President with a Purpose
“Most of all, he is balanced and understands the sport of running from many points of view. Whether it be as a track athlete, road race director, competitor, team member, USATF official, or a club member, he finds a way to offer sensible advice and sound judgement to further the sport of running”, states Vince Juliano, current director of the Stockade-athon. Meet Chris Rush: President of the USATF Adirondack Association.
Having grown up in the St. Louis, MO area, Chris’ running venture was launched in high school after switching over from baseball to track & field. He excelled as a sprinter, and went on to compete successfully at the collegiate level. Chris avoided longer distances, as it was his feeling that anything longer than 220 yards was “obscene”, even after being recruited to run on a Missouri State Championship mile relay team. Upon graduating from the University of St. Louis with a degree in history, he chose to pursue occupational and family obligations. Running and training were put on an indefinite hold.
It was nearly 20 years later when Chris strapped on a pair of sneakers from Sears (not even running shoes) and resumed his running career. Abandoning his earlier aversion to the longer distances, he got caught up in the running boom of the 70″s and began setting some impressive personal records in distances from 5K to the marathon. Nonetheless, at about the young age of fifty, Chris rekindled his love for the track and began to focus on shorter distances once again. According to Chris, “I prefer the 400m – 1500m races, as the pain is intense, but short-lived.” Now at the age of 70, Chris has amassed a remarkable record of National age group performances to augment his more than 40 Empire State Games medals, several New York Senior Games awards, and various victories in the Indoor Dartmouth Relays and Indoor Brown Invitational. A glance at a few of his National performances includes a stellar 2:26.1 fourth place finish (60-64) in the 800m at the ’97 National Senior Games, a 65.69 second place finish (65-69) in the 400m at the USATF National Master’s Championships in 2002, and a 5:14.33 fourth place finish (65-69) in the 1500m at that same meet.
Over the years Chris has consistently been granted All American Honors by USATF and National Masters based upon age-graded performance standards. He has attained this status in distances from 400m to 1500m, with his highest ranking coming in 2001 when he was ranked 9th in the world at the indoor 800m.
Though his individual athletic performances are certainly exciting and note worthy, it is his service to the running community as a whole that has had the most profound impact on his fellow runners and athletes. He has been a member of the Hudson Mohawk Road Runners’ Club for more than 25 years and has served in all of the major offices for that club. From 1992 – 97 he was the race director for the Stockade-athon, and was instrumental in brining the National Master’s 15K Championships to this race in 1993 and 1994. He is the founder of the Tendonitis Track & Field Club, one of the area’s first USATF Master’s Track & Field organizations. In addition, he serves as a consultant on new running events, and is an annual volunteer at the Freihofer’s Run for Women. After serving for two years as Secretary for the USATF Adirondack Association, Chris was voted in to the Presidency of the organization in 2005, taking over the reins from the intimitable George Regan. “I am convinced that Chris has been the difference in bringing the Adirordack Junior Olympic meet and the Master’s Championships to the Empire State Liberty Tour!”, exclaims Anthony Mills, Executive Producer of the Liberty Tour Track & Field Series. He adds, “In just one short year he brought ‘Track & Field’ back into the ‘USATF’ . If he were a politician, he would truly be a bipartisan one. His ability to assimilate information in a logical manner and his common sense approach to issues, seems to guide this President with purpose!”
