Dave Reed: master of friendship, running

He ran a 2-minute 800 at age 40 and was a 4:30 miler on the roads. He competed at Buffalo worlds in 1995 and the Hartshorne Masters Mile in 1997. But Dave Reed, who died last week at age 54 of complications from a staph infection, was known to his fellow Canadians mostly as a consummate runner, friend and “truly a big kid who never entirely grew up.” Masters leader Doug Smith reported the sad news Nov. 21, quoting George Gluppe: “Dave passed away yesterday. His great heart finally quit. He was just too sick. We were hoping for the last two months that somehow he would recover. He was a unique character, he loved running and other runners who shared his passion. He had a fantastic memory for races and workouts, even from 30 years ago. All who knew him will miss him, and the things he brought to our sport.”

Doug continued:

Dave Reed was a fine middle distance runner. I first met him in the early 90s when he was living in Toronto and burning up the roads and trails. He was featured on the cover of the 1994 Ontario Masters Newsletter, with the other winners of our 5K Championship.

In a series of memorials for Doug’s newsletter this week, George added:

I have known Dave for over 30 years. I can’t recall exactly when we first met. I just seem to feel that he was always there. We would be training in Earl Bales Park or at York University. After hard workouts, we would go out for a beer and or a bite to eat. We became good friends and back in those days I would run with him on the track.
Dave had a strong sense of loyalty, and there was no malice in him. He just loved to run and he always was enthusiastic about helping others who enjoyed running. When he was younger he played other sports, too. He loved skiing and would travel to Europe to try the venues there,
Dave and I often went to Woodbine — we both liked the horses, him especially. One day he won $106,000, but he had to split that with a friend he was betting with. We watched a lot of American college football on TV. We were really keen on that and did a lot of yelling at the TV.
While Dave was a good runner when he was young, he didn’t really blossom until he became a master and he was more dedicated to the track. He ran a lot of top-quality races, producing a 2.00 min 800 at age 40.He also ran superb mile races on the road, He was a graceful smooth runner and a great competitor.
I find it almost unbelievable that he is gone. I miss my friend very much, as do all the people that he trained with or competed against.

Nancy Tinari wrote:

I spoke to Dave’s mother last night at some length. Everyone who visited Dave while he was in the hospital should know that this was a great comfort to her, and she thanked me repeatedly for all that “the runners” did for Dave while he was sick.
She and her daughter Angela had been planning to fly out here on Monday. She feels badly about not being here yesterday, and I think knowing that Dave had friends with him yesterday, talking and joking and showing him photos, made it possible for her to forgive herself for not being here.
Dave’s family is planning a cremation, and his younger brother Mark will be here today to take care of that. The family wishes to have a memorial service for Dave that includes all of his running friends. This will be held at a funeral home, and I’m going to be arranging the details today. For various reasons, it probably won’t take place until December 2nd or 3rd. I will keep everyone updated about this.
I know that when Dave first got sick in early September, I was overcome with memories of all the good times we had shared and all the ways he has helped me and my family. Those thoughts are in my mind now and I want to share some of them with you. George and I knew Dave for thirty years.
We all know of Dave’s infectious enthusiasm for running — something that was the leading passion of his life, and something that never flagged as he got older. Dave did countless 5:30/mile tempo runs and track workouts with me when I was running at my best. He never quite made it to the top as a young runner, himself, but instead achieved many of his running dreams as a masters runner.
Not everyone knows that Dave was a superb athlete in many sports, some of his other favourites being hockey, baseball and golf. He was truly a big kid who never entirely grew up, and this was both a strength and a weakness in him.
He had a child’s ability to get lost completely in the joy and excitement of a moment of play, and he relived the high moments of races with the singlemindedness of a child. Dave also knew how to fully enjoy very simple things — a good meal, a single can of beer, the company of his running pals, rock music, lying on the beach or in our backyard on a sunny day.
He lived with us for about six years here in Coquitlam. He was a great companion and sports mentor to my son Abebe when Abebe was between 4 and 10 years old. Dave loved playing games and sports with kids, and always gave his time generously that way. He was also a hard worker and a great handyman, who helped my family in many ways He tamed our backyard wilderness as best he could with the lawn mower and other tools, kept my ancient cars running, built me a bicycle rack for my car, and did numerous repairs around the house.
Once again I want to thank everyone who visited Dave in the hospital. I know that all of us are thinking about him as we do our training runs and workouts, and perhaps appreciating what we can do more than ever before.

