Like many others on Saturday, Don Slusser bent over and grimaced after finishing the Butler Road Race.

But it’s doubtful anyone else endured quite as much pain while completing the 5-mile course.

Slusser, 61, of Monroeville received a small ovation as he finished 211th in a time of 28 minutes, 12 seconds. The crowd could see it was a struggle.

Slusser can’t run anymore. Walking is even a hardship after major surgeries on both of his knees.

“I can’t run at all now. I’ve had everything but knee replacements,” said Slusser. “There’s no cartilage in either knee.

“It hurts to walk,” he added. “As soon as you go up steps, it hurts like crazy. Going down is even worse.”

Still, hitting the pavement mile after mile has always been a passion and he refuses to quit.

After all, it’s how he became acquainted with the love of his life, Tammy, who has won the Butler Road Race 10 times and finished second the past two years.

“That’s how we met,” she explained. “We met at IUP. That’s where we both went and our first date was a 9-mile run.”

The Butler Road Race has always been special to the couple.

They were married after running the race 26 years ago.

“We ran the race here, our whole wedding party ran the race,” said Mr. Slusser. “My dad was on the scaffolding so he could get video of us coming in.”

“This is like our anniversary, even if it doesn’t fall on the exact date,” his wife explained.

The Slussers are among the most familiar faces at the Butler Road Race. They’ve competed in “about 20” of the 38 events.

“The first year I ran this race was in ’79,” explained Mr. Slusser. “We did it every year for 10, 12 years in a row, then my wife got to the level where she was running nationally and internationally and we were running a race in Duluth, Minnesota then.

“We came back about 10 years and we’ve been here every year for the past 10 years.”

Although his wife is still running strong, Slusser initially developed a major knee problem in 1999. But he could still run on one bad knee.

“I was running a decent marathon,” he said, “a sub-three hour marathon with one knee bad at the age of 50.”

But his other knee succumbed in similar fashion three years ago. He’s had a tibial osteotomy to help realign his knees.

“They cut a wedge out of the tibia. Basically, they cut the tibia almost in half,” he explained. “I have a plate in both sides and there’s no cartilage on either side.”

The adversity slowed him down, but there is no stopping Slusser.

The 5-mile Butler Road Race is practically nothing compared to what he puts himself through annually at the Pittsburgh Marathon.

“The Pittsburgh Marathon is a challenge,” he admitted.

“He’s stubborn,” his wife said laughing. “He definitely needs two knee replacements, but he has to wait until the technology gets better enough that you can run on a knee replacement.

“But he’s just stubborn, he’s going to be out there doing something.”

It’s simply part of who he is.

“I just enjoy this,” he said. “I’m sure I’m the only competitive walker out here, but I made it across.”