From the Editor’s Desk

Brent Manley

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others. — Marcus Tullius Cicero

Goodbye, and thanks

The photo of me that always accompanies this column shows me smiling. It was taken from a photo of me and Donna, my wife, at one of the parties we have every year shortly after the annual road race series is concluded.

I’m not smiling as I write this because I am very sad. The reason for that occurred nine days ago on Jan. 1, when one of MRTC’s best – Lane Purser – died unexpectedly at the age of 77.

News of Lane’s passing hit me hard. I won’t say we were best friends, but I admired him for his dedication to the running community and MRTC and his willingness to do whatever it took to further the goals of the club. Many of you, especially those who run in MRTC races, know Lane as the “Voice of MRTC” for his unique way of getting races started. Shortly before time to start the race, Lane would climb a small ladder and, using a bull horn, would begin, “Gooooooood morning, runners!” He would then follow with information runners need to know – for example, if there might be traffic issues on the course. It didn’t take long for the crowds to begin to express their approval of Lane’s style with enthusiastic applause.

The following is from an article I wrote for the Commercial Appeal in the summer of 2012 about Lane and J. Lee Taylor – another “voice” at races in the area, but not in the same style as Lane.

“It doesn’t feel like a race unless you hear Lane getting the runners pumped up,” says Lisa Overall, MRTC president. Adds DJ Watson, who had to fill in for Purser at last year’s Women Run/ Walk Memphis 5K: “What Lane does is a lot harder than you think – getting on the ladder, being heard, then getting out of the way of 800 women runners.” Says Rob Hunter, a

member of the MRTC board, “If he’s not there, people say, ‘Where’s Lane?’”

Lane was born in Crystal Springs, Miss., and lived in Tupelo and Jackson before moving to Memphis in the mid-Sixties.

He earned a degree in banking and finance from Mississippi State University and worked at Lowenstein’s department store downtown in a variety of jobs before moving to Little Rock, Ark., to open a shop that specialized high-end home accoutrements. He now works for himself installing drapes.

Purser took up running about 1970 after returning to Memphis, his goal being to lose weight. It was about 15 years before Purser started competing, but he did well.

“I was a halfway decent runner,” he says. “I didn’t have a lot of talent, but I worked hard at it.” Purser completed 10 marathons, with a personal best of 3:38 in 2000.

He remembers running for the first time in a pair of Keds tennis shoes with no cushioning. When he later discovered shoes designed for runners – a pair of Nikes – “I thought I had died and gone to heaven.”

Purser discovered MRTC when he met Hunter at a 5K. At the time, Hunter was on the MRTC board and a regular with the Germantown running group. One day, while the two were running on a trail in Bartlett, Hunter informed Purser that he had been voted onto the MRTC board.

It was during the tenure of MRTC President Rachel Ragan – circa 2005 – that Purser became the “voice” at MRTC races. Having a regular announcer with club affiliation to start each race, Ragan figured, would enhance the visibility of the club.

Purser devised his familiar opening with a practical purpose in mind. With a normal

Who's in charge here? It's Lane Purser.

announcement, he says, only the first couple of