Ten long-time participants and the administration from the city of Wheeling, which is being honored for its support of the Ogden 20K, have been selected as this year's inductees to the Ogden 20K Classic Hall of Fame.

Induction ceremonies take place next Saturday during the classic's post-race banquet which starts at noon at WesBanco Arena.

Two of the individuals - Dr. Lee Jones and Leo Miller - will be honored posthumously. Others on the list are former international road racing star Tom Fleming, Wayne Barte, Robert "Bob" Cole, Frank Monteleone, Martha "Marti" Stephan, Susan Mortakis, Herb Baker and Howard "Ike" Calissie.

"The class of 2005 is made up some unique individuals," said Ogden 20K Race Director Howard V. Corcoran. "Jones, Miller and Barte were among the founding fathers of the race 29 years ago.

Fleming is a world class runner who ran here the first year and has continued his close ties with the Ogden race," Corcoran said.

Corcoran expressed his excitement about the caliber of local runners chosen for induction and he was pleased to include the entire administration from the city on the 2005 list.

"We have had so many individuals from the city of Wheeling step up over the years to provide assistance to the race committee. It would have been impossible to single out just one or two individuals," Corcoran added.

He explained that the city fathers for more than 29 years have understood the importance of destination weekends, which the Ogden race has become. "They know that events like the race bring people to the Friendly City," Corcoran continued. "The race committee knows that without the city's help and understanding, we could never hold an event of this magnitude."

The Ogden 20K Hall of Fame was established last year with the initial class including Bill Rodgers and Patti Catalano Dillon, who were recognized during their salad days of racing as America's "King and Queen of the Roads." Rodgers was the winner of the inaugural race and captured two more men's open titles along with four Masters Division championships in Wheeling. Catalano was a two-time Ogden 20-K winner.

Both were on hand for the 2004 induction ceremonies and will be back again this weekend to participate in the 5K Run along with attending the Hall of Fame ceremonies.

Also named was the late Bill Van Horne, veteran News-Register Sports Editor, whose support of the race over the first 19 years was second to none.

The area runners inducted last May were Steve Habursky, Becky Droginske, Mitch Toto, Bruce Smith, Joe Sarver, Lance Tarr and Mike Hudimac.

Following are capsules highlighting the racing careers for the 2005 class of Ogden 20K Hall of Fame inductees:

*** Tom Fleming: He was one of 750 runners that competed in the first race in 1979, along with fellow international stars Bill Rodgers and Frank Shorter. Fleming was a true world class runner, winning the New York City Marathon twice and finished second twice, along with recording a third and fourth in the Boston Marathon. Fleming's marathon victories came at Los Angeles (1981), Cleveland (1978) and Toronto (1978). He was a member of Team USA as an alternate marathoner for the Montreal games in 1976. Fleming formerly held American records in the 15-mile, 20-mile, 25K, 30K and 50K distance events.

***Dr. Lee Jones: One of the founding fathers of the Wheeling Distance Race. Jones, as a member of the board of directors of the First National Bank of Elm Grove (now WesBanco), committed the bank to contributing half of the sponsorship money if the committee could come up with another sponsor. Lee served as the race's medical aid director for 27 consecutive years. He also was very active in community projects over his lifetime to help make the Ohio Valley a better place in which to live.

*** Leo Miller: Another of the race's founding fathers, Miller served as the first registrar for the race. Along with his wife and family, he developed a system to handle the growing number of runners who competed in the race over the years. Much of that system is still in use today. Leo was a teacher and coach by profession and was head football coach, wrestling and track coach at West Liberty State College. Miller lent his expertise on running to many of the long-time participants in the 20K race as well.

***Wayne Barte: Also part of the founders for the race. He was assistant city manager when the classic began in 1977 and continued his support later as city manager from 1979 through 1985. During those years he coordinated the city's operation aspects of the race, including course safety. Also an assistant race director under Hugh Stobbs from 1986 through 1995, Barte did more than just help with the operations of this event. He was an avid runner and participated in each of the first 20 races, recording a personal best time of 1:19. Wayne also turned into a marathoner and competed in a total of 37 marathon events during his career.

