Dave Convery, 57, of Butler, starts the 5-mile race while being encouraged by Butler Road Race President Mike Franko,right, before the start of the 2K event. Convery became the race's first wheelchair competitor and finished the course in 59 minutes, 40 seconds.

David Convery’s face was flush when he reached his silver and yellow gloves a little further down the wheels to get a little extra speed heading up the final hill.

Convery became the first wheelchair racer to enter — and finish — the Butler Road Race during the event’s 40th running Saturday.

He finished the 5-mile course in 59 minutes, 40 seconds.

“It was hard, but I liked it,” said Convery, who is 57 and a Butler resident.

It was also the first time Convery, who started using the wheelchair last October, ever competed in a race.

Convery, who has trouble speaking at times, is in a wheelchair due to complications from being struck by lightning 32 years ago while leading a Waynesburg University rock climbing trip.

He had previously used canes and walkers to get around.

“Long before he was struck by lightning, he loved to run. This is the fastest he’s moved in a long time,” Convery’s wife, Mame said. “That’s the freedom of it.”

Watching his daughter, Erin Stewart, 32, run in the Pittsburgh half-marathon in May gave Convery the idea.

Stewart, who has two kids under 5, is just getting back into running herself after taking several years off. Convery was amazed by all of the wheelchair racers involved in the Pittsburgh event.

When Stewart mentioned Convery should do the Pittsburgh event next year, he got excited. She then suggested he do the Butler Road Race with her.

“He really had the drive to do it,” Stewart said.

Race organizers let Convery start five minutes before the 2K runners took off. Convery has a specialized chair for racing.

Sleepless nights helped Convery get ready.

At night, Mame would hear David get out of bed and he would head into Butler to train four or five days a week.

Convery would drive himself, while Mame remained asleep.

“He has trouble sleeping at night,” Mame said. “Sometimes, he’d try to do the race in the middle of the night down at Alameda Park. He also goes to Planet Fitness a lot and works out there.”

There was some concern heading into the event about the weather.

While there was a steady rain throughout the race, there were no severe thunderstorms.

“He said, ‘If it thunders, I’m not doing it,’” Mame said. “Erin told him if it thunders, they push it back.”

The weather cooperated, allowing the father and daughter to race together sooner than originally planned.

“It was so amazing,” Stewart said. “He did better than any of us could have imagined, when running the race you don’t realize the hills. It was just awesome to see him do it.”