George Aitkin
DOB: Oct. 5, 1952
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
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Although not a huge mileage runner, I have trained and competed since May of 1967 when my grade 8 phys ed teacher encouraged me to do so. I recorded all of my miles and races in log books and diaries. Competing in events from 400 meters to 6 hour trail races over the years, my race total now exceeds 1,200 and continues to grow by approximately 20 per year. Included are nine marathons with a 2:35 personal best, plus hundreds of 5 and 10 kilometer races. In my biggest mileage year I ran 3,250 miles and I now average just over 2,000 annually with hopes to continue indefinitely.
Having developed a passion for sports photography, I've traveled to many parts of the globe over the decades, shooting world and national championships, getting to run in some exotic locales.
When reaching 100,000 miles became imminent, I threw out an invitation to friends and fellow runners, and on March 22, 2014, about 60 of us went for the 6 mile run that put me, dressed appropriately in a shirt and tie, over the top. We were then treated to cake and hot drinks at a local cafe.
There's no run I enjoy much more than an hour in the rain in my favourite forest trails. My first advice to newer runners is to stay on soft surfaces and keep a running log.