Captains

George Wiesner:

The first Bellin was held in 1977 and I never had been a runner, but I decided to do it with my brother and best friend, both of whom did track. The experience from the first run was such that I continued running and made a commitment to myself that I would continue to do the Bellin as long as I could (this year will be number 37 for me) to keep myself in shape. So the Bellin has turned into a journey for me; first it was to see how fast I could run the Bellin, my best Bellin was a 38:30, and then it was about keeping the streak intact, the next phase was getting others to participate through the Corporate Challenge, this is the 9^th year of being a captain for me.  But the most memorable Bellin for me was the year my oldest son ran it with me for his first Bellin. He was 11 at the time and we had trained together and we had a wonderful time, he even beat the old man.  I’ve told folks that I had my day in the sun when I was a fast runner, but the best day was the day I got to spend with my son.

Sandy Hallock:

I am participating in the Bellin Run because as I cancer survivor, continuing to stay healthy is important to me!  Even though surgeries and cancer treatments did not leave me without limitations when it comes to running and other activities, I know I still need to do what I can to stay healthy.  As you can imagine, I am thankful and blessed to be a survivor and want to do what I can to help others increase their chances of healthy, happy and fulfilling lives!  That is also why I am passionate about working at Integrys as a Health and Wellness Coordinator!  Therefore, I want to thank you all for participating with me and the entire Integrys Team. 

Scott Daul:

My first Bellin Run was off a lost bet!  A friend of mine is a Phy Ed Teacher for the Appleton School district.  I would and still do, give him a hard time about making the kids run, do push-ups, sit-ups all the time and how hard of a job that really could be!  Well, we play in a softball league where there is some pretty good competition and the bet was if a certain team had lost and we won – my buddy and I were signing up for the Bellin and then we would have a side bet on who would run it the fastest.  The bet kind of went to the wayside when he and I started running that morning of the Bellin.  It was a first for both of us.  We both could not believe the 5 thousand runners/walkers waiting at the start line as well as the spectators cheering you on at the start.  Then when you make the turn at the two mile mark and your running down the hill thinking about what you got yourself into and then there’s the Rocky Theme song “Eye of the Tiger” blaring and it picks you up & pushes you on.  It’s an adrenaline rush to see all the people running, cheering you on, turning their garden hoses on for you to run through the mist, and the Volunteers handing out water in goofy customs.  At the end, it’s the feeling of a great accomplishment – crazy at times, yes, but as we both crossed the finish line (which I won by a second), and we became hooked.

Now, there is almost 19,000 runner/walkers at the start/finish line and even more people pushing you on as you run down the streets.  We also, use this as motivation to get into shape before the Softball season.  Getting back into shape after every winter is a good feeling and it helps in the prevention of some injuries when playing leagues and tournaments throughout the summer.   

Josh Frank: 

My first Bellin was in 2007.  My wife and I planned on walking it that first year and when we got to the start line, she looked at me and said “Let’s Go.”  Big mistake!  Although we did end up “running” about half of it, when we got home we fell asleep on the patio furniture on our deck, woke up a couple hours later and our legs did not work very well!  Needless to say, we did not prepare or train and I was probably about 50lbs overweight.  This will now be my 6th Bellin and each year it has been an even better experience.  Since losing the weight and running regularly, the Bellin, while a great event itself, has even been a catalyst for me to try even longer distances.  I will be running my third Full Marathon (26.2 Miles) this year.  Entering races like the Bellin gives my running a purpose and having goals helps me make sure that I keep going week after week.  I find that the running community is very encouraging and supportive and there are few things that a post-high school or college athlete can experience athletic wise that compares to a road race!  I joined the captain team in hopes of sharing what I learned as an “average” runner over the last 6 years. 

So as you can see, we all have a unique story to tell.  If this is your first Bellin, hopefully this is only the beginning for you and your journey continues long after the finish line.  If you are a Bellin Run veteran, congratulations on sticking with it!