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 with nominal wind and clear skies. The course included two hills that altogether rose more than 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 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 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 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 Terry Baker 23 Hagerstown RFFC 31:14 Bob Snyder 23 Hagerstown RFFC 31:20 John Doub 22 Hagerstown RFFC 31:23 Stephen D. Gilmore 27 Washington Running Club 32:02 Herm Atkins 31 Club Northwest 32:22 Bruce Robinson 28 Washington Running Club 32:24 Taylor Oliver 28 Hagerstown RFFC 32:51 Chris Elliot 27 32:59 Mark Stevenson 22 United States Marine Corps 33:04 Brent Hawkins 26 West Virginia Track Club 33:36 Steve Weinstein 23 34:17 Mark Gibney 26 Northern Virginia Road Runners Club 34:35 Glenn Wood 45 Potomac Valley Seniors Track Club 34:46 Stephen Polasky 22 34:50 Charles L. Ross 41 National Capitol Track Club 34:53 David F. Dobrzynski 21 Nike, Inc. 35:03 Mitchell Hamburger 22 University of Maryland 35:25 Robert Proctor 20 Frederick Track Club 35:29 Thomas Mullen 37 FBI 35:39 Brenton E. Ayer 24 Limbo Track Club 35:41 Harold Tinsley Sr. 42 Huntsville Track Club 35:43 Dwayne Late 20 Hagerstown RFFC 35:43 Bob Thurston 35 Washington Running Club 35:45 John Mort 25 Washington Running Club 35:46 Edward D. Sayre 26 Capitol Hill Pacers 35:56 Phil Nicoll 17 Cumberland Valley Track Club 35:59 Chandler Robbins 42 National Capitol Track Club 36:02 Ed DeMarrais 48 North Medford Club 36:10 Tom Cook 32 Cumberland Valley Track Club 36:10 Dan Mangan 16 St. James School 36:11 Rafael Malo 17 Fairmont Heights 36:17 David Wittenburg 23 Mont. Co. Road Runners Club 36:20 Jeff L. Myers 30 36:23 Don Chaffee 40 36:24 David Shafer 26 Hagerstown RRFC 36:25 John A. Butterfield 42 36:37 John P. Kennedy 36 Northern Virginia Road Runners Club 36:40 Herbert B. Chisholm 53 Potomac Valley Seniors Track Club 36:43 David Hershiser 24 Thomas Jefferson Road Runners Club 36:51 W. Michael Welch 30 36:56 Patrick Key 21 37:07 Warren H. Ohlrich 40 NCTC 37:08 Jeffrey James Wilkins 15 Bishop Ireton 37:10 Matthew Klimow 27 United States Army 37:23 Tristam C. Kruger 28 37:24 Warren H. Haynie III 17 WRC / Baltimore Sans 37:28 Jeffrey Roush 30 Harrisburg Area Road Runners Club 37:30 Thomas P. Skelly 27 D.C. Harriers 37:43 Charles Brumley 39 Baltimore Road Runners Club 37:44 Andrew Butterfield 16 Boston Athletic Association 37:48 Scott Palmer 15 37:55 Jim Madigan 23 38:00 J. Allan Quickel 17 38:03 Allan J. Lichtman 32 Potomac Valley Seniors Track Club 38:04 Chris Flavin 24 Worldwatch Institute 38:09 David L. Watkins 43 Harrisburg Area Road Runners Club 38:11 Michael MacWelch 16 Fairmont Heights 38:16 Dave Biebel 17 Cumberland Valley Track Club 38:17 Michael P. Asip 26 38:17 Terry O'Connor 36 FBI 38:20 Robert H. Driscoe 34 38:25 Gary D. Knipling 35 D.C. Harriers 38:30 David H. Graham 19 38:33 Paul D. Caltabiano 25 FBI 38:33 Michael Lieder 24 38:34 George Hoffman III 16 Cumberland Valley Track Club 38:42 Lucious Anderson 33 38:43 David D. Schmidt 22 D.C. Road Runners Club 38:48 Thomas A. Hassler 42 U.S. Navy 38:49 Frank Schaeffer 27 38:50 Robert F. Webb 32 38:51 Robert Williams 37 Washington Running Club 38:52 Rudy Lopez 17 St. James School 38:53 Jimmy Carter 55

