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January 18, 2012

Rueda: The running bond holds; just ask Dan Greenwood

By Jim Rueda The Free Press

— There must be something about distance runners that makes them create pretty strong bonds.

If you don’t believe it, just ask Mankato West 2003 graduate Dan Greenwood.

The distance runner competed on the West cross country and track teams with Seijen Takamura, Hans Storvick and Jeff Lundgren back in high school and, despite attending different colleges, they’ve been doing runs together ever since.

Storvick and Takamura ended up at the University of Minnesota while Greenwood and Lundgren went to St. John’s University.  Earlier this month the four former Scarlets got together with two other runners — Kyle Triggs and Benny Torres — and competed in a Ragnar Relay that went from Miami, Fla., to Key West.

It was, according to Greenwood, a blast.

“Actually we ran the same race the year before and we won,” Greenwood said. “But there weren’t as many teams competing. We had so much fun we decided to do it again.

The competition consists of either six-person (ultra) or 12-person teams and covers the 196 miles from Miami to the southern most point of the United States. The Minnesota-based group flew to Florida and rented a 12-15-person van to take them on the journey.

While one person ran, the others rode ahead in the van to get to their next change-up point. This year Greenwood’s group left Miami at about 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 6. The slower teams started as early as 6 a.m. that same day.

“We played this little game where every time one of our runners passed another team’s runner, we called it a kill. We ended up with 390 kills.”

The West alumni finished the race in 24 hours and 30 minutes, which was 90 minutes faster than their previous year’s showing. Although there were three times as many teams as the year before, the Mankato team still managed to finish second in the ultra division.

“A few of us got injured last year but this time we were a year older and a year wiser. We ran smarter, averaging about 30-35 miles per person.”

And what did they win?

“A baton, a free beer and a dip in the ocean. And memories too, I guess.”

The group stayed around Key West about four extra days at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Details, however, won’t be forthcoming.

“What happens in Key West, stays in Key West,” Greenwood said.



Jim Rueda is the Free Press sports editor. To contact him, call 344-6381 or e-mail him at jrueda@mankatofreepress.com

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