# Catoctin Mountain Park Run

The Catoctin Mountain Park Run was a 10K run (6.2 miles) organized by the Jimmy Carter administration in September 1979. The event was set up by the White House to give Carter a chance to run a competitive road race without the security risk of a third-party organizer. The Catoctin Mountain Park course was hilly, and due to over-exertion Carter collapsed after about four miles, leading to concerns about his health and questions about his re-election campaign.
Professional runner Herb Lindsay won the men's race in time in 30 minutes 0.1 seconds, about two minutes slower than his personal best over the distance. Marilyn Bevans won the women's race in 40 minutes 25.8 seconds.

## Background

Carter was a cross country runner for the Navy Midshipmen team in the 1940s, but he only began jogging recreationally in the fall of 1978.
Nike, Inc., Anheuser-Busch Natural Light, and Track Master sponsored the race, with Nike inviting some of their professionally sponsored runners like Lindsay to compete. There were also a host of amateur runners invited, ranging from an 11-year old boy to a grandfather in his 70s.
Carter's previous best time on the course in training was 50 minutes, and he was aiming for a 46-minute time (7 minutes 24 seconds per mile) on race day. Lindsay thought the course was particularly challenging for a beginner, although the Washington Post wrote, "The weather was cool, and the race was not considered challenging for a runner in training". Race day weather was officially recorded as 70 °F (21 °C) with nominal wind and clear skies. The course included two hills that altogether rose more than 350 feet (110 m) in less than half a mile.

## The race

Carter started near the front of the pack, splitting his first mile in 8 minutes 25 seconds uphill. His second mile was even faster in 7:45, but he started to slow after that.
The race was held on an out-and-back course, allowing the professional field to see Carter running down the hill as they ran back up it. Carter acknowledged Lindsay as he passed, calling out, "Give him room" to the other lead runners in the tight pack.

## Carter collapse

Approximately four miles into the race, Carter started to appear fatigued, with those around him commenting on his ashy face and drooping form. He had been running for about 52 minutes, and he was about 100 yards (91 m) away from the Camp David entrance. He wanted to continue running even as his doctor William Lukash urged him to stop. After Carter finally gave in, Lukash measured his heart rate as about 130 beats per minute, far above his resting heart rate of about 45 bpm. Carter was given smelling salts and at least 1 liter (0.22 imp gal; 0.26 U.S. gal) of salt water intravenously through his arm.
Hours after his treatment, Carter returned to the course to present awards in good health.

## Legacy

The incident was used by some to caution against running, citing risk of cardiac arrest or other marathon fatalities.
The event was noted by some as an analogy for Carter's poor political polling ahead of his 1980 re-election campaign. Some suggested he should drop out of the presidential race just as he dropped out of the footrace in favor of Democratic primary challenger Ted Kennedy.
One White House lieutenant said after the race, "I hope this will replace the rabbit stories".
A second race was proposed for September 13, 1980 at the same location, but it was ultimately not continued.

