In it for the long run

Kitt and Richard Williams are dedicated competitors at the top of their divisions

By MARTINA SCHIMITSCHEK

On most mornings, you can find Kitt and Richard Williams out early, running along the paths and streets of Coronado.

The two have built their life together around the sport of running. And while age may have slowed them down a bit, their determination and competitive spirit has not diminished.

Richard, now 87, and Kitt, 75, are filling in their 2023 race schedule. They plan on participating in runs — from 5Ks to half-marathons — across the country nearly every weekend this year.

No matter the length, a medal is pretty much guaranteed for both. The number of competitors in their age groups is dwindling, and their consistent training takes them to the top of the bunch. And they have the awards to prove it. The shelves and walls of their Coronado condo are filled with trophies, and hundreds of medals hang on hooks in the garage. Most only date back as far as 16 years, when they moved to Imperial Beach, where they lived about five years before relocating to Coronado.

“Competition is what we thrive on,” he said. “We run together when we train, but we never run together in races. Everybody is on their own.” Sometimes Kitt comes in ahead of Richard; other times the results are reversed.

“They are America’s premiere running couple,” said Jim Callaway, a fellow Coronado resident and lifelong runner.

“The two are completely dedicated to the sport. There are not many couples like them. They are always on the platform.”

Kitt and Richard Williams have accumulated hundreds of medals, which are displayed on the garage wall.

The 80-year-old Callaway recently became a rival of Richard in over-80 divisions. In the 2022 Holiday Bowl 5K in San Diego, Callaway came in first and Richard second in their division.

Callaway met the couple 15 years ago at the Holiday Bowl run, and they have been friends ever since.

Kitt said the social aspect of running is a big incentive to keep going. The two join a group of runners every Wednesday in Balboa Park. Like their Coronado training runs, the weekly Balboa Park runs range from 4 to 6 miles and are capped off with a beer.

“It’s a tight community of very good sports,” Kitt said.

Running brought the two together. Both lived in the Washington, D.C., area in the early 2000s. They would see each other on the podium, but they didn’t know each other. When they recognized each other at a 10K in Richmond, Virginia, about 100 miles away, they started talking. Then they started running together, training for marathons.

“We did four marathons together, got married and moved to Imperial Beach,” Kitt said.

They ran in the Philadelphia, Boston and New York marathons as well as the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego marathon and married in 2007. It was a second marriage for both.

Kitt, who worked in human resources, had always wanted to return to Coronado. Her Navy father was stationed here from 1957 to 1962. Her parents then retired in Coronado. Kitt visited them often between 1968 and 1996.

Athletic growing up, Kitt was on the swim team in school. She didn’t become a runner until she was in her mid-30s. She said she was inspired by a neighbor when she was living in Charlotte, North Carolina. The older woman was a runner and looked great, Kitt said.

“I decided I wanted to be like her,” she said. “I just wanted to be fit, and I’m a very competitive person.”

Richard, who was editor of his high school newspaper, didn’t start running until he was 41. “I was 220 pounds and not feeling well,” he said.

He started running small segments along the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in 1977. In 1978, he ran a marathon, the first of 14 he has completed.

“You get hooked. It becomes an addiction,” Richard said.

Kitt said she has completed seven or eight marathons. The couple ran their last marathon in 2007, and now only run up to the 13.1 miles of a half-marathon.

“Some runners don’t want to slow down,” Richard said. “You have to know your limits and respect your body.”

He said he has not had any major injuries. Kitt had a hip replacement in 2013, but she said, it hasn’t affected her running too much.

When they are not running, the two volunteer. Kitt is

Rotary Club of Coronado and Sharp Coronado Hospital Foundation.

“I really like to be busy,” she said. “I like to be able to give back. When I was working, I didn’t have time to volunteer.”

Richard is the international secretary/ treasurer of the Morse Telegraph Club. His interest in the club stems from his work as a telegrapher with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad after high school. His varied career included a stint in the Army, a special investigator with the IRS and 22 years as deputy inspector general of the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command. His work for and in the military earned him a banner on the Coronado Avenue of Heroes last year. He also spent years as a docent at the Hotel del Coronado.

“They are a great example for the younger generation,” said Jamie Monroe, who runs Easy Day Sports, a local company that stages sports events including the Crown City Classic, Coronado’s Fourth of July run.

What advice do the Williams’ have?

“Just go out and walk. If you are encouraged by walking, start jogging. Once you’re jogging, you might get inspired to run,” Richard said. “Just put one foot in front of the other.” ■