Most people call running a hobby, but to Tammy and Don Slusser running is life.
The Monroeville residents make running part of their daily activities. Both Don and Tammy are graduates of IUP, where they met at an alumni dinner. Their first date was a nine-mile run.
At age 50, Tammy has racked up almost 100,000 career miles, while Don has surpassed 190,000 miles.
Don has run in 135 marathons and is one of only two people to participate in every single Great Race and Pittsburgh Marathon.
Streaks are something the Slussers are known for. Tammy is currently on a three-year running streak, averaging 55-65 miles a week. Don is averaging 100 miles a month, a lot less then during his 27 1⁄2-year streak. From June 3, 1972 to Jan. 10, 1999, he ran every day, averaging 95.2 miles a week.
Last year, however, Don, 63, had his knee replaced. The injury and recovery have slowed him down, but haven't stopped him. He is back to running four days a week and competes in race walks the other days of the week.
“From November 2012 to February 2014, I went without running a step,” he said. “I still did race walks during that time. Prior to the 2014 Pittsburgh Marathon I only ran 135 miles, and I still did pretty well.”
As for Tammy, her running may have started in the small town of Baldwin at age 14 when she ran her first half-marathon, but it has also taken her all over the world. She has competed on six continents, save Antarctica to which Tammy states she “has no real desire to run there.”
Outside of the U.S. her favorite race was in Sydney, Australia.
When not running the Slussers enjoy taking long vacations in their RV and kayaking around the county.
“Acadia National Park is definitely my favorite,” Don said. “It's a runners' paradise; the trail system is fantastic!”
In 1994 they started the Gateway Mile, which takes place the first Thursday in June. It was started the same year Tammy won her first Pittsburgh Marathon (she won a second in 2000).
Both Don and Tammy prefer distance runs to the short races, but enjoy running nonetheless, which spawned the idea for the Gateway Mile.
“Boy wouldn't it be weird to run a mile? We are called strength runners not speed runners,” Don said.
“We love it. It's a big, important part of our lives.” As far as favorites go, there just is no place like home. Don's favorite races are the Pittsburgh Marathon and the Great Race, and Tammy also has a hometown favorite. “Being a hometown race,” she said, “(the Pittsburgh Marathon) is special to me.”
Dvonya Sedlacko is a freelance writer.
