Elementary teacher runs 100th marathon

Kristen Martinez
Director of Public Relations

Adams Elementary P.E. teacher Paul Shimon recently accomplished a feat most people wouldn't even dream of: He ran his 100th marathon.

Shimon, 55, ran the 23rd annual KAKE-TV/Wichita Marathon Oct. 12 in Wichita in a time of three hours, 22 minutes, nine seconds. He has ran every Wichita Marathon and selected it for his 100th marathon.

Jason Braun, a former student of Shimon's, ran alongside Shimon the entire race, serving as a pacer.

"He had uplifting and positive comments all the way. So many people were encouraging me to run on. My son helping with drinks. It was a very pleasant experience," Shimon said.

Shimon was greeted at the finish line by several members of the USD 470 family: Rex Herndon, Adams Elementary principal, and his wife, Deb, Resource Room teacher at IXL Elementary; Tom Bauer, Roosevelt Elementary principal; Lisa Kueker, fourth-grade teacher at Adams, and her husband Jim and daughters Katelyn and Candace; and Sue Saia, board of education member.

Shimon's wife Jeanice, daughter Katie and son Andrew also were there for this milestone, along with City Manager Curt Freeland.

Shimon said his colleagues were so supportive to come to the marathon. "It was very touching to see the USD 470 people at the race. 470 sticks together," he said. "It was really a very touching day; it was a very nice milestone."

"Paul's inspired a lot of kids to go on and run," Rex Herndon said. "Jason is a former student, and he ran the whole way with Paul. He's able to run faster, but he stayed with Paul, showing respect for him.

"For non-runners it's hard to understand what an accomplishment this really was. It takes a lot of dedication year in and year out. He's an example for all of us. His dedication to something he believes in is really inspiring," he said.

Tom Bauer said being at the finish line when Shimon finished the race was a way to show support for someone who supports so many others.

"Paul is the sort of guy who would do anything for you and smile while doing it. He just gives so much to others that I thought it would be nice to show him some support as he finished this milestone marathon," Tom Bauer said. "I was very impressed to see how many other runners supported and congratulated Paul after the race for running his 100th."

Shimon ran his first marathon, the Washington Birthday Marathon, in 1963 as a junior at Mount Vernon High School in Alexandria, Va.

"I saw their numbers flapping on their backs and thought it looked neat. I'd been running in track but only really trained for a year. I thought, 'that's something I think I can do next year.'"

When Shimon told the Hugh Jascourt, former president of the Roadrunners Club of America, about running a marathon, he told him to try a half-marathon first. "It about killed me," he said. "That's when I learned about pacing."

Shimon has ran marathons in Wichita; Florida; Virginia; Puerto Rico; Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas; the Boston Marathon; and the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, among others.

Shimon said his favorite part of running is the feeling of motion. "When I get in a groove, the distance fades away. I enjoy running. When you stop, it hurts, but I'm energized when I finish," he said.

Shimon's best marathon time was two hours, 30 minutes and 12 seconds in St. Louis. At that time, the Olympic qualifying time was two hours, 30 minutes. During the marathon, a police officer sent him down the wrong road, making him lose a few seconds. If not for the mistake, Shimon would probably have met the qualifying time. He said it wasn't until he got that close to the qualifying time that he actually thought about trying out for the Olympics.

"I just happened to have a good race. It was 17 degrees in St. Louis that day, and I run better in the cold," he said.

Shimon said he's been "very lucky" to not have sustained any major injuries from running. When he hurt his knee this past summer, he kept a positive attitude and didn't give up. He says people can bounce back and recover from anything if you maintain a positive attitude. He credits his lack of injuries to adequate training.

Shimon is a member of the Wichita Running Club and TRRACK, The Road Racing Association of Central Kansas. In 2001, Shimon earned first place in the Grand Master category and received the highest points of any male. The members earn points for running races. Point totals depend on the length of the race.

In most races, Shimon competes in the 55-59 age group. At 55, he said it's exciting when he enters a new age group.

Runners are the "only group that's really positive about getting older. Unfortunately, the upper age groups are a whole lot more competitive. They're as good as some guys 20 years old and younger," he said.

Shimon's wife, Jeanice, is a registered dietician at William Newton Memorial Hospital in Winfield. Their son Andrew, 22, is a computer administrator for the hospital in Junction City; and daughter Katie,16, is a junior at Winfield High School.

Shimon has been with USD 470 since 1976. He previously was an itinerant teacher, but now just teaches at Adams. He said elementary-aged kids are his favorite to teach.

Herndon said Shimon is establishing a legacy of runners through his Run Across America program at Adams. The third-, fourth- and fifth-graders keep track of how much they run, and Shimon tracks it on a map. Shimon uses this program to teach the kids social studies and geography.

Paul Shimon running with pacer Jason Braun.	Paul Shimon smiling after running his 100th marathon. Courtesy photos