Mike Moon wrote:

I understand that it was at 3:45 pm that Dave passed away yesterday. The strange thing is that Paul Skarsgard and I started our run/workout yesterday at about 3:45. I was thinking about Dave for much of the session as I had been meaning to visit him again the last few weeks. I knew that I was going to be off work today due to appointments for my little boy Jordan, so I thought I would try to get to the hospital this afternoon and visit Dave.
Yesterday as the hard running wore on (4 x 10 min) I just kept thinking that Dave wouldn’t quite this workout so neither would I. The last interval Paul had headed off towards home so I was left with my own thoughts as I struggled to keep the effort up.
I remembered racing Dave down the steep hill at the SandCastle 10k a few years back where we had literally sprinted our guts out to the line. I found myself flying along for the last few minutes of the workout. Afterwards I was physically shattered. I had obviously overdone it, but the state I was in was familiar, and it made me smile as I struggled to get home. I remembered I felt exactly the same way the day not long ago, that Dave Reed and I raced each other to the line at SandCastle.
Dave was with me in spirit yesterday and he will be on future runs I’m sure. I am very saddened by his passing.

Tim Payne wrote:

I am still in disbelief about learning of the steady downhill slide in Dave Reed’s health and his sad passing reported last week. I had read recently that Dave had run a very good downhill road mile in the 4:30s not too long ago.
I think of Dave as being a running nomad. He certainly marched to own beat (a very successful one at that). Dave was an extreme hard-core runner who loved nothing better than pushing training and racing to the limits. He was an upright, forefoot striker with a beautiful, compact and graceful stride.
I was amazed at how he could maintain his lifestyle choice of a bicycle courier while racing some amazing times and living and enjoying a very simple, uncomplicated (nomadic) lifestyle (living and training near beaches). Dave was a pleasure to discuss running with. His passion and excitement about running stats was amazing.
I remember the first time I noticed Dave while I was training at York U. in Toronto in the mid 1980’s with the North York T and F club with coach Dave Welch (where I first met Earl Fee and later John Pickard, Dave McLeod, the Wilmotts and the Kazdans). Dave Reed’s group was hard to ignore. While the rest of us were running repeats, here was coach George Gluppe’s group doing multiple drills of plyometrics. Along with Dave Reed was Nancy Tinari (Rooks in those days). Gluppe’s group was way ahead of the curve performing routines usually reserved for sprinters instead of middle distance runners.
I am sure that Peter Coe’s book about his son Sebastian hadn’t been published yet which outlined all of the depth jumping routines that they were doing in the late 70’s and early 80’s.
In 1987, Brooks sponsored the Corporate Cup (or Challenge) in Feb. for athletes age 30 and up who competed for there place of employment. Dave ran well in this meet in a younger age group (30 to 34) than mine (35 to 39). Questions about his training arose between us and I was impressed with his thoughts and strategies.
The picture I have included (at bottom) was at the University of Buffalo stadium during the running of the 5000s during the 1995 WAVA Championships. Dave insisted on a shot in front of the scoreboard showing “Are You Ready.” He was not running that day because he ran some 800s and 1500s at this meet. Dave, as always, was there to support his fellow athletes.
In Jan. 1997, Dave, Fred Robbins and myself competed in the 30th running of the Hartshorne Memorial Masters Mile at Cornell U. in Ithaca, NY. This was one of his races from his own “bucket list” to enter along with the Fifth Avenue Mile in NYC (Fred Robbins has a great story about that adventure).
The three of us stayed together (I got the cot since Dave and Fred were the invited athletes with the free room pass). During the Elite Race, Dave got swallowed up in the McMullen sandwich. Steve Gallagher from Florida won in 4:22 followed by the late Charlie McMullen in 4:32.04, Dave Reed in 4:32.95 and Tim McMullen in 4:35.29.
I competed in a small out of the way 5k road race on Aug. 12th, 2006 in Apsley, Ontario, northeast of Bobcaygeon. While warming up, out of the blue, a limousine pulls up and out jumps Dave and Fred. Dave had been doing some temporary work for a limousine company. Dave went on to win the race outright in 16-something. I think this may have been Dave’s last visit and race in Ontario.
I hope I have the facts correct about some of Dave’s life as I am trying to appreciate a man I most admired for his drive and determination in the running world.
Dave Reed will be missed by all, especially Fred Robbins and myself.

