Marathon man: Ex-tire exec reaches running milestone

BLAINE, Wash.—Here is one way to define determination.

Thirty-nine years ago, British-born Trevor Hoskins was celebrating his second July 4 in the states at a pig roast in Akron, where he handled international public relations for Goodyear.

After “too much food and drink,” he and two friends decided to run 50,000 miles.

“The next day we staggered around Firestone High School,” Hoskins, 80, recalls. “One guy packed it in after three days. The other guy quit after three weeks.”

Hoskins pushed on—through snowstorms and sub-zero weather, 100-degree temperatures, in more than 45 countries and 60 cities as his work with Goodyear and later Bridgestone/Firestone took him around the world. Despite sprained ankles, a broken nose when he fell on ice, being held at gunpoint twice overseas, he never stopped.

Until June 19, when the retiree ran a mile, greeted at the end by friends and family, at the Semiahmoo Resort Community near Blaine, about two hours north of Seattle.

That's an average of 3.5 miles a day, a distance of twice around the world. Along the way he ran seven marathons, including in Cleveland three times; Columbus, Ohio, twice; and Nashville, Tenn., and Victoria, British Colombia, once. He also ran 20 half-marathons—which his wife preferred he do, saying “I looked better at the end”—and many 10K and 5K, 10-mile and 5-mile races.

Hoskins documented his feat meticulously, keeping track in notebooks and later via wrist-worn digital devices. “I recorded every detail. I was afraid that someday somebody would challenge me on this,” he said. Now he just runs for fun and exercise.

Hoskins spent 18 years as the public face of Goodyear's international business.

He got the experience of running in the oft-snowy and cold Akron winters, and he could be found when he was in town at 4:30 a.m., running on the west side of the city.

“I always ran in the morning,” he said. “There are all kind of incidents I had there (including the fall and broken nose). People were just getting going at that hour,” he said.

When he was training for a marathon, Hoskins said he'd be up at 4 a.m., run 15 miles, shower, have breakfast and be at work at 7:30 a.m. He said he was fortunate his wife, Judy, and son, Matthew, were encouraging as he pursued his goal.

As globetrotter for Goodyear, and from 1989-96 as public relations vice president for Bridgestone/Firestone and point man for international racing activities, Hoskins always took off running after his flight arrived in a foreign land.

“That also helped me find my way around and get over jet lag,” he said.

Hoskins said running helped his mental state. As senior vice president of public affairs at Bridgestone/Firestone, he spoke for the company during some trying times, such as a major strike by the United Steelworkers and the relocation of corporate headquarters to Nashville.

“We had all these challenges of business, and it was very stressful. While running I'd think it through. By the time I was done, I'd have a handle on it,” he said. “Running probably saved my life in many ways.”

It also seems to have aided his physique. His weight is 174 pounds, the same as when he started running.

A rugby player in his youth and veteran of Britain's Royal Air Force, Hoskins started running in old tennis shoes, and he went through 59 pairs of running shoes in the subsequent years.

He learned some hard lessons about running through experience.

He ran the 26.2-mile marathon in Cleveland once in 100-degree weather. “I was a total novice,” he said. “People along the route had garden hoses, and I got soaked.”

The blisters he developed taught him you don't run with wet feet.

He didn't plan to participate, or train for, his third marathon. He just planned to run a 10K for awhile with a friend who was doing the longer race. Encouraged by his friend to do the entire 26.2 miles, Hoskins kept running.

“It was the toughest thing I ever did running. I fell down at about 20 miles with terrible cramps and didn't think I could go on. But someone gave me some Gatorade, the cramps stopped, and I finished.”

Being held at gunpoint in Turkey was harrowing, as was the similar situation in Northern Ireland—although he wasn't worried as much, since the rifle was held by a British soldier, Hoskins recalls. He had rocks thrown at him in Colombia, ran too close to a volcano in Indonesia, but he heard shouts of encouragement in many foreign lands.

Hoskins—who has shelves full of trophies from various races he won or placed in his age group—ran his last marathon 16 years ago in Victoria. Six years ago he won his last competitive 10k.

After retiring from Bridgestone/Firestone, Hoskins moved to Semiahmoo, a golf course community.

There he mostly runs on the nearby Coast Millennium Pathway, and in fact he put 13,000 of his 50,000 miles on that course.

Hoskins took up golf at age 67. Besides his fun runs, he continues not to act his age by doing things such as climbing the Mount St. Helens volcano two years ago. Recently, he rapidly swam a mile and a quarter in a pool.

He said he didn't record the time and distance, though. One 50,000-mile journey is enough.