Fun & Inspiring Road Races

During my many years in Atlanta, I photographed a lot of road races for the Atlanta Journal & Constitution.   It came pretty naturally since I spent so many years plodding out the miles myself.   Since returning to Texas, however, I’ve not had the opportunity to do much of that.   That changed this weekend when the Austin American-Statesman asked me to cover the annual 3M Half Marathon in Austin.   It was a perfect (but very early!) Sunday morning for the runners, with temperatures in the low 40s at the start.  Some might think that chilly, but not so for most distance runners.   This was just what the doctor ordered!   While many athletes have a story in them, one that stood out this weekend was 88-year-old Joe Barger (opening photo), an Austin resident who is also an Iwo Jima combat veteran.   I was just about finished, ready to pack it up and head to my laptop, but the announcer mentioned Mr. Barger.    I couldn’t pass that up.   What an inspiring gentleman he was!   Here’s a few shots that also made it to the Statesman’s website.   The winners are included here, but you win just by being there.  Stay active.