Age doesn’t slow down Davis

ATHENS — With his white hair shining in the sun, the figure of Tom Davis running miles a day is a familiar one to residents of Athens.

The 64-year-old adjunct biology professor at Concord University has no plans to quit soon, as a teacher, or as a runner or an administrator of road races in the region.

As a biologist, he knows the human body is not indestructible. He sees that in the entry rates for older runners in his races.

“It seems like from age 60, 65 on, it drops off considerably,” he said. “There are reasons for that. Most of it’s probably injuries. Their bodies are just wearing out, putting too much effort on the bones or muscles — just sheer age.”

He doesn’t feel that he’s passing that limit, yet. But he takes a realistic, and fatalistic, view of the aging process.

“I realize it could happen any second. I could be ‘not-running’ tomorrow, for the rest of my life,” he said.

In the meantime, the U.S. Navy veteran runs to “stay in a little bit of shape and also to compete in road races,” he said. Running, he said, “burns calories quicker” than many other forms of exercise.

Cheered on by his wife Carol, Davis is a regular at several area races, grinding out one kilometer after another with a determined grimace on his face.

Davis received his bachelor’s degree in biology at Concord in 1968 and embarked on a 21-year Navy career, attaining the rank of chief warrant officer.

His active duty included four years on a submarine and five years on a “submarine repair ship, and basically the rest of the time, shore duty,” he said.

A treadmill and weightlifting had to substitute for running when he was pulling duty enclosed in the sub’s metal shell. “We did other exercises,” he said. “Naturally, you can’t run all the time; you’ve got to do other exercises.”

But when he got the chance, he was focused on running and preparing for races. “Then, it probably was a stress reliever and also competition,” he said.

In 1986 he earned a master’s from The Citadel in South Carolina, and in 1993 he obtained a teaching degree from Concord, while already an adjunct instructor. He’s now in his 19th year on the faculty, teaching primarily general-studies biology.

“The job’s relatively easy,” he said. “Fact is, this is the best job I’ve had in my life. I’m retired Navy, and compared to Navy active duty, this is ‘pinch-me-to-see-if-this-is-real,’ it’s so good.”

“I knew that 19 years ago, and I know that now.”

He said he enjoys working with his fellow faculty members and “interacting with students ... maybe thinking that that could be the first step in getting them started on a medical career, nursing, or something of that nature — ecology, fossil-hunting, you name it.

“I teach general courses. Hopefully, that leads them in the right direction.”

He got a taste of administering road races as a member of the Charleston (S.C.) Road Runners Club. When he moved back to Mercer County, one of Concord’s biology professors at the time, Dr. Roger Sheppard, got him more involved in race direction, and in coaching.

Davis said, “He headed me in that direction. He was a very good mentor.”

Davis joined the Southern West Virginia Road Runners Club, which he now serves as treasurer. Soon he and fellow runner Paul Hodges became directors of the annual Pumpkin Run, held sometime around Halloween at Pipestem Resort State Park.

The David S. Roth Memorial Run, which Sheppard helped start, was added to Davis’s agenda after he met Roth’s wife Elizabeth, now a Concord English professor.

“Roger introduced me to Liz Roth,” Davis said, “and after Roger left, I got to take over as director of the Roth Run.”

Davis summed up, “So — just kind of keeping at it. Enjoy doing it.”

“The most stressful thing, for me, in directing the road race is the day of the road race. Everything before that — entry fees, making out the forms, getting trophies and T-shirts — (is) easy stuff.

“But setting up the starting line, finish line, making sure your timing is correct, making sure you’ve got your volunteers on station — it’s just a real quick action on race day.

“And, if one little thing goes wrong — well, to administer a road race, you don’t want that one little thing to go wrong. And so far, it hasn’t.”

Sheppard was a catalyst for yet another role Davis was to play in Athens — the resurrection of intercollegiate cross-country and track on campus.

“They needed somebody to (re-start) the program, so I volunteered,” Davis said. Beginning in 1995, he spent six years directing the cross-country runners. After about three years he took on the track coach duties.

“To give credit where credit’s due, the guy who really got things going and made it happen was Kevin O’Sullivan,” Davis said. O’Sullivan, now retired, was director of student affairs at Concord, and an active cross-country runner for years.

“It was kind of his bandwagon, his thing to do,” Davis said. “I guess Roger knew he was going to do that, and sent me Kevin’s way. He got it started, along with the athletic director.”

With a smile, Davis recalled his happiness to turn the program over to its current coach.

Davis said, “Mike Cox came from Blacksburg, I think in 2000 or 2001, and I said, ‘Let me give this show to him,’ and he ran with it!”

The latest success for the track program is Shawnee Carnett, the sophomore who claimed Concord’s first NCAA national championship when she won the 800-meter race in the Division II finals on May 28.

“I think that is just absolutely fantastic,” Davis said. “I had that young lady in my class. If you think of what a big deal that is, that we have an all-American NCAA Division II champion here at Concord.

“I can’t foresee that happening (again) — well, maybe her again, and hopefully some other people. But I think that’s one — big — deal!”

— Contact Tom Bone at

tbone@bdtonline.com

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