When runners cross paths
Scores of accomplishments by local athlete
Curtis Faulkner is well known in the Truro area.
Employed in the shipping department at Stanfield’s for many years, Faulkner later worked as a carpenter.
A veteran of the Korean War, Faulkner served from 1951-54 in the Canadian Army with a special demolition unit. The recipient of many army medals from the Canadian government, Faulkner was also awarded the South Korean Veteran’s Association Medal.
Faulkner the athlete, Faulkner the man who had many running accomplishments, may not be familiar to many people? But, when runners paths cross, sometimes wonderful things happen.
Thanks to Marilyn (Cheek) Totten, a local letter carrier, we learned recently that Faulkner ran 13 marathons and numerous other prestigious road races.
It was Totten who organized Faulkner’s running career into a 154-page scrapbook.
“I knew Curtis was a runner but it was really cool to see all he had accomplished as a runner,” Totten said. “To see the dates and the times and the races he ran in – he was a real accomplished runner.”
Upon meeting Faulkner, Totten said she was inspired by the man.
“I had been delivering letters to Curtis and Lillian for approximately eight years,” Totten shared. “This day, Curtis said to me ‘you look like a runner.’ I had ran some but wasn’t running at the time. We continued to talk about running, Curtis Faulkner at a Falmouth, Mass., road race in 1979. Cheek Totten, left, and Curtis Faulkner display a blanket made from shirts worn in marathons and road races.
Curtis encouraged me and a short time later, in 2015, I ran the Bluenose 10-K.”
As time went by Faulkner further encouraged Totten.
“There was no doubt in Curtis’s mind that I could run a marathon. On Father’s Day, 2016, I finally ran the Johnny Miles half-marathon in New Glasgow. Curtis gave me the strength and ability in my mind and my sister-in-law, Betty Totten, kept me on track in
training. Betty and I ran the Johnny Miles together.”
Faulkner made the trip to New Glasgow and was at the finish line offering support.
Their friendship continues to grow, and besides comprising the scrapbook, Totten recently made Faulkner a blanket from souvenir shirts he had accumulated during his running career.
“Curtis Faulkner is the most pleasant and encouraging role model I have ever met in regards to my own time in running. To be able to do something in return for Curtis, you can see that it’s really a lot of fun. Curtis is a lovely man to be around.”
By Faulkner’s own account, competing as a runner came later in life.
“I didn’t play sports as a young boy,” Faulkner, 86, of Truro, said. “I was probably in my late 40s when I decided to try running. I wanted to compete, I wanted to excel in something – I wanted to win.”
In 1979, Faulkner ran in a road race in Falmouth, MA.
“There were elite runners, people came from all over the world. We ran for seven miles along the ocean – the beauty is something that still stands
out to me.”
On the wall of Faulkner’s workshop is a poster dated August 2, 1981. It describes the Labatt’s 20K running series in P.E.I.
“I would have been 50 at the time,” he said. “That was another of my first serious runs. I remember my time was 1:22:41 – that’s one hour, 22 minutes and 41 seconds.”
During his running career Faulkner ran 13 marathons.
“The Boston Marathon left me with a big memory. After all these years, I think about the explosion, the bombing a couple years ago. To think that I ran by that exact spot.
“I ran the Johnny Miles Marathon once. I had planned to run a half-marathon but a friend encouraged me to go for the full marathon. I’m definitely glad I did, it was in 1992, my time was 3:55:10 – I was 61 years of age.”
Faulkner recalled running several other marathons including the Harbour Marathon in Halifax in 1982, the Island Marathon (Cavendish to Charlottetown) in 1983 and 1984, the Nova Scotia Marathon in Shelburne in 1984, the Michelin Atlantic Canada Marathon in 1989 and his final marathon, the Maine Marathon, Oct. 3, 1993 at age 63.
“It was nice I accomplished something as a runner,” Faulkner said.
“I have good memories; I’m proud for my wife Lillian and family. Running was good for me, I could have been doing something a lot worse.”