Jim Coker

City: Colorado Springs State: CO

Favorite Shoe: Nike Air Size: 9

Age: 60 years old

Marital Status: single

Family members:
Todd Coker - incredible on stairs
Alex Coker - Excellent hiker, runner and skateboarder
Chad Coker - Excellent skateboarder (sponsored)
Desi Coker - Loves to hike

What I do for work:
Owner - Vintage Motorcycle Repair - I pretend like I can fix stuff... 'specially older Honda motorcycles

Places I’ve called home and why I like where I am now:
Born and raised in Oregon, 1st grade in North Carolina, back to Oregon, college in Boise, Idaho, Air Force in San Antonio and here in Norad. Love it here #1 because that's where my kids are, and #2 how can anyone out do having the Peak and the Incline within a short drive of your front door....

When I started running and what got me started:
8th grade after I found out team sports suck

What does running mean to me:
Life as I know it. When I can't run any more, will someone please pull the plug on the life support machine for me? Thanks. 'Preciate it.

Running accomplishments: View my Pikes Peak Ascent/Marathon results
1971 HS 9:27.2 2 mile - missing school record by 2.2 seconds - & 4:30 mile
Got to run in dual and also State Championship Cross Country meets against Steve Prefontaine - We know how that turned out.
Track and Cross Country scholarship to Boise State
Finished 5th in Big Sky Conference Cross Country
Set 3 mile school record in track season @ 14:35 1972.
1979 Finished 23rd overall & 9th age group GOTG Ten Mile at 56:05
2004 - 2010 - 5 of the last 6 years I've been able to go under 6 minutes for the mile on a track. 2010 was 5:53 and training only 3 sometimes 4 times a month at only 2 - 5 miles /week

What I like about trail/mountain running:
It isn't asphalt or concrete...
The views cannot be outdone!!!!
The runners ya meet are way cool!!!!!

Favorite running trail and why:
Barr Trail - beautiful scenery

Favorite trail/mountain race and why:
Barr Camp - I'm gettin too old for the Ascent I reckon

Best running experience:
Running and racing with my sons, except Alex is beating me pretty badly now at the Neilson Challenge.

Worst running experience:
after my 3rd Incline last fall (2010), I went on up to Barr camp like a dummy, trashed my left knee and it took 2h 55m to get down.

Neatest thing found on a run:
A friend. As I was coming down from Barr Trail with my trashed knee, I hobbled past a young man training for the races this year - 2011, and he actually stayed with me the entire way down to make sure I made it ok. How cool is that...

Running pet peeves:
Training on a track when peeps have their dogs with them or they are walking on the inside lane, and or both.

Something non running related that no one would guess about me:
That I'm a nice guy? Hey, I heard that....

Other hobbies and interests:
Love camping, dirt biking, and rode a motorcycle to Tennessee/North Carolina with my daughter last year, and we even qualified for the Iron Butt Award - 1000 miles in under 24 hours.

Other stuff:
Did some training on a little mound (ok, about 485 ft climb in elevation within .8 miles) in a small town I was in last month, and broke their record (with snow on the top half) for my age group by 40 seconds , Thanks to the Incline!! So, now I gotta go out there in September and show em what Incline training can do. I be all representin' and stuff. (sorry, my kids are skateboarders)

Page last modified: 1/17/2011