David Pain accepts lifetime service award from San Diego TC
David Pain, our Columbus, was honored Sunday by the San Diego Track Club with a lifetime service award. He and pioneer female road runner Donna Gookin were applauded by 200 people at the San Diego Hall of Champions, a sports museum in Balboa Park. Competitor.com ran a story about the awards, named for legendary San Diego streak runner Dale Larabee. “SDTC presented the first award to Donna …, known as the “godmother of women’s long-distance running” in San Diego. Gookin ran the 1972 Boston marathon, the first year women were officially allowed to participate. … After starting the first-ever women’s running division at the Mission Bay Marathon, she won 10 of the 40 women’s divisions she competed in the races that followed.” Coach Paul Greer said: “Both Donna Gookin and David Pain are truly great living examples of why this award was initiated since their lifetime service to the sport of running has spanned over the last 50 years. Many of the programs they introduced to the San Diego running community and worldwide still exist today.” You bet.
7 Responses
Great video, great man-but the volume of the piano music was distracting from the commentary.
Yeah, I didn’t lower music volume enough. I’m redoing it now and will upload soon — and replace the embed code.
Quieter version of video is now uploaded. Click again.
Thank you to them both for their contributions and for SDTC recognizing them.
David Pain turned 93 today (July 31) and Chris Stone and I are going to visit him. Please share your greetings, which we would pass along to David — the founder of masters track.
Ken, David won’t remember me–I met him very briefly, many years ago–but please pass along my best wishes for a happy birthday. And tell him that every single day, I (and many others) are grateful for this wonderful gift David created for all of us. I don’t even want to imagine what life would be without masters track & field!
David Pain, although you have done great things for our sport, you have remained humble. You are a kind and gentle man with remarkable courage and determination. All my best to you in the years ahead.
Peter L. Taylor
Announcer at 33 Masters Nationals (14 Outdoors, 19 Indoors) in the 1998-2015 Time Frame
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