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Official induction ceremonies will take place at 11:30 a.m. Saturday during the post-race awards dinner at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling. The awards banquet begins immediately following the running of the 30th anniversary Ogden Newspapers 20K Classic.
This year’s list of veteran runners awaiting induction are Wheeling residents Ron Calissie, Don Gayda, Steve Dawson, Tim Cogan and Dianna Vargo, along with Grant Marks of Glen Dale.
Cogan and Marks are this year’s representatives from the “Ogden Ironmen Club,” which is made up of participants who have run and completed all 29 previous Wheeling distance races.
Contributors to be honored this year include Bill Bryson, who spent 14 years as the marketing director for the event; Mark Courtney, operator of The Runner’s High Road Racing Timing and Computer Services, and Nick Bedway, retired executive sports editor of The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register.
This year’s nine inductees bring the total number of Ogden 20K Hall of Fame members to 29.
Established in 2004, the inaugural class included America’s one-time King of the Roads, Bill Rodgers, and female distance great Patti Catalano; media legend Bill Van Horne; “Ironmen” Steve Habursky and Mitch Toto; Joe Sarver, Lance Tarr, Mike Hudimac, Bruce Smith and Becky Droginske.
Race founding fathers Dr. Lee Jones, Leo Miller and Wayne Barte were joined in the Class of 2005 by U.S. distance great Tom Fleming; “Ironmen” Frank Monteleone and the Rev. Robert “Bob” Cole; Martha “Marti” Stephan, Susan Mortakis, Herb Baker and Howard “Ike” Calissie.
Race Director Howard Corcoran offered his thoughts about this year’s group of inductees and the difficulty he and the race committee face in selecting each year’s class.
“It’s one of the hardest things you have to do with the race because of the number of individuals who are deserving of this honor,” Corcoran said.
“Over the first 30 years we have seen a multitude of great runners and walkers who have graced this race by their participation.”
He also offered some enthusiastic comments about the Class of 2006.
“By continuing to induct two Ogden ‘Ironmen’ every year, it speaks volumes about the determination and toughness of these runners.
“Each of them will be bidding to complete 30 years of competing in this race on Saturday, which is a tremendous feat when you consider the passage of time and the difficulty of our 20K course,” Corcoran noted.
Gayda and Dawson were praised for their success as road racers before non-racing accidents ended their careers.
Calissie was another top-notch distance race participants who had to give up running competition due to a chronic calf injury.
Vargo has been a participant in the race since the early 1980s and she has served on the race committee along with being a director of another outstanding local event, the St. Clair Classic.
“Courtney not only has provided a great service to the Ogden race by handling the timing duties for more than 15 years but he also has outstanding credentials as a runner,” Corcoran said.
“Bill Bryson’s efforts were very instrumental during the early years of getting the word out about the race.
“Nick Bedway has been with the race as a writer since the first year and he stepped into a key media position following the deaths of Bill Van Horne and Cal Pokas,” Corcoran said.
Following in alphabetical order are brief capsules on each member of the Ogden Newspapers 20K Classic Hall of Fame’s Class of 2006:
Nick Bedway (Contributor)
Has been part of the race’s media coverage team since its inception in 1977. Worked under now fellow Hall of Fame Bill Van Horne until Van Horne’s death in 1995. Bedway served as media director for the race committee until his retirement from the newspaper last July. He also was the editor of the annual pre-race tab published by The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register.
Bill Bryson (Contributor)
Beginning with the 1983 race, Bryson served 14 years as marketing director for the event known first as the Elby’s Distance Race, then the Big Boy Classic and now the Ogden 20K Newspapers Classic. Helped the race committee earn the designation as The United States Men’s 20K Championship for many years. Also assisted in establishing The Big Boy Mile, now The Ogden Mile, still recognized as one of the fastest one-mile races in the country. Bryson and wife Sally are now the owners of UNIGLOBE Ohio Valley Travel.
Ron Calissie (20K Runner)
An outstanding distance runner (880) at old Wheeling High School, Calissie ran the Ogden race 17 times with a personal best of 1:07:28. He also won numerous local road races. His chief competitor was 2004 Hall of Fame inductee Bruce Smith.
Tim Cogan (Iron Man)
Trained under his good friend and now fellow Hall of Fame member, the late Dr. Lee Jones. Cogan ran a Wheeling best of 1:23. He also competed in the Marine Corps Marathon and the Pittsburgh Marathon.
Mark Courtney (Contributor)
Has been involved in timing the race for nearly 20 years. Introduced ChampionChip timing to the Ogden Newspapers 20K Classic. Courtney took up running in 1978 and has logged more than 77,000 miles on the road. He has finished 129 marathons, placing in the top 100 twice at Boston where he was first in his age group (50-59) last month in the time of 2:46:44. An avid runner, he has not missed a day of running since December 19, 1979.
Steve Dawson (20K Runner)
A former sprinter at old Wheeling High School, Dawson logged a best Ogden 20K Classic time of 1:14. He participated in the race for 15 years but injuries sustained in a severe car accident curtailed his career.
Don Gayda (20K Runner)
One of several area residents who began training as a runner so he could compete in the inaugural Wheeling distance event. Ran the first 10 Ogden Classics before an industrial accident slowed him him down. Gayda now competes as a walker. His best time running the Wheeling race was 1:12:24. Gayda also has run four marathons.
Grant Marks (Iron Man)
This Western Pennsylvania native was an 880 competitor and pole vaulter at Shippensburg (Pa.) High School. In addition to running in every Ogden Newspapers 20K Classic, the retired steel worker ran in both the Boston and Columbus Marathons and competed in several other area races.
Dianna Vargo (20K Runner)
Competed three times in the Columbus Marathon and also ran the Boston Marathon once. Vargo was a frequent competitor in both the Wheeling event’s 20K and 5K races. Coached track and cross country at Wheeling Park High School and is now assistant superintendent of Ohio County Schools and a member of the OVAC Executive Board.
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Ogden Newspapers 20K Classic