DAYTONDISTANCE
Running Hall of Fame
Dave Johnston
Year Inducted: 2014
Personal Records:
1500m... 4:03
5K... 15:11
10K... 31:25
10 Mile... 53:05
Half-marathon... 1:09:25
Marathon... 2:30:41
For more than a decade Dave was one of the most consistent and fastest road racers in southwest Ohio. One would be hard put to find another runner in the Miami Valley who won more local races than Dave during the time period between 2000-2009.
High School
Dave was a six time state qualifier at Yellow Springs high school and won Ohio All-State honors in track twice (1991, 1992) and in cross country (1991) once. He was a member of the USA National Champion Junior Olympic team and won All-American honors in the Steeplechase for the 15-16 age group in 1990. He also set the Region 5 steeplechase record for his age group that year… a record he still holds.
Cancer Survivor
Dave’s accomplishments in running, and life for that matter, are elevated even higher when one realizes that he is a cancer survivor. His college running career at Ashland University was interrupted first by a stress fracture his sophomore year and then with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma his senior year (1996). Following chemotherapy, Dave’s cancer went into remission in 1997 and he trained to race his first marathon (Columbus) that fall.
Road Racing
Dave’s road race victories range from the mile up to the marathon and everything in between. One of the really impressive highlights is the fact that Dave won the very competitive ORRRC Ghost n Goblins 5K 10 times and 9 years in a row (1999-2009).
He was the overall winner of the ORRRC marathon in 2004 (2:39:54) and the Air Force Marathon in 2009 (2:30:41). He also posted a 2nd place overall at the Air Force half in 2008, along with an AG (35-39) 2nd place at the Peachtree 10K in Atlanta in 2013.
A partial list of additional overall wins for Dave include: ORRRC half-marathon (2009), St Patrick’s 5K (2002, 2005, 2009), ORRRC cross country 5K (2006), Englewood 5K (2006, 2008, 2009), Frostbite 5 Miler (2005-2007), Country Classic 17K (2006), Eastwood One Miler (2009), Little Miami 10 Miler (2007), Tadmoor 10K (2004, 2006-2008), Spring Valley 15K (2008), Deweese Park 5K (2008).
Dave’s PR’s include:
1500 meter (4:03) in 1997 at University of Cincinnati Open Track Meet; 5K (15:11) in 2007 at Salem 5K; 10K (31:25) in 2008 at the Minster Oktoberfest; 10 Mile (53:05) in 2009 at The Crim; half-marathon (1:09:25) in 2008 at Air Force; marathon (2:30:41) in 2009 at Air Force.