Dave Lee

Year Inducted: 2010

 

 

Personal Records:

5K - 15:03
10K - 31:03
15K - 50:05       
Half-Marathon - 1:14:11
 

Favorite distance: 5K

Favorite race: Miamisburg Turkey Trot

Favorite runner: Quenton Cassidy

Favorite location to run: John Bryan State Park, Ohio

As a ten year old kid Dave watched Dave Wottle win the Olympic gold medal in the 800 meters on TV and from that moment on running has been a significant part of his life. He would have the school bus driver let him off a few houses early so he could try and beat the bus to his house before it stopped to let his sister off after school. From there he run track and cross country at both Greenview and Xenia high schools. As a senior at Xenia he recorded a 4:39 mile and a 10:02 two mile. 

Dave entered the US Army and during his military time serving our country he continued to run. In both 1983 and 1984 he was 3rd overall in the US Army Infantry half-marathon at Fort Benning, Georgia. He also won his age group (20-24) in the Arby's Roundup of Champions 5K, which was the Georgia State Championship race. In addition to his running accomplishments while stationed at Fort Benning, Dave was selected as an "Outstanding Young American" in 1984 by TV station WRBI in Georgia. 

After completing his military duty Dave returned to Ohio and lettered all four years (1984-1987) in cross country for Wright State University. Dave quickly showed his leadership and running talent and was selected the team captain as a sophomore. He was co-captain in both his junior and senior years. He won the Raider Award his freshman and junior years. He won the Coach's Award his freshman and senior years. As a junior Dave won the Most Valuable Runner Award for the team. These awards represent not only how well Dave ran in college, but also how Coach Mike Baumer and Dave's teammates felt about his spirit, leadership, training ethic, and overall commitment to the team and cross country running.

Following college Dave ran as a member of the Bob Schul Racing Team from 1987-1995. In 1990 he won the Ohio Games State Track Championship in the 1500 meters with a time of 3:56. At that same event he placed 3rd in the 800 meters championship race. In 1991 he ran a 33:09 at the Bolder Boulder 10K in Colorado finishing 19th overall in a race of over 28,000 runners. The added significance is the fact that he was the first Flatlander finisher. All those who placed ahead of him lived and trained at altitude. Locally, he has won numerous races including the Kettering Holiday at Home when it was a 10K and the Kettering Lions Journey for Sight where he set the course record in both 1987 and 1988. Dave also won the ORRRC Ghost & Goblins race the first two years it was as a 10K. Over the years, Dave has entered over 500 foot races and has either won or placed in the overall and/or age group division in approximately 95% of those races. For close to three decades he has been a competitive racer in the Ohio running community. 

From 1986-1991 Dave covered the running and racing scene for the Ohio Runner Magazine. He started as a contributing writer and then became the Southwest Regional Editor for the magazine. Dave has also been published in Runner's World and Running Times Magazines. 

Dave currently lives in Springboro, Ohio with his wife Leann and two daughters Christina and Katiann.