7 minute read
Running for Fun
Next Article
Couple doesn’t let age slow their passion for racing—or their record-breaking times.
story by Bob Luder | photography by Katie Lewis
“we’re running at an age where our grandkids ... can see you can still be active. i think that’s
—Karon Way
a good example to set. ”
Lounging on the back deck of their beautiful western Shawnee home, Don Turner and Karon Way, with their easy smiles, soft voices, and reserved demeanors, come across as a typical retired suburban couple.
A closer look reveals there’s more to the story.
Don and Karon might not exactly have been born to run, but over the last few years this husband-and-wife duo of 43 years has made themselves into two of the top distance runners in the over-70 age group in both Kansas and Missouri. Judging by state road race records compiled on the Mid-America Running Association (MARA) website, they have staked claims among the greatest road-racing septuagenarians in both states.
Both Don and Karon would scoff at such a notion, yet consider that in 2019, Don set the Kansas state record for a road mile—by 10 full seconds—and ran the second-fastest halfmarathon (13.1 miles) by a runner older than 70 in state history. In Missouri, he established two state marks for 10 kilometers (6.2 miles)—one for the 70–74 age group, the other for a 71-yearold—and set state records for five kilometers (3.1 miles) and half marathon.
Karon, older than her husband by three years, holds the Kansas state record for the half marathon in the 70–74 age group and has the state standard for 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) for the 65–69 age group. In Missouri, she has 10K records for 71- and 72-year-olds, half marathon records for 72 and 73 age groups, and has the second-fastest 10K in the 70–74-year-old group.
Ask the couple why they run and what they get out of it, and mowing down state records is only one advantage they bring up.
“It’s something we do together,” Karon says. “Don encourages me to get out and run on cold days, and I encourage him on hot days.”
Don, who was named a finalist for Kansas Runner of the Year by MARA in 2019, says, “We’ve met so many nice people through running who’ve become friends. I wouldn’t do as well in training by myself. I find that other people inspire me. People doing it for the love of it, not looking for records or awards, I admire those people.”
Humble Beginnings
It will probably come as no surprise that Turner and Way began running later in life and mostly by accident.
Though they attended the same high school— Turner High in Kansas City, Kan.—Don and Karon say they never knew each other because of the difference in grades. They didn’t meet until friends and relatives introduced them when they were in their 20s. Don spent his entire working life in various positions in the printing business, while Karon taught math, at then-St. Joseph High School in Shawnee and later at Johnson County Community College.
“I think I ran a little my freshman year, then that was that,” Don says. “I played some basketball. But, I decided I needed to make money.”
Karon had no opportunity to compete in high school. High schools, at least in this area, didn’t offer cross country or track for girls back then.
Much of Don’s activity in his younger years came through playing golf on weekends. When the couple decided to build a house in the woods near Lake Quivira in the 1990s, he found he no longer had time for an activity that could take up half a day.
“I thought, I need to do something,” he says. “At first, I thought I’d just run down the street a bit. I found I went a little farther the next day and the next day. I just did it for stress relief.”
He’d read about the famed Boston Marathon and watched it on TV. The more he ran, the more intrigued he became with someday running it himself. First, though, he’d have to meet a qualifying time standard in another sanctioned marathon. After three failed attempts, he finally qualified at the end of 1998 at a marathon in Tucson, Arizona, and, in 1991, ran what would be the first of three Boston Marathons.
Meantime, Karon was traveling with her husband to all these marathons to support him and decided it would be more fun to run than watch. After a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment in 2000, she decided to dive into the sport.
She qualified on her third attempt, at the 2005 Kansas City Marathon, and ran her first Boston Marathon in 2006.
“I was never an athlete,” she says. “But it was something I could do.”
Records Start Falling
After his third Boston, Don decided his marathoning days were finished and set about taking on shorter distances. He’d never thought much about age-group records, but when he turned 70 early in 2019, he set his sights on the Irish Mile, held on St. Patrick’s Day in Lawrence.
“I just went up to do it for fun,” he says. “[Then] I saw the record was [6 minutes, 54 seconds]. I thought I could get 6:53.”
Instead, Don completed the race in 6:13, shattering the Kansas state road mile mark by 50 seconds.
“That got me interested in records,” he says.
The records began coming in droves after that: The Rock the Parkway half marathon, the 5K at Hospital Hill, two 10K records at the Plaza 10K, just to name a few.
As for Karon, she beat her husband to the punch in setting state records, setting her first age standard at a half marathon in Wichita in 2017.
What’s Next?
Like most everything else, the coronavirus pandemic has slowed the record-chasing in 2020, but Turner and Way say they’ve enjoyed the “idea of relaxing a bit.” As their batteries recharge, they’re looking forward to resuming a competitive schedule once certified races once again become commonplace.
“At this point in our lives, we mainly just want to stay healthy,” Don says. “But, yeah, if I can see where I can set some more records, that would be worth giving it a try. I look at it as a gift, and I need to take advantage of it and enjoy it.”
Karon adds, “We’re running at an age where our grandkids (they have two grandsons and two great-grandchildren) can see you can still be active. I think that’s a good example to set.”
DON TURNER IN KANSAS one mile (70–74), half marathon (second best 70–74)
State Records
KARON WAY IN KANSAS half marathon (70–74), 15K (65–69)
What Others Say
“Don and Karon epitomize the best of the best, both on the inside and out. They are humble, genuinely kind, down-to-earth people who understand that they’ve been given a special gift when it comes to running far and fast. They enjoy the essence of running as well as the innocent pursuit of pushing themselves to see what they can do. It’s been an honor and inspiration to see what they’ve been able to accomplish and how long they’ve been able to sustain such a high standard of excellence!”
—Eladio Valdez III
founder of Runner’s Edge, a training and racing group in Kansas City, who has helped coach and train Turner and Way
“I’ve known Don and Karon for 10 years, and I’ve always appreciated their love of running that is infectious for myself and other runners. They bring the complete package of an elite athlete to the starting line: more than sufficient training, knowledge of the course, understanding of pacing, and an iron will. At the finish line, this has translated into multiple state records for both of them in their 60s and 70s, which is unparalleled in my running experience. Despite these outstanding accomplishments, they remain as humble and personable as anyone from the Heartland. We are truly fortunate to have them in our running community, and I’m honored to call them my friends.”
—Bill Brodine
fellow age-group competitor
WITH TWO OFFICES TO SERVE YOU! WAKARUSA ORAL SURGERY & SHAWNEE ORAL SURGERY OFFER A FULL RANGE OF ORAL SURGERY PROCEDURES
Call to schedule any of your appointment needs! • Dental Implants • Bone Grafting • Wisdom Teeth • Impacted Canines • Facial Trauma • Jaw Surgery • Oral Pathology • TMJ Disorders
Justin W. Labart DDS, MD
CALL TODAY WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU!
4901 Legends Drive, 6844 Silverheel Street, Lawrence KS 66049 Shawnee, KS 66226 785-856-6010 913-441-7868 www.wakashaw.com
