Subscriber of the Month

Eddie Hahn

How were you introduced to M&B and how long have you been a subscriber?

I am a charter and continuous subscriber to the magazine. During the first six years of my subscription it was a challenge to keep my address current since I was still in the Army active duty.

Publisher Jan Seeley ensured that my magazine subscription remained unbroken while I was deployed to combat zones, deployments and frequent moves.

I can’t recall what M&B promotional material I initially saw, but I am fairly certain my Uncle, Bob Hildebrandt, mentioned something about a new running magazine. (In October 2007 Bob became the first Alaskan to complete a marathon in 50 states; and he was well on his way in 2000 when M&B was released.)

I was elated to learn that a bimonthly magazine was being geared specifically for the marathoner.

We’ve heard about a tragic event that happened in ’08...could you tell us about it?

On May 17th a fire destroyed the top floor of the duplex where we lived. Among the personal effects was each of my marathon finisher’s medals dating to 1984. (I had recently completed my milestone 100th marathon.) The photo shows the medals that survived the fire

After scouring through a mountain of fire ash, debris, and melted medal I found six finishers awards had survived in recognizable form (after they were bathed in acid.)

My family and I found a renewed appreciation for life and those who have been disaster victims. We were grateful for what personal effects remained and that none was hurt.

I am an Army retiree. I was temporarily attending college in the Glendora California area. We still had 20 years worth of personal effects in a non co-located storage unit.

Two 3"-inch three ring binders with 8" by 10" photos and certificates of the marathons survived because they were located on the first floor.

A fair number of trophies, plaques, and medals from distances less than the marathon remained in storage.

What kind of response did you get from the running community? Has this (either the event or the responses) affected your running or outlook in any way(s)?

I drafted a form letter to the directors of the marathons to learn if I might be able to replace some of the medals.

Over my marathoning years I have participated in some events more than once, and other series races with the same management.

I didn’t quite mail out 100 letters, but it felt like it. I tried to footnote them all with a personal anecdote of some kind.

The response was generally overwhelming. A few days after the letters went out, I got my first reply from the Orange County Marathon.

The envelope contained with a condolence letter from the marathons CEO and two medals from 2007 and 2008 participation.

After those replacement medals, going to the mail box was almost like Christmas. Medals were arriving at the rate of one or two a day for three weeks. The photo shows some of the medals I received.

Some directors apologized because no medals from the year I ran their event remained. Several opted to give me a substitute from a later year, and although I hadn’t requested replacement shirts, several replaced shirts and two (Napa Valley CA and Pocatello, ID) even sent the original race swag (gym bags).

I placed personal replies from race directors included with medals into the three ring binders with corresponding photos.

There aren’t words to describe the satisfaction I received from recovering Boston’s Marathon medals 1992, 1993 and 1994. Our nation’s oldest marathon race is very organized and understanding.

The Marine Corps Marathon related to me how they went to great lengths culling for several hours among hundreds of medals to recover the finisher’s award from 1997. (I think the fact that I emphasized I was a former Marine helped.)

I was honored that the Berlin marathon found a replacement from 1989. The year I ran was the last year before the Berlin wall fell.

The Royal Victorian Marathon in B.C. Canada was an especially significant replacement medal. The marathon followed the weekend after 9-11-01 and the race direction arranged for a playing of the American Nation Anthem.

Both the Calico Race series (Nevada) and the Rock 'n' Roll race series (California, Arizona, and Tennessee) replaced every single medal from their respective series.

Only one race director took me up on the offer to pay postage. Two indicated that their extra medals had been given away at children’s fun runs.

Several marathons I competed in no longer exist, a few didn’t reply, and several stated simply no medals from the year I competed remained.

The medals and all the associated marathon regalia are great tangible proof of one’s accomplishment, but in the end they serve only as a reminder to memories that can’t be destroyed.

I include among these memories now the warm and receptive understanding of a worldwide marathoning community that cares about runners.

Thanks, Eddie!