## Results

Though 898 runners were registered, only 750 started the race. Lindsay won the men's race in 30 minutes 0.1 seconds, followed by Dan Rincon. There was also an inter-departmental team race scored between the FBI, CIA, and Secret Service, which the FBI won. Carter blamed himself on the Secret Service's last-place team finish, saying that the agents had to follow his pace.
About 47 runners did not finish the race, including Carter.
Catoctin Mountain Park Run men's results :
| Pos. | Athlete | Age | Club | Time |
| | Herb Lindsay | 24 | Colorado Track Club | 30:00.1 |
| | Dan Rincon | 26 | Washington Running Club | 30:37.5 |
| | Don Kardong | 30 | Club Northwest | 31:07 |
| 4th | Terry Baker | 23 | Hagerstown RFFC | 31:14 |
| 5th | Bob Snyder | 23 | Hagerstown RFFC | 31:20 |
| 6th | John Doub | 22 | Hagerstown RFFC | 31:23 |
| 7th | Stephen D. Gilmore | 27 | Washington Running Club | 32:02 |
| 8th | Herm Atkins | 31 | Club Northwest | 32:22 |
| 9th | Bruce Robinson | 28 | Washington Running Club | 32:24 |
| 10th | Taylor Oliver | 28 | Hagerstown RFFC | 32:51 |
| 11th | Chris Elliot | 27 | | 32:59 |
| 12th | Mark Stevenson | 22 | United States Marine Corps | 33:04 |
| 13th | Brent Hawkins | 26 | West Virginia Track Club | 33:36 |
| 14th | Steve Weinstein | 23 | | 34:17 |
| 15th | Mark Gibney | 26 | Northern Virginia Road Runners Club | 34:35 |
| 16th | Glenn Wood | 45 | Potomac Valley Seniors Track Club | 34:46 |
| 17th | Stephen Polasky | 22 | | 34:50 |
| 18th | Charles L. Ross | 41 | National Capitol Track Club | 34:53 |
| 19th | David F. Dobrzynski | 21 | Nike, Inc. | 35:03 |
| 20th | Mitchell Hamburger | 22 | University of Maryland | 35:25 |
| 21st | Robert Proctor | 20 | Frederick Track Club | 35:29 |
| 22nd | Thomas Mullen | 37 | FBI | 35:39 |
| 23rd | Brenton E. Ayer | 24 | Limbo Track Club | 35:41 |
| 24th | Harold Tinsley Sr. | 42 | Huntsville Track Club | 35:43 |
| 25th | Dwayne Late | 20 | Hagerstown RFFC | 35:43 |
| 26th | Bob Thurston | 35 | Washington Running Club | 35:45 |
| 27th | John Mort | 25 | Washington Running Club | 35:46 |
| 28th | Edward D. Sayre | 26 | Capitol Hill Pacers | 35:56 |
| 29th | Phil Nicoll | 17 | Cumberland Valley Track Club | 35:59 |
| 30th | Chandler Robbins | 42 | National Capitol Track Club | 36:02 |
| 31st | Ed DeMarrais | 48 | North Medford Club | 36:10 |
| 32nd | Tom Cook | 32 | Cumberland Valley Track Club | 36:10 |
| 33rd | Dan Mangan | 16 | St. James School | 36:11 |
| 34th | Rafael Malo | 17 | Fairmont Heights | 36:17 |
| 35th | David Wittenburg | 23 | Mont. Co. Road Runners Club | 36:20 |
| 36th | Jeff L. Myers | 30 | | 36:23 |
| 37th | Don Chaffee | 40 | | 36:24 |
| 38th | David Shafer | 26 | Hagerstown RRFC | 36:25 |
| 39th | John A. Butterfield | 42 | | 36:37 |
| 40th | John P. Kennedy | 36 | Northern Virginia Road Runners Club | 36:40 |
| 41st | Herbert B. Chisholm | 53 | Potomac Valley Seniors Track Club | 36:43 |
