Hard Work, grit, and persistence—these characteristics describe what it took for Kurt Orgren, Woodland’s principal, to finish his last race in the Run 169 challenge. What began as a teenager running track in high school led him to run a race in every single Connecticut town.
Races would consist of any runs between 5k’s, marathons, ultramarathons, and more. Ogren has pledged to run one marathon a year and he has held true to his personal goal for 25 years now.
“These races ground me,” said Ogren. “I love being outside in nature, not just for the stress relief and clear head, but there’s a competitive nature as well. I’ve been running for 40 years.”
At the start of Ogren’s running career, Ogren completed the 40 mile Run for the Fallen race in honor of all the military veterans who died in action since 2011. It was there that he met individuals who had a shirt that said “Run 169” and after speaking with them, he was able to sign up online and begin his journey.
Beginning this challenge in 2014, Ogren has come a long way. Extensive research has gone into planning the dates of the races as some towns are allusive, meaning that races in that town don’t happen often. Ogren prioritized these allusive towns like Woodstock, Brooklyn (which he celebrated as his 100th race), North Stonington, and Old Lyme.
Ogren has been running since he was a freshman in high school, particularly enjoying relay races, pole vault, and other various running events. Even now, he still enjoys the self-competition to beat his best times and to reach first place, all while remaining humble.
“I ran the Dutchess County Classic in New York,” said Ogren. “I ended up taking fourth overall, but it’s actually a funny story.”
At the Dutchess County Classic, Ogren was behind a man running, wanting to catch up. As the man ran across the street, a car hit him. The man thankfully was okay, and he got up to finish his race, still beating Ogren by five to ten seconds.
While Ogren has had numerous wins throughout the years, he still tells this story of the amazing man who was hit, yet still persevered.
Ogren’s perseverance to the sport is very similar. Although he enjoys running in the heat, he will run in any condition whether it’s cold, rainy, or snowy.
He has also participated in numerous “fun” runs which are runs where his money is donated towards charity. Typically these “fun” runs have beautiful scenery. There have been many races that stick out to Ogren, but one run was the Big Sur marathon in Carmel California, and his runs through Litchfield.
The completion of the Run 169 does not mark the end of Ogren’s running career. Along with his day-to-day training, he plans on running and completing one marathon per year every year.