Doug Alward, who drove a van during Terry Fox’s legendary cross-Canada run, wrote:

I shed some tears when I heard Dave had left us to move on to a better place. Dave was a special guy who fueled the fire in me to stretch my body to the limit and get faster.
When I joined the Phoenix Running Club over ten years ago, Dave was so much faster than me I felt like I was jogging when he went whizzing by with his devastating speed. I was jealous that he looked and ran like someone ten years younger than me when he was actually a few years older. He had a full head of hair while mine was fast disappearing and he seemed to float while striding along.
On top of his amazing speed and young looks Dave never seemed to suffer while running. He always had a big grin on his face and was happily chattering away even during the two minute rest breaks between the killer mile repeats. How can anyone enjoy such pain I thought.
After getting whupped by Dave in EVERY Ambleside Mile, which Dave still holds the Masters over 40 record of 4:17 in, I resigned myself to realizing that I was never ever going to outrun Dave in his favorite race. Dave was so good at the Ambleside Mile the organizers had to cancel the age graded champion prize as Dave won it every year.
I kept moving up in the distance I raced to try to find a distance I could outrun Dave at. After training like a madman for several years I finally snuck by him just after mile 12 in the February FIRST HALF MARATHON one year. I think Dave forgot to pace himself that day as he went out a bit too fast thinking he could run as fast as a twenty year old. As I was passing Dave I yelled at him to come on, it was only a MILE to go.
Dave tried to respond by pumping his arms faster. When no words came out of his mouth for the first time I realized Dave could feel the pain of running like the rest of us mere mortals.
I am going to miss you Dave. You taught me a lot about the sport of running and life. I will try to smile while running. I will try to laugh with my friends more. Thank you Dave. You’re the CHAMP!

James Earle wrote:

I recall running my first Sunset Shuffle race on the Island in around ’91 or ’92. We went out at a pretty slow pace and Dave threw in this all-out 100-metre surge. The front pack went with him. At about 100 meters, he slowed down to a regular distance pace. Then, about 30 seconds later, he and the pack went again. This went on for the first mile. We went through in 5:04 doing a fartlek. At this point, I’d had enough and surged ahead. Later I asked Dave what he was doing. He said he was doing a speed workout. This would definitely attest to George’s comment that Dave was a “unique” individual.

John Atkinson wrote:

