Bill McGuire, Male Runner of the Year

"I tell you, my back is hurting and my asthma is acting up. I'm not sure I can make it through this race. Last week it was my groin muscle and I only got six miles of training in all week. Dave, you better go on ahead, don't wait for me."

How many times have I heard this at the one mile mark as I ran beside this year's Male Runner of the Year? Shortly after that, he starts pulling away and by the last mile of he is usually well out of reach, if not totally out of sight. I always tell myself, I will use age as an excuse for my slow times just as soon as I get as old as this guy.

1998 was indeed an outstanding year for this 51 year-old runner. The only thing that stopped him was distance. He finished second overall in the 1998 Grand Prix standings despite skipping the 30k and the Ultra, and was undefeated in the Grand Master Division. And, of course, he chose to run the 10k instead of the 15k at Turkey Trot, although that may have something to do with the fact that he was marking the course at 10:00 p.m. the night before and 6:30 a.m. the morning of the race.

He won his age group in every race he entered (including 11 Grand Prix races), although fortunately Sarah Docter-Williams was not in his age group when he finished two seconds behind her in the Havana New Moon 5k.

He ran a season best 16:38 5k at the Reservation Run and a 35:44 at the Del Champs 10k in Mobile, Alabama. He also finished in the top five overall in seven Grand Prix races and in the top ten in all but one. He demonstrated his courageous tenacity when he fought Rusty Jones with arms flailing and bodies flying at the finish of the Rose City 10k.

Bill McGuire represents the heart and soul of GWTC. A member since its inception, he is more than just our most impressive runner of 1998. You will find him marking and certifying courses, playing music before and after races, working with kids, promoting races and volunteering many long hours. It is with great pleasure that I present to you GWTC Hall of Fame Member, 1994 Male Runner of the Year, and now 1998 Male Runner of the Year, Bill McGuire.

Text by David Yon, Presentation by Mary Jean Yon