They may be getting a little rusty around the edges but nothing stops the Ogden Ironmen from answering the bell for the Ogden Newspapers 20K Classic.

The Ironmen, of course, are the group of 16 runners who have run and finished every Wheeling distance race since the inaugural event in 1977.

As the race prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary on Saturday morning, all 16 will be toeing up to the start/finish line in downtown Wheeling.

Carrying on their tradition with pride are Wheeling residents Larry Jones, Steve Habursky, Tim Cogan, Bruce Kirby, Paul Exley, John Holloway, Pat Cronin, Ted Rouse and Dave Fiorilli; Grant Marks of Glen Dale; Mitch Toto of Belmont; the Rev. Robert ‘‘Bob’’ Cole, who hails from Lost Creek, W.Va.; Mike Lemasters from Columbus; David Claypool of Zanesville; Joe Kubik of St. Clairsville; and Frank Monte-leone, a former Warwood and Dover resident who now resides in Massillon.

It’s an impressive accomplishment, made even more so by the inexorable passing of years.

Race director Howard Corcoran refers to the Ironmen simply as, ‘‘the backbone and the soul’’ of The Ogden Newspapers 20K Classic.

‘‘Their dedication to the Ogden Newspapers 20K Classic and the determination they have shown by coming back and competing year after year is one of the reasons we still do the race,’’ Corcoran said.
‘‘This fantastic feat has not gone unnoticed by the rest of the field and that includes many of the world class runners who come here to compete.

‘‘The biggest applause we hear during the post-race awards banquet is for the members of the Ironmen Club.’’

Four of the Ironmen have already been honored with induction into the Ogden Newspapers 20K Classic Hall of Fame and two more club members will be added to the race shrine during Saturday’s post-race banquet at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling.

The 2004 Hall of Fame class included Habursky and Toto. Cole and Monteleone were inducted last year. This year’s class will add Cogan and Marks.

Toto, like many of the Ironmen, made his road racing debut in the inaugural Wheeling event in 1977.
He went on from there to enjoy an incredible career as a runner and biker on the nation’s roads and is believed to have covered more than 50,000 miles over the past 30 years.

The day after this year’s race, Toto also will be celebrating his 69th birthday. Habursky, now 57 years old, used the Wheeling event as a springboard to getting involved with marathon racing.

He’s competed in the Boston Marathon, the Columbus Marathon and the Pittsburgh Marathon, among others.

In 1984, he set a Columbus Marathon age group record in the 35-39 division with a time of 2:30:00, finishing 19th overall in a field of more than 3,000 runners.

The oldest of the Ironmen runners is Cole, now 71 years old and battling cancer.

He underwent a series of chemotherapy treatments following the 2004 race but continues to compete.
The youngest member of the group is Rouse, age 45, who was born just two days after Lemasters.

They’re the only Ironmen under the age of 50.

This group also was responsible for expanding the number of their club by one two years ago when they went to the race committee and requested that Fiorilli be recognized as an official member of the Ironmen Club.

Fiorilli has missed only one Ogden Newspapers 20K Classic and that happened when he was called for duty in the U.S. Navy to serve during Desert Storm.

Fiorilli’s fellow runners expressed the opinion that when someone is away serving his country in a time of war, he shouldn’t have to miss out on this special honor.

To its everlasting credit, the race committee agreed.

Dave is also known by Wheeling race fans for the tribute to his daughter during the 2004 race.

At the time, Ashley Fiorilli was serving with her Air Force group on a second tour of duty in the Middle East.

Her father ran the race that day with a picture of his daughter pinned to the 9/11 shirt he wore to also pay tribute to those who lost their lives on that fateful day in American history.

The members of the Ironmen Club come from all walks of life.

Jones, who got into physical fitness and running during his stint in the United States Army, served for many years as Superintendent of Schools in Ohio County.

Habursky was a detective with the Wheeling Police Department, while Holloway is a much-respected physician.

Also represented in this group are a lawyer, school teachers, mill workers, businessmen, a newspaper printer and a clergyman.

The main thing most of them have in common is this amazing streak that could be coming to end soon because of their ages and health issues.

But they’re determined to put that day off as long as they can.

As a group they were able to develop a special fondness and camaraderie.

They hug and wish each other luck before the starter’s pistol is fired.

Once the first one crosses the finish line on Saturday, the wait will begin until the last of their racing brothers has completed the course.

Later, they’ll get together at the post-race banquet to congratulate each other and check out their respective times.

They’ll also share old war stories from the first 29 Ogden 20K Classics and start making plans to do it all again next year.