It is with great sadness that I write to inform you that Dave passed away yesterday at around 3:45pm. After nearly three months bravely battling the staph infection which had hospitalized him, his emaciated body slipped into cardiac arrest and his shell-shocked nurse Leanna believed a pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in one of his lungs) ultimately proved fatal. The doctors worked tirelessly to bring him back for around 30 minutes — but couldn’t revive him.
Though Dave had seemed to lose some of his will and fighting spirit in recent weeks and had been forced to return to the ICU, there still seemed to be some hope, however small, that he could fight back once more.
Yesterday, only around an hour before he died, he was still talking, looking around and moving his legs. He was frail and virtually skeletal, but there was still a little fight left. We told him the race being organized in his honour had been confirmed for next spring, which sparked the flash of a smile.
As requested to Kirsty on Monday, he asked me to get him out of there. He then shared a joke with Mike (Campagne) and Leanna, while I went to meet Simon (Driver), Dave (Stephens) and Trefor (Smith), who were also coming to visit. By the time we returned, however — pretty much out of the blue, he had slipped into cardiac arrest.
Mike was asked to leave and exited the ward to find us waiting outside. He told us it looked bad, but that the doctors and nurses were attending to him. They (the doctors) said we couldn’t see him; it would be at least 30 minutes before we could. So the five of us went and grabbed a coffee in the hospital cafe and resolved to buy Dave the portable DVD player that several of us had threatened to do weeks before.
Mike had to leave at that point, but Simon, Dave, Trefor and I returned to the ICU to see how Dave was. I called Leanna on the security phone to request permission to enter. Almost in tears, she told me he’d passed away within the last half an hour. The four of us, stunned and virtually speechless, were led into a side-room to absorb the news. We resolved to go in and see Dave to pay our last respects — and took turns telling him how much he’d inspired us and positively impacted the lives of so many members of the Canadian running community. We said his spirit would live on.
He looked to be resting in peace.

And from the Prairie Inn Harriers’ Victoria BC website:

A 6-year Harrier left us yesterday after suffering a series of strokes and succumbing to a staph infection while in intensive care at the Vancouver General Hospital.
Dave was a very special friend of mine; he stayed at my house several times while racing in Victoria and on Vancouver Island. I will miss his laugh, his love for my dogs and his passion for running and racing. Running was the most important aspect of his life. It was his whole life; nothing else mattered.
All the friends he surrounded himself with were runners.
He told me last year that he was bringing Geoff Reid to the Thetis Lake Relay and wanted to team up with me and Rob Reid to form a 4-man Reid/Reed team called “Keeping up with the Jones’s”. He had a great sense of humour and his biggest attributes were loyalty and friendship. Once you were a friend of Dave’s, you were part of his “family.”
He enjoyed tremendous success in racing as a master in Victoria and all over Canada, frequently winning his age class at RVM 8K, Bazan Bay, Pioneer, Songhees, Hatley Castle, TC10K, Thetis Relay, Gunner Shaw and many other events that he loved on Vancouver Island. In 2005, he trained with us at TNWs while he lived here for the summer months.
I vividly remember him duking it out with Anthony Estey at Mount Douglas Park at a TNW workout called “Rocks in Box.” I am heading out the door right now with Molly and Bebe to run that loop at Mt. Doug to think of Dave’s friendship. He was one of the best master athletes in Canada, specializing at 5K and one mile races. He won tons of them over the years.
What can we do for such a great competitor, a great friend and a great man? I have talked with the PIH Executive and we feel the most appropriate tribute to Dave Reed is to make a sizable donation to the Heart and Stroke Foundation on his behalf.
All of the Gunner Shaw Cross Country race proceeds on November 26 will be directed to this cause. Gunner would have loved to meet Dave, they had very similar generous characteristics. They had countless loyal running friends.
The Harriers New Year’s Day Memorial Run/Walk at Beaver Lake Park will also be dedicated to Dave’s memory on January 1, 2009 and all donations will be added to the Heart and Stroke contribution. Dave was a proud Harrier and we will share a moment of silence for him at the Memorial Run/Walk. I plan to return one week early from my vacation in Los Angeles to be at the Memorial event to honour Dave.
Dave, you provided so much enthusiasm to our sport and you touched so many people with your warm personality. Gwyn, Nancy, George, John, Bob, the list is endless.
I can assure you that you have left me with many fond memories and I will never forget you. We have lost another legend.
Goodbye, my friend. Rest in peace.

Doug Smith concluded:
Individuals that knew Dave and want to contribute to a worthwhile cause can send cheques directly to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or to the Harriers Foundation and we will consolidate donations and entry fees into a single payment to H&SF in early-January. I feel that we can raise $10,000 in Dave’s memory.

Dave Reed at the 1995 World Veterans Athletics Championships in Buffalo, New York.