My name is Curtis Stone.

I'm a former long runner.

I was born across the street from this home.

Oh, 1922, so I'm now 98 years old.

I soon found out, junior high boy, that I was a runner because I could beat.

Everybody felt that this was my sport.

I realized and I began.

I was delivering newspapers so I would to deliver one side of the road.

And there was a quarter mile back and I could deliver a low side and then run a quarter mile.

So I started training that way.

And every morning, at 7:00, I'd run a quarter mile as fast as I could.

My dad was born in the little town of Brooklyn, Pennsylvania, and he grew up there.

Most of his life.

In high school, he ran on the track team cross-country team.

And that was really the start of his running career.

It really took off when he went to Penn State.

And went down to the track meet at Penn State and ran a half mile.

And I saw there was a runner who is a champion.

And I thought, if a champion can come to Penn State, I'll go to Penn State.

My dad was a.

Member of three Olympic teams, 1948, 1952 and 1956, 48 was London, 52 was Helsinki and 56 was Melbourne, Australia And I remember him saying recently that he had watched or listened to, perhaps on the radio, the Olympics, and he thought it was terrible that Americans were not winning the top medals.

So he decided to train for the Olympics and try to to improve the standing of Americans.

My dad ran in the Pan American Games in 1950 1:52 I know there was a controversy with the other runner, Browning Ross, where they ended the race together.

If Browning Ross really wants to win, he probably can, because he can always, you know, kick me, but so we're running down the straightaway watching each other and I have to think about it.

If I if I start too soon, he'll beat me.

I got to start at the very last second or before I realize what I've done.

And he for some reason didn't want to run hard at that point.

He was waiting for the sprint.

Maybe.

I don't know what was going through our minds, but I just wasn't greedy.

If he did it, time to write anyone.

I'd be happy.

But he didn't time it right?

I timed it better.

I never remember my father really talking about the trophies.

He was a modest man, very humble.

My dad talked a lot about the meaning of sport and I think for him, the Olympics really epitomized the best of sport.

It meant doing your best.

Overcoming obstacles.

Competition with other people.

Yes.

But in a way where everyone was valued.

According to the ruling, was supposed to give everything you have or any time to run.

That's not true.

We don't do it.

You know you run to win.

I never ran to set a record.

I always run to win.