Ray Olfky

Year Inducted: 1986

 

 

Personal Records:
5K ... 17:??
10K ... 34:30
Half-marathon ... 1:16:30
Marathon ... 2:46:
50 Mile ... 6:15:

Favorite distance: Half-Marathon

Favorite race: Dayton River Corridor Classic

Favorite runner(s): Bob Henscheid, Bill Rodgers, and Si Felton

Favorite location to run: city streets where I see new things, see people, and know the footing will be pretty good


Ray is the person most people in the Dayton, Ohio area running community look to for help, counsel, and support in all things “running”. He is a past president of the Ohio River Road Runners Club (1979-1980) and was on the Board of Directors for one year. He has been race director for approximately 30 plus road races for the ORRRC over the years. He has been an active member of the ORRRC since 1978.

In addition to being a member of the inaugural induction class of this DDR Hall of Fame in 1986, Ray was also honored with induction into the Senior Olympics Hall of Fame in 2010.

He was an early contributor and regional editor of the Ohio Runner magazine in the 1980’s and early 1990’s.

A former president of the Dayton Athletic Club and chairman of the River Corridor Classic. Ray continues to be a driving force in the success of the Dayton River Corridor Classic after 35 years.

He was a member of the "Athletes Unknown." A group of "very fast" runners and friends who ran as a team in the 1980's and 90's in the Miami Valley and beyond. During these years Ray showed he could hold his own on the roads as a racer with some very impressive times.

Ray is the owner of Key Sports and Business Promotions which provides sports and business promotions allowing Ray to be a one stop shop for everything needed to put on a racing event. He has helped organize, direct,
or influence approximately 1000 events in the Dayton area since his first in 1978.

Ray is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Dayton teaching a Running & Conditioning course since 2002. Many former students continued their running after graduation competing in marathons, triathlons, and other
events. This is an accomplishment Ray is very proud of and it shows his ability to inspire people to run and improve their overall health.

All these accomplishments by a guy who didn’t start running until he was age 30 after being invited to run at lunch time with a friend in 1977.

Ray lives in Centerville, Ohio with his wife Betty.