+ Catoctin Mountain Park Run women's results 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 Carole Herrick 38 Washington Run Hers 42:24 Mary Drengwitz 19 43:11 Laura deWald 22 Thomas Jefferson Road Runners Club 43:14 Dale Ann Koepenick 32 44:06 Colleen Powers 26 Farmland National 44:12 Marie Baumann 33 Washington Run Hers 44:13 Ellen Wessel 28 Washington Run Hers 44:14 Natalie Buzzell 46 44:46 Brenda J. Frank 28 45:29 Susan R. Cooper 28 Washington Run Hers 45:43 Stephanie Shipp 25 DCRRC 46:07 Noni Peterson 26 46:21 Durinda Decker 22 Shepherd College 46:21 Judith Graeff 31 46:26 Karen Kokesh 27 St. Louis Track Club 47:35 Janet A. Yu 23 47:37 Priscilla Butterfield 40 Boston Athletic Association 47:37 Claire Parkinson 31 NASA / Goddard 47:39 Linda M. Scott 38 47:43 Susanne Armstrong 39 48:11 Mary F. Hanley 31 D.C. Harriers 48:20 Elizabeth Guthrie 29 48:22 Rachel Bourn 50 Tidewater Striders 48:28 Janice Anderson 33 Potomac Valley Seniors Track Club 48:38 Pamela Abraham 23 HRFFC 48:47 Kay Snyder 20 West Virginia Track Club 49:06 Bonnie Glessner 29 49:08 Mary Ann Rogers 24 49:33 Mary Anne O'Donnel 26 49:35 Barbara Johnson 37 49:54 Diana Ross 18 50:21 Janet Lowe 24 50:30 Vera Thornhill 13 50:36 Mary A. Evans 26 50:39 Nancy E. Riley 23 Baltimore Road Runners Club 50:54 Mary Ostroff 27 Potomac Valley Seniors Track Club 51:22 Judy Weber 35 51:36 Jacquelene Miller 23 51:39 Judy Let 29 51:45 Mary L. Hamm 25 52:34 Diana Allan 25 George Washington University Law School 52:45 Linda Downes 33 52:49 Pam Hause 25 Alan's Locker Room 52:56 Coralee VanEdmond 24 52:58 Bonnie Kerrigan 32 Thomas Jefferson Road Runners Club 53:14 Anita M. O'Brien 26 Thomas Jefferson Road Runners Club 53:25 Consuelo Gardner 27 53:35 Sara Frankenfield 33 53:36 Mary Plumer 34 Baltimore Road Runners Club 53:45 Leslie Nuse 34 53:46 Mollie Ingram 36 53:49 Martha Hauver 41 54:01 Sharon Metcalf 29 White House 54:04 Marianne Joseph 36 54:08 Dorothy Bright 54 54:22 Kathryn B. Foster 35 54:27 Marilyn Pierce 39 54:31 Brenda Stup 24 55:03 Arleen Kuech 36 Howard County Striders 55:23 Patrice Pittman 27 55:37 Karen Bryant 23 55:43 Karyn Mandan 32 Thomas Jefferson Road Runners Club 55:55 Louise Wynn 31 55:59 Joan Marie Hargis 41 Frederick Steeplechasers 56:11 Barbara Garner 40 Baltimore Road Runners Club 56:43 Linda Ford 28 Baltimore Road Runners Club 56:46 Peggy Bowers 38 56:52 Elaine Jacobson 34 TWU 56:54 Patricia Turner 38 57:01 Penelope Richards 32 57:03 Amber Dillard 14 57:16 Nancy Enyon 48 57:17

+ "Inter-departmental rivalry" results Team Federal Bureau of Investigation Central Intelligence Agency Secret Service

References

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