8
Friday, April 16, 1976
University Dally Kansan
Staff photo by DON PIERCE
Despite her authority the rain continued falling
Jack Greenwood loves to run. He loves it so much, in fact, that he runs from three to five each day.
Greenwood a master in Masters
By CHRIS COTTRELL
sports writer
But what makes all this running so unusual is the fact that Jack Greenwood is a woodworker.
Greenwood, a former track star at the University of Kansas, graduated from KU in 1982. Now, almost 25 years later, he is still running in track meets across the country.
Greenwood competes in Masters track events. The Masters is a program designed for men 40 years of age and older and for women 30 years and older.
In 1972, Greenwood ran with a U.S. Masters Track Team on a tour of Europe. His accomplishments included being named national team captain at a meet in Gotenberg, Sweden.
IN THAT MEET, he won the 400-meter
dash, the 100-meter hard hurdles, and an
air-water race.
In a meet in London, he broke his own world record in the 400-meter hurdles for men 40 to 49 years old, winning in 55.7 seconds.
He currently holds world records for his age group not only in the 400-meter hurdles, but also in the 110-meter hurdles (15.0), the 80-meter dash (32.0), and the Open Decathlon.
But it's not competition for which Gael can win. Rather, he runs purely for the enjoyment.
Running is my way of unwinding at the
He wanted to participate in the 1982 Olympics, he said, but a pulled thigh muscle in his left leg prevented him from trying to qualify.
Greenwood starred for the KU track team under Bill Easton in 1958-52. He set school records in both the indoor and outdoor 120-vard high and 120-vard low hurdles.
He was then inactive, as far as running was concerned, for almost 12 years.
But in 1986, he read an article that said that if a person could not run a mile and a half, then they had to be staged.
end of the day," Greenwood said, "After being in the office all day and fighting the world's problems, I just go out and run for it, whatever it takes to get it out of my system."
GREENWOOD IS PRESIDENT of the
Association in Medicine Lodge
and Loan Association.
GREENWOOD SAID HE was watching a football game one day, and he said to himself: "Shoot. I'm getting tired of watting the ball. I just got just go out and see what I can do."
"I found out I wasn't in as good a shape as I thought I was," he said.
So he decided to do something about it. He started running around a local lake, which was about two and half miles. But he was in for some rough going at first.
"Those first couple weeks, I ached all over," he said. "But things started coming on."
But Greenwood was in for a surprise.
SO IN 1968, he entered the jogger's mule in Wichita. Later, he entered a meet in Kansas City and did well, so he decided to run in the Senior Olympics in Los Angeles. He responded by winning every event he entered
Since then, he's appeared in numerous movies and television programs. He European tour with the U.S. Masters Track Team, the National AAU Masters Track Meet, the World Masters Meet, the Kansas State Meet.
"The thing I enjoy about it," he said, "the fellowship with all the runners. There's no pressure on you and I'm my own coach. There's no one saying, 'You gotta.' It's fun."
"It's just like a shot in the arm—like new blood."
Greenwood says he won't quit running even after he quits winning.
"I FEEBEN AT BOTH ends —I've been at the top and I've been at the bottom, and I haven't quit," he said. "As long as the good health is good and good health, I'm gang in there."
Greenwood is the president and founder of the Mid-America Masters, which was held in New York.
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"I sent out letters to everybody I knew who liked to run," he explained. "I called a meeting on a Sunday and 13 of us met and talked a lot about way. Now we've got almost 300 members."
"I hope to get some of these older fellows that used to run, back into the program and help me," she said.
"It will take true..It's growing."
WELCOME Participants and Followers of the KU Relays
A Complete Selection of
- BASKET DINNERS (complete with fries & salad)
-DAIRY BAR WITH 'REAL' FRUIT TOPPING
SANDWICHES
- BEVERAGES
- DESSERTS
Drive thru service or Dine in
Vista
1527 West 6th
Call in order—842-4311
Remember the 1976 Kansas Relays with a special shirt from the Kansas Union Bookstore