles every day.
"Running is the one thing he liked to do," Jody said. "He wasn't into golf or anything. He thoroughly enjoyed it. When we were out driving, he would see Laidley and say he wished he could run the 15-mile one more time and make it 20."
On March 12, he was gathering his running clothes when he had severe chest pain. Jody called 911. He was suffering from a massive rupture of the aorta and underwent surgery. He passed away March 30, 2008.
She is touched that the Distance Run will be dedicated to him.
"I was humbled as he would have been," she said. "It means a lot. He will be there Saturday in spirit."
The Charleston Distance Run was organized and started in 1973 by Charleston optometrist, Dr. Don Cohen. The Charleston Distance Run is dedicated to a special person every single year. If you have a suggestion on who the race should be dedicated to next year, go to this website here: http://www.charlestondistancerun.com/contact_info.htm and send an e-mail with your suggestion.
Because(3:06pm 08-29-2008)
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The DM did an article on Cohen last year I believe. Year before, maybe.
w.w.wheels(2:12pm 08-29-2008)
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Why is this year's CDR "dedicated" to a man most of us have never heard of??
judyt(1:04pm 08-29-2008)
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why isn't there more information about Don Cohen, the originator of the distance run?
