2009-08-02T14:48:00.073-04:00

Winning Boston, 1968.

Welcome to my web site, where you can learn more about me and my ideas, and also buy a personally autographed copy of my book, The Runner's Guide to the Meaning of Life. It makes a great gift, either for yourself or those special runners in your life.

I was born on the exact same day and year as President Bill Clinton (Aug. 19, 1946). I'm not saying I'm proud; that's simply a fact. In August 2011, I turned 65 ... and so far, so good.

What I look like now (more or less), and then.

I began running as a junior in high school in 1962, and have been going relatively strong ever since. I was the Conn. high school 2-mile champion in 1964, and a two-time All-American in cross-country at little Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT (graduating in 1968). While there, I roomed in successive years with Jeff Galloway and Bill Rodgers, both of whom went on to become major influences in the running boom of the last 30 years.

While still a senior at Wesleyan, and just 21 years old, I won the 1968 Boston Marathon. Later that year, I ran my best marathon (2:14:19) in Japan.

Brrrr, New Year's Day.

The big break in my life came in 1978, when I was offered the position of East Coast Editor at Runner's World Magazine. I've been with RW ever since, in one position or another. I feel like a super-lucky, latter-day Lou Gehrig that I've been able to spend the best years of my life in a job that I would do for free (Shhhhh ... don't tell).

These days I run about 25 miles a week for fitness and occasional racing thrills. I figured that I've covered about 103,000 miles in my running career. (For brief stories of other runners who have run more than 100,000 miles, see a little web site I host, www.100kLifetimeMiles.com.)

I often tell people that my proudest accomplishment in running isn't winning Boston but running the annual Manchester (CT) 5-Mile Road Race on Thanksgiving Day for 49 years in a row. (This Thanksgiving, 2012, is going to be a very big one for me!) I won the race nine times in the old days, but I now consider each successful finish on Thanksgiving Day as far more important than any victories anywhere anytime. (I have another streak, too: I'm part of a wild and wonderful group that runs 5 miles every Jan. 1 and then plunges into the frigid waters of Long Island Sound. It's my favorite day and event of the year.)

Laura, Cristina, me, Dan, on Block Island, RI.

I currently live and run in Emmaus, PA, near the Runner's World offices. I have two amazing, grown children (Dan and Laura) who are following their own unique paths, and a wife, Cristina, who adds spark and laughter to my life every single day.

AmbyBurfoot.com