Road Trip

Danny Reed’s career as a competitive runner has been marked by false starts and stops over the past 20 years as he juggled the demands of family, work and his pursuit of a college degree.

Now, at 40, he is just beginning to hit his peak in road racing. And Monday, he will attempt to make his biggest mark yet in the 106th running of the Boston Marathon.

It will be his first trip along the historic 26.2-mile route, and the 10th marathon overall for the Laguna Niguel resident.

He hopes to finish among the top five in the masters division, for runners 40 and older, and win a cash prize, but he would especially enjoy finishing first and taking home $10,000. To reach that goal, Reed estimates he’ll need to finish in about 2 hours 15 minutes. Which is not out of the question.

“That’s probably around 5:15 to 5:20 per mile,” Reed said. “And I’m real comfortable at that pace.”

Last year’s masters winner, Joshua Kipkemboi, 41, of Kenya, finished in 2:17.11. Reed, who ran a personal best 2:16.51 in 1999 at the California International Marathon in Sacramento, hopes to better that by reaching the halfway point in around 1:08 and running the second half closer to 1:07.

But that strategy may change.

“A lot depends on the weather,” Reed said. “There’s a chance of showers all weekend. If it rains, it will slow everyone down.”

Reed tuned up for Monday’s race with a strong finish two weeks ago at the Carlsbad 5,000, one of the most competitive 5K road races in the country.

He finished sixth in the masters division in 15:10, one spot ahead of Steve Scott, who still holds the U.S. record in the mile.

“That was my last hard workout,” Reed said. “I ran that race hard and ran afterward to warm down. Now, it’s a matter of staying healthy.”

Injuries never slowed Reed’s running career, but trying to earn a living has.

He went to work for a local supermarket soon after graduating from Riverside Ramona High in 1978. Today, he’s a buyer for the same chain of supermarkets.

Reed didn’t start running competitively until 1980, when he enrolled part-time at Riverside College and was persuaded by Coach Bill Heath to join the school’s team. Reed finished fourth in the 10,000 meters at the state track and field finals. However, the following summer he injured his knee and quit school.

Reed threw himself into work for the next 10 years, running only for recreation. But he still wanted a college degree, so he finally returned to Riverside in 1990. He also rejoined the cross-country and track and field teams and, at age 30, finished second in the 10,000 meters at the state track and field finals.

After earning an associate’s degree from Riverside, Reed moved into a management position at work, and again put school on hold. “I was making good money,” he said.

He did continue to run competitively. Reed finished seventh in the 1994 L.A. Marathon with a then-personal best time of 2:21, which qualified him for the 1996 Olympic trials.

But Reed knew if he wanted to continue to advance at work, he would need to return to school. But 4 1/2 years had passed since he had sat in a classroom. He was also married to Tonya, whom he met in the check-out line at work and now they were the parents of two young children.

Reed formulated a plan. Because there is no age limit in Division II for those awarded athletic scholarships, he approached UC Riverside Coach Chris Rinne, who knew of Reed’s abilities.

Rinne came through and Reed was able to reduce his work hours by moving into a clerical position. He began his junior year of college at age 34, taking a full load of classes, working 30 hours per week and trying to prove himself against runners 10 to 15 years younger.

“That was a really hectic time in my life,” Reed said. “Sometimes, I don’t know how I got through those two years without cracking.”

Tonya remembers those trying times, but said they survived by supporting one another.

“I remember staying up until 2 a.m., typing his papers,” she said. “He would write them, but he couldn’t type very fast.”

But he began running faster. Reed trained with Noureddine Morceli of Algeria and Julius Kariuki of Kenya, both of whom were attending Riverside College at the time.

Morceli, who rented a room from Reed’s mother for a year, won a gold medal in the 1,500 at the 1996 Olympics and was the world’s No. 1 miler for seven consecutive years. Kariuki won a gold medal and set an Olympic record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 1988 Games.

“I used to train with these guys every day,” Reed said. “All those years of running with those guys really helped me out.”

Reed earned All-American honors in cross-country and track at UC Riverside and never lost to another American runner. He graduated in 1997 with a 3.3 grade-point average and a degree in business administration.

“It opened up a lot more doors, having a UC degree,” said Reed, who plans to pursue his master’s degree in the coming years. “It’s definitely been an advantage as far as moving up in the company.”

He continued to progress in road racing as well, even getting a sponsor which helps with travel and equipment costs.

“When I picked up the sponsor,” Reed said, “that’s when I really felt like I was getting some recognition for the first time.”

Reed moved his family to South Orange County, hoping to take advantage of the cleaner air and busier racing schedule. It wasn’t long before he was dominating the local runners.

Among his victories: the 1997 Bastille Day 8K in Newport Beach, the open 5Ks in 1998 and 1999 at the Orange County Race for the Cure, the 2000 Orange County Half Marathon and the 2000 FloJo Memorial 5K in Laguna Hills.

He also qualified for the Olympic trials last year, finishing 39th in 2:30.04.

For Reed, finding top-notch local competition lately has proven difficult.

Trabuco Canyon’s Matt Capelouto, who finished second in his marathon debut in Las Vegas in February, has battled Reed recently. There was also a competitive rivalry for a few years with Danny Gonzalez of Rancho Santa Margarita, but Gonzalez no longer lives in the area.

“Since I’ve moved out here, that’s the one thing I’ve missed is people of that caliber to train with,” Reed said. “If I want a hard workout, I still go to UCR.”

Last November, when Reed turned 40, he entered the competitive masters division, which has its own national racing series and provides a good opportunity for Reed to supplement his income with prize money. He would like to travel to more races, but there’s that little matter of work.

“Most of the masters series races are on the East Coast,” Reed said. “But getting off time from work is kind of difficult. Guys who win the whole series are usually from the East Coast.”

Reed and his family left Thursday for Boston, where they plan to weave a complicated maze during their eight-day visit. Stops at historic sites, such as Boston Harbor, the city’s prestigious universities and maybe even a baseball game at Fenway Park will keep the Reeds on the go most of the time.

But the itinerary for Monday is rather simple.