If Joe Thomas could get a buck for every stride he has run the last 45 years, he would be a multi-millionaire, plus change, a couple times over.

For in that time, starting when he was in junior high school, the Uniontown native has run the equivalent of at least three, maybe four, times across the United States, and it all climaxed a month ago when he literally ran into some very exclusive company in the state of Pennsylvania.

In recognition of his achievements and contributions to track and field, Thomas was one of six new members inducted into the Pennsylvania Track and Field Coaches Association's Hall of Fame, during a program held at Penn State University.

The six new members bring to a total of 63 now in the Hall of Fame - 32 men and 31 women -and of these, there are just two members from Fayette County - Olympic gold medal winner John Woodruff of Connellsville (1936, 800 meters at Berlin), and now Thomas.

There is a sense of irony in it for Woodruff set the all-time Fayette County Meet and Connellsville High School records, and it was Thomas who eventually broke the county mile record, which he still holds.

Another member of the Hall of Fame is the late Jan Sikorsky of Mount Pleasant, who once held WPIAL, state and national high school javelin throwing records. Sikorsky's national record was later broken by Terry Bradshaw, who went on to quarterback the Pittsburgh Steelers to four Super Bowl championships, and Bradshaw was in turn passed by Terry Baker, who earned All-American quarterback honors at Oregon. Sikorsky became a petroleum engineer and was killed in the explosion of a drilling rig off the coast of Peru.

Thomas was a state record holder in the mile and later the two-mile, plus being a dominant cross-country runner. The mile was the longest scheduled race when Thomas was in high school, but coaches used a figurative process to determine two-mile times. He was undefeated in the state and regional mile competition his junior and senior years, losing only at the Golden West Invitational as a senior.

Of his two state mile records, his 4:14.9 lasted five years, and his 9:34 two-mile mark held for six years. But some observers said Thomas was probably at his best as a cross-country runner. He set course records twice while winning state (PIAA) championships and was undefeated as a junior and senior. He lowered the state record by 11 seconds in his first win, and then won by 18 seconds over the 2.12-mile course for his second record.

Of his Hall of Fame honor, Thomas said, "I was really very surprised. I had talked to some other people and they told me my name was on the list of nominees."

His close friend, Joe Turek, long-time area track and cross-country coach, who went to State College with Thomas, said, "Nominations for the Hall of Fame are made by a committee of coaches and people associated with track. I'm very happy for Joe; this is a real honor for what he has achieved in running over the years, along with the help he gives to young people as a coach and speaker."

Thomas recalled two really outstanding moments for him in track. "When I was running for Uniontown High School and ran a 4:14.9 mile at the Mount Lebanon Invitational, and in 1960 when I was a student at Southern Illinois University and won the national cross-country championship in a meet in Nebraska. I ran 20:39 for the five-mile course."

Looking back over his championship career, Thomas said, "I really enjoy running. When I was young, my father and Coach Abe Everhart helped me get headed for college. At that time, I liked to run and play basketball both, but they told me I had best choose between the two sports as to what I really wanted to do. I chose running, and I have never regretted my decision."

Over the last 45 years, Thomas has run in junior and senior high competition, college, independent meets, practice runs and he ran in Germany when he was in military service.

After finishing three years in service, Thomas came back to Uniontown and went to work for the Coca Cola Co., and he has been with them 37 years ... "and still enjoying my work," he added.

As to how far he might have run in all that time, Thomas said, "Oh, I wouldn't have any idea how many miles I might have run, but you can say it has been a lot of miles. I still run three or four road races every year, and earlier this month, I was among those running in the Cherry Blossom Classic in Washington, D.C. (1:14 for 10-miles)."

Joe is also active in the Fayette Striders, being president of the running club, and this week the local runners will be competing in the Mt. Summit Challenge, a run up the "hill" of Route 40-East from Hopwood to the Summit Hotel.

Later in the summer, he will be working the finish line at the John Woodruff Classic, run every year in Connellsville and honoring the Olympic Gold Medal winner.

Turek said, "Joe and I work together on some races in the area. He especially enjoys helping with the runs that we have for youngsters, such as Frazier Born to Run race, and the Connellsville Junior High West Honor Run. Joe really likes working with young people, trying to get them interested in running."

Thomas said, "I enjoy running cross-country. I just like to run in the woods, to get out in the country and go as far and as fast as I please, and I really like to run on grass. When I was in the service I ran a lot on grass in Germany, and I still like it."

What advice does he have for young people wanting to be champion runners?

"I talk to a lot of young peoples' groups, and I tell them to make up their minds about what they want to do in life.

"I tell them there are four very important parts to their lives, and in order I tell them to put their parents first, then their books, then running, and finally they have to really concentrate on their sport and that might mean giving up a boy friend or girl friend, as the case may be.

"But I try to tell them that if they want to be successful, if they want to be first in their lives, then they have to sacrifice something. It takes a lot of work to be a champion."

And who knows that better than Joe Thomas, the epitome of a champion runner and championship person both, whose work and sacrifices have led to a berth in the Hall of Fame.

By Jim Kriek, for the Herald-Standard  4/24/03