Morgan Milers looking for others to run

Richard DeMedici, 34, of Berkeley Springs, awakens at 2:15 a.m. Monday through Friday to run six to 12 miles before his job as a driver for Morgan Sanitation. After a 10 plus hour workday he runs another six to eight miles, reserving long trail runs for the weekends and averaging 80 miles per week.

He started trail running after his 2002 thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, a 2,169 mile footpath extending from Georgia to Maine. He craved long miles and the solitude of the wilderness, sparking his passion for trail running.

Ten months after his first one mile trail run, he ran his first ultra-marathon, the JFK 50 Miler. He has since raced in over 20 ultra-marathons throughout the east coast. His goal for 2007 is to run at least 3,500 miles, topping his 2006 record of 2,970 mile.

In August of 2006, he and his running partner Mark Hill initiated the Morgan Milers, Berkeley Springs running club, in order to unite runners that are looking for others with whom to run. The Morgan Milers meet at 8 a.m on Saturdays at Widmyer Elementary School. To learn more about the Morgan Milers, visit www.runberkeleysprings .com.