Running runs in the family

By JOHN ENRIETTO Eagle Sports Editor

June 29, 2005 Last Updated: June 29, 2005 03:24 PM Amateur

4 generations of Smiths in BRR

The Smith family always has been associated with running.

William Smith III, 25, set Moniteau's cross country record when he ran in high school. His sister, Krista, broke the girls' 3,200-meter record that stood for 22 years.

Now, nearly the entire family is part of the act.

The pair's grandfather, William Smith Sr., 69, of Petrolia competed in his first Butler Road Race last weekend - with 10 other family members.

His son, William Smith Jr., 51, a Moniteau School Board member whose family lives in Chicora, competed along with William Smith III and his son, 7-year-old William Smith IV.

"I don't think anybody's going to tie that record," Williams Smith Sr. said of four generations of William Smiths being among the 462 registered runners.

"I only started running this past year, so I don't have much to brag about," he added.

Williams Smith Sr. has been walking five miles a day for the past year. He gets up at 5:30 a.m. to do so.

"The doctor told me I should lose weight and exercise more," he said. "I thought it was stupid at first, but I began to enjoy it.

"I'm breathing better. The doctor says my lungs are better - I'm feeling better all over, really."

William Smith Sr. has lost 25 pounds during the past year.

His wife of 53 years, Nancy, is a cancer survivor and has been involved in the Run for Life event over the years.

William Smith Jr. has dropped 75 pounds over the past two years since he began a running and exercise program.

"I felt I had to lose some pounds," he said. "I watched what I ate and exercised, just what they say to do.

"I love to exercise now. I'm at the YMCA every day."

William Smith Jr. used to run 10 miles per day on a treadmill. He's since cut back to six or seven miles per day.

The Smith family took home a few second places at the Butler Road Race, all in the 2K portion of the event.

William Smith III finished second overall, his time of 6 minutes, 41 seconds, falling just four seconds behind winner Ryan Edmiston.

William Smith III's brother, Aaron, will be a junior at Moniteau this fall. He finished sixth overall with a time of 6:58 and was second in his age group.

"He hasn't done any training since high school ended," William Smith Jr. said of Aaron. "He told me after the race that had he trained hard for it, he would have won it. He was probably right."

William Smith Jr. finished 29th overall, second in his age group. His daughter, Krista, finished 39th overall, second in her age group.

No one in the family has ever won a portion of the Butler Road Race."All of these seconds are the best we've done," William Smith Jr. said. "But it's encouraging for next year."William Smith Jr.'s wife of 31 years, Debbe, is a nurse at Butler Memorial Hospital. Her race entry fee was paid by the hospital. The hospital paid the entry fee of any employee who opted to participate in the race.William Smith IV lives in Thomoston, Ga., but is staying with family in Butler County for a couple of months. His grandfather trained him for the road race."Will was about 7 when I started taking him out running," William Smith Jr. said. "We got William (IV) a pair of good running shoes and began working with him."William Smith Jr.'s sister, Jessica Buckley, had been living in Japan for the past six years as her husband is in the military. The couple and sons Dan and Ryan, who joined Buckley in the Butler Road Race, will soon be relocating to Cherry Pointe, N.C."I'm proud of the fact we had 11 family members in the race this year," William Smith Jr. said. "But next year, we're going for more."