81 and still running

By Kelly Goad

What could you do in less than eight minutes? Make a quick trip to the store for a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread; maybe catch up on the family news with a phone call to your mother?

If you are 81-year old John Hosner, you could run a mile.

Hosner, retired professor emeritus and former Head of the Wildlife and Resources Department at Virginia Tech, has become quite a mover and shaker in his later years. Hosner began running track in high school, competing in the mile and half mile with a little pole-vaulting on the side. Described in his own words as 'a competitive animal,' Hosner has always enjoyed playing and coaching softball, as well as racquetball. Running was always something Hosner enjoyed doing to stay in shape and it was not until his later years that he began to attract a lot of attention for his speed.

A few friends of his that ran road races encouraged him to join their circuit to compete against a man that had been dominating the competition in the 50–54-year-old age bracket. In his first race, the 10K Buena Vista Road Race in Lexington, Hosner not only won, but also set a new state record. Hosner continued to race, as well as coach his softball team, which made his schedule quite hectic.

"I was playing in tournaments in Christiansburg, going to Charlottesville to run a race, then going back to Christiansburg to play more softball," Hosner said of his weekly routine.

At the age of 60 Hosner set his first world record for the 1500-meter indoor race and soon received merchandise sponsorship from Adidas. His second record was at the age of 75, and his last record was at the age of 81 at the Southeastern meet in North Carolina where he ran his mile in 7 minutes and 36.33 seconds.

Speaking of his competition, Hosner said, "That's one thing I don't have much of anymore. Not many people my age are still running."

When asked why he continues to run upwards from 30 miles a week, Hosner said, "I do it for my health. I'm 81-years-old and I don't take any prescription medicine."

Hosner exhibits this type of endurance not only on the track, but also in the classroom. During his career at Virginia Tech, Hosner established a nationally renowned forestry program with an exceptional faculty. Hosner's initial interest in forestry came during his tour in Italy during World War I, [!] where he flew in 25 missions. After receiving his PhD from the State University of New York, Hosner came to Virginia Tech in 1961 and became the first head of the newly established forestry and wildlife programs. His faculty of professors grew from four to 62 over the time of his stay at the university.

Hosner was continually impressed with the caliber of the students in the program at Tech, and wanted to give them the opportunity to be taught by the best professors he could find. Those programs grew into what is now the College of Forestry and Wildlife Resources. In 1996, Hosner was honored by the Society of American Foresters with the Gifford Pinchot Medal for his exceptional contributions in the field of forestry. All four specialized areas of study-wildlife, forestry, fisheries and wood science-have been ranked in the top five programs in the country.

"I take pride in what I've accomplished at the college. When I came here, my goal was to establish the program and establish it as a separate college as well," Hosner said of his career.

The News Messenger
24 June 2006