*** The Rev. Robert "Bob" Cole: Member of the Ogden Ironmen Club which consists of runners who have competed in every Ogden 20K race. Cole started in junior high school in 1949 and never stopped. He still averages 30 races per year and already has competed in 10 events this year. At 71, Cole is the oldest of the Ironmen runners but he is still at it. The retired United Methodist minister was once stationed in the Mount Olivet area of Wheeling, but now resides in Lost Creek, near Buckhannon. His best time in the 20K Classic was 1:26.

*** Frank Monteleone: Wheeling native and former Dover resident, this Ogden Ironmen Club member now resides in Massillon, Ohio. He launched his long running career in the first Wheeling race when he turned in a two-hour plus clocking. Monteleone credits fellow Hall of Fame member Leo Miller with his overall development as a quality runner. His top time for the Ogden Classic was 1:14:20 for the old short course and 1:15:30 on the re-measured 20K layout. Monteleone still participates in numerous marathon events. He ran Boston for the 18th time earlier this spring. Frank also has run the Columbus and Akron marathons a total of 10 times each. He has now run 54 marathons, in all.

***Howard "Ike" Calissie: "Ike" didn't begin running until 25 years ago at the age of 55, following the footsteps of his son, Ron Calissie, a well-known competitor on the area road racing circuit. Since taking up the sport, "Ike" has collected over 50 plaques, trophies and medals. He ran his only marathon race in Columbus at the age of 67 and finished the 26.2-mile distance in 3 hours, 30 minutes. After becoming an avid runner, Calissie would go out every day regardless of the weather. Soon to be 81 years old, he has been unable to run because of a back injury but he still walks all the time. He competed 20 times in the Ogden 20K Classic and earned six age group trophies. "Ike's" best time for this event was in 1981 with a time of 1 hour, 24 minutes, 47 seconds.

***Martha "Marti" Stephan: This board member of the Ohio Valley Runners/Walkers Club, has been running for approximately 32 years, participating 26 times in the Ogden 20K Classic. Stephan has run eight marathons, having finished three Boston and two Pittsburgh Marathons. She also has run the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C., the Rocket City (Alabama) and Columbus marathons. "Marti," a member of the West Penn Track Club, was ranked among the top 10 runners in that organization in 2003. The 62-year-old also ran the anchor leg on the winning West Penn 60-plus team in the USATF Marathon Relays.

***Susan Mortakis: She began running in 1982 when "Susie" turned in a time of 1 hour, 50 minutes for the Ogden 20K. Her best time in this event was 1 hour, 25 minutes. This Saturday, she will be competing in her 17th Wheeling distance race. Mortakis also been one of the top runners for a bevy of 5K and 10K races. She also has run the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh marathons once each. At Philadelphia, she turned in a clocking of 3 hours, 13 minutes. Mortakis was timed in 3 hours, 20 minutes, in her only Pittsburgh appearance.

***Herb Baker: Another of the Ohio Valley's faithful long-time runners, Baker did it as a hobby from 1965 until getting serious about the sport when he began training for the initial Wheeling event in 1977. He considers the Ogden 20K Classic the Super Bowl for Ohio Valley runners. In 1980, he got to clutch his own championship trophy when he finished as the male masters winner with a time of 1:13:46. The previous three years, Baker turned in times of 1:36, 1:22 and 1:17 before achieving his best-ever effort in the gruelling 20-kilometer. Baker also ran in numerous races throughout the Ohio Valley during the 1970s and 1980s. In 1982, he competed in the Boston Marathon. Among his other racing highlights including competing in the International Peace Race at Youngstown, Charleston Distance Race, Barnesville Pumpkin Festival, Wheeling Freedom Run and the Bethany Bison Stampede.