Runners are supposed to slow down when they hit age 40, but that's not the case for Leo Frey of Valparaiso.
Frey is in just about the best shape of his life. And that's saying something, considering he was part of Valparaiso High's 1983 state champion cross country team and continued his running career at Valparaiso University.
Last Saturday in Indianapolis, Frey was the first among 266 Porter County and nearby LaPorte County runners in the 31st OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon.
He covered the 13.1-mile course in 1:23:18 to place 172nd out of 29,213 finishers. He was just 25 seconds slower than his personal-best time in the Valpo Mini-Marathon on April 15.
"I'll take it," Frey said. "I am going to take everything I can get now because it's not going to last forever.
"Natural age is going to get me sooner or later."
The Indy Mini is the nation's largest half marathon, with 35,000 registered runners. Race officials had to close registration around Thanksgiving time. The main attraction is running a lap around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway midway through the race.
"That is my favorite part," Frey said. "It's fun to run on because the surface is soft, and that's where I get in my groove and start feeling good."
Runners who finish among the top 500 receive a special medal. Other locals who accomplished that feat included Chesterton's Scott Bush (207th in 1:24:26), Sam Langley (211th in 1:24:35) and Jeff Clark (467th in 1:29:14), Valpo's Shawn Benham (355th in 1:27:35) and Tom Collins (395th in 1:28:13), Brian Norrick of Hebron (447th in 1:28:56) and Jeff Emmons of Portage (480th in 1:29:27).
Frey is training for the May 20 Cleveland Marathon, where he is looking to break the 3-hour barrier. As an 18-year-old freshman at VU, he ran a 2:59 in the Chicago Marathon and wants to beat that mark.
He credits his current speediness to training two or three days a week with Paul Danger of Valparaiso, a sub 3-hour marathoner who competed collegiately.
"My training totally justifies a sub 3-hour, but as you know when you get to the 22-mile mark a lot of things can be happening," Frey said. "I've totally put a good effort in this spring to do it."
