Richard Westbrook

Jonesboro,GA

1947. That was the year of the birth of Richard Westbrook in Trion, Georgia. My birth was on January 26.

The early seventies was the time of the running boom. There was a gradual increase in the number of road races in the South, and I was taking part in them. It was normal to run a three-mile race; rest for thirty minutes, and, then, run the six-mile race. I had my first teaching job in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida. There I began coaching cross-country on the junior high and high school level. Also, I started an age-group running club that led to many Junior Olympic runners on the national level. Cross-country became a big success in the area with many runners earning scholarships to run in college.

I moved in the county to coach at Riverdale High School, a new school. My children were running and with them, we formed the Tara Turtles, an age-group team of runners. I used high school runners to help with the younger runners, and they became part of the “Turtles.” The club reached a high level of success in the state in road races, track, and cross-country.

The following year, in the summer of ’92, is when I ran the 1992 Runner’s World Trans America Footrace. It was 64 days of running with no rest days. It started in Huntington Beach, California and ended at Central Park in New York City. There were thirteen finishers out of twenty-nine starters. This was the first time such a race had been run since 1929. I was crewed by Shelley Tyler who helped me tremendously, especially when I was injured with severe shin splints in my left leg. David Warady won the race in which I placed fourth. David was crewed by his wife, and they were from California.

Time passed, kids grew up, I moved from Lovejoy High School to Luella High School in Locust Grove, Georgia where I work at present. During this time phase, I have run across the Grand Canyon; ran the Extra-Terrestrial Highway in Nevada; have completed a run across Georgia, north to south for my third run through the state. To celebrate the birth of Casey’s (youngest son) daughter, Sera, I ran across Iowa. She was born in Iowa City. Season (youngest daughter) crewed me on that run which was a very enjoyable adventure.

MY COMPLETE BIO IS ON MY BLOG http://www.westbrookrunning.com

  • Work
    • Coach
  • Education
    • Austin Peay State University in Clarksville,TN