| 42nd | David Hershiser | 24 | Thomas Jefferson Road Runners Club | 36:51 |
| 43rd | W. Michael Welch | 30 | | 36:56 |
| 44th | Patrick Key | 21 | | 37:07 |
| 45th | Warren H. Ohlrich | 40 | NCTC | 37:08 |
| 46th | Jeffrey James Wilkins | 15 | Bishop Ireton | 37:10 |
| 47th | Matthew Klimow | 27 | United States Army | 37:23 |
| 48th | Tristam C. Kruger | 28 | | 37:24 |
| 49th | Warren H. Haynie III | 17 | WRC / Baltimore Sans | 37:28 |
| 50th | Jeffrey Roush | 30 | Harrisburg Area Road Runners Club | 37:30 |
| 51st | Thomas P. Skelly | 27 | D.C. Harriers | 37:43 |
| 52nd | Charles Brumley | 39 | Baltimore Road Runners Club | 37:44 |
| 53rd | Andrew Butterfield | 16 | Boston Athletic Association | 37:48 |
| 54th | Scott Palmer | 15 | | 37:55 |
| 55th | Jim Madigan | 23 | | 38:00 |
| 56th | J. Allan Quickel | 17 | | 38:03 |
| 57th | Allan J. Lichtman | 32 | Potomac Valley Seniors Track Club | 38:04 |
| 58th | Chris Flavin | 24 | Worldwatch Institute | 38:09 |
| 59th | David L. Watkins | 43 | Harrisburg Area Road Runners Club | 38:11 |
| 60th | Michael MacWelch | 16 | Fairmont Heights | 38:16 |
| 61st | Dave Biebel | 17 | Cumberland Valley Track Club | 38:17 |
| 62nd | Michael P. Asip | 26 | | 38:17 |
| 63rd | Terry O'Connor | 36 | FBI | 38:20 |
| 64th | Robert H. Driscoe | 34 | | 38:25 |
| 65th | Gary D. Knipling | 35 | D.C. Harriers | 38:30 |
| 66th | David H. Graham | 19 | | 38:33 |
| 67th | Paul D. Caltabiano | 25 | FBI | 38:33 |
| 68th | Michael Lieder | 24 | | 38:34 |
| 68th | George Hoffman III | 16 | Cumberland Valley Track Club | 38:42 |
| 69th | Lucious Anderson | 33 | | 38:43 |
| 70th | David D. Schmidt | 22 | D.C. Road Runners Club | 38:48 |
| 71st | Thomas A. Hassler | 42 | U.S. Navy | 38:49 |
| 72nd | Frank Schaeffer | 27 | | 38:50 |
| 73rd | Robert F. Webb | 32 | | 38:51 |
| 74th | Robert Williams | 37 | Washington Running Club | 38:52 |
| 75th | Rudy Lopez | 17 | St. James School | 38:53 |
| — | Jimmy Carter | 55 | | DNF |
Catoctin Mountain Park Run women's results :
| Pos. | Athlete | Age | Club | Time |
| | Marilyn Bevans | 29 | Baltimore Sans | 40:25.8 |
| | Margaret Horioka | 24 | Hagerstown RFFC | 42:00 |
| | Mary Ellen Williams | 33 | Hagerstown Running Club | 42:20 |
| 4th | Carole Herrick | 38 | Washington Run Hers | 42:24 |
| 5th | Mary Drengwitz | 19 | | 43:11 |
| 6th | Laura deWald | 22 | Thomas Jefferson Road Runners Club | 43:14 |
| 7th | Dale Ann Koepenick | 32 | | 44:06 |
| 8th | Colleen Powers | 26 | Farmland National | 44:12 |
| 9th | Marie Baumann | 33 | Washington Run Hers | 44:13 |
| 10th | Ellen Wessel | 28 | Washington Run Hers | 44:14 |
| 11th | Natalie Buzzell | 46 | | 44:46 |
| 12th | Brenda J. Frank | 28 | | 45:29 |
| 13th | Susan R. Cooper | 28 | Washington Run Hers | 45:43 |
| 14th | Stephanie Shipp | 25 | DCRRC | 46:07 |
| 15th | Noni Peterson | 26 | | 46:21 |
| 16th | Durinda Decker | 22 | Shepherd College | 46:21 |
| 17th | Judith Graeff | 31 | | 46:26 |
| 18th | Karen Kokesh | 27 | St. Louis Track Club | 47:35 |
| 19th | Janet A. Yu | 23 | | 47:37 |
| 20th | Priscilla Butterfield | 40 | Boston Athletic Association | 47:37 |
| 21st | Claire Parkinson | 31 | NASA / Goddard | 47:39 |
| 22nd | Linda M. Scott | 38 | | 47:43 |
| 23rd | Susanne Armstrong | 39 | | 48:11 |
| 24th | Mary F. Hanley | 31 | D.C. Harriers | 48:20 |
| 25th | Elizabeth Guthrie | 29 | | 48:22 |
| 26th | Rachel Bourn | 50 | Tidewater Striders | 48:28 |
| 27th | Janice Anderson | 33 | Potomac Valley Seniors Track Club | 48:38 |
| 28th | Pamela Abraham | 23 | HRFFC | 48:47 |
| 29th | Kay Snyder | 20 | West Virginia Track Club | 49:06 |
| 30th | Bonnie Glessner | 29 | | 49:08 |
| 31st | Mary Ann Rogers | 24 | | 49:33 |
| 32nd | Mary Anne O'Donnel | 26 | | 49:35 |
| 33rd | Barbara Johnson | 37 | | 49:54 |
| 34th | Diana Ross | 18 | | 50:21 |
| 35th | Janet Lowe | 24 | | 50:30 |
| 36th | Vera Thornhill | 13 | | 50:36 |
| 37th | Mary A. Evans | 26 | | 50:39 |
| 38th | Nancy E. Riley | 23 | Baltimore Road Runners Club | 50:54 |
| 39th | Mary Ostroff | 27 | Potomac Valley Seniors Track Club | 51:22 |
| 40th | Judy Weber | 35 | | 51:36 |
| 41st | Jacquelene Miller | 23 | | 51:39 |
| 42nd | Judy Let | 29 | | 51:45 |
| 43rd | Mary L. Hamm | 25 | | 52:34 |
| 44th | Diana Allan | 25 | George Washington University Law School | 52:45 |
| 45th | Linda Downes | 33 | | 52:49 |
| 46th | Pam Hause | 25 | Alan's Locker Room | 52:56 |
| 47th | Coralee VanEdmond | 24 | | 52:58 |
| 48th | Bonnie Kerrigan | 32 | Thomas Jefferson Road Runners Club | 53:14 |
| 49th | Anita M. O'Brien | 26 | Thomas Jefferson Road Runners Club | 53:25 |
| 50th | Consuelo Gardner | 27 | | 53:35 |
| 51st | Sara Frankenfield | 33 | | 53:36 |
| 52nd | Mary Plumer | 34 | Baltimore Road Runners Club | 53:45 |
| 53rd | Leslie Nuse | 34 | | 53:46 |
| 54th | Mollie Ingram | 36 | | 53:49 |
| 55th | Martha Hauver | 41 | | 54:01 |
| 56th | Sharon Metcalf | 29 | White House | 54:04 |
| 57th | Marianne Joseph | 36 | | 54:08 |
| 58th | Dorothy Bright | 54 | | 54:22 |
| 59th | Kathryn B. Foster | 35 | | 54:27 |
| 60th | Marilyn Pierce | 39 | | 54:31 |
| 61st | Brenda Stup | 24 | | 55:03 |
| 62nd | Arleen Kuech | 36 | Howard County Striders | 55:23 |
| 63rd | Patrice Pittman | 27 | | 55:37 |
| 64th | Karen Bryant | 23 | | 55:43 |
| 65th | Karyn Mandan | 32 | Thomas Jefferson Road Runners Club | 55:55 |
| 66th | Louise Wynn | 31 | | 55:59 |
| 67th | Joan Marie Hargis | 41 | Frederick Steeplechasers | 56:11 |
| 68th | Barbara Garner | 40 | Baltimore Road Runners Club | 56:43 |
| 69th | Linda Ford | 28 | Baltimore Road Runners Club | 56:46 |
| 70th | Peggy Bowers | 38 | | 56:52 |
| 71st | Elaine Jacobson | 34 | TWU | 56:54 |
| 72nd | Patricia Turner | 38 | | 57:01 |
| 73rd | Penelope Richards | 32 | | 57:03 |
| 74th | Amber Dillard | 14 | | 57:16 |
| 75th | Nancy Enyon | 48 | | 57:17 |
"Inter-departmental rivalry" results :
* Team
* Federal Bureau of Investigation
* Central Intelligence Agency
* Secret Service