Fostoria runner honors Lincoln

Published:  Saturday, February 14, 2009 (12 months ago)
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Several St. John’s cross country runners joined Eric Ebinger Thursday on his first day of running the historic Lincoln Highway throughout Ohio: Jason Michel, left, Chris Goodwin, Jeff Bockey, Alex Bockey and Mary Bemis. Others not pictured are Colin Byrne and Christine Bemis.For The Delphos Herald

DELPHOS — There are certain milestone observances which deserve greater recognition than others.
A 200th anniversary comes only once.
Eric Ebinger is a 31-year-old runner from Collins (Huron County), just a few miles east of Norwalk
Abraham Lincoln was born on Feb. 12, 1809. This year marks the 200th anniversary of his birth.
That’s where the two unite.
“I love presidents. Lincoln is my favorite,” he explained.
Looking for a way to mark this milestone, Ebinger eventually settled on the decision to run the historic Lincoln Highway through the state of Ohio.
“What better place to focus a birthday celebration of Lincoln than the engineering marvel which bears his name,” he continued. “This is an adventure worthy of honoring the nation’s greatest president. The run will test the mental, physical and emotional skill of any human being. I am very excited to get started.”
The highway, which generally follows the route of US Highway 30, was built between 1913-15. A 26-mile section of the first paved coast-to-coast highway in the United States travels through the heart of Van Wert County.
Ebinger began his run at the Indiana-Ohio State Line (intersection of the Ohio-Indiana State Line Road and the Dixon Cavett Road, approximately 3 miles south of US 30) at about 7:30 a.m. Thursday. His plans call for him to complete the run five days later, on President’s Day. He plans to travel 60 miles each of the first two days, completing half the run.
“From Van Wert to Mansfield is nice and flat,” Ebinger said, “which should make for comfortable running. And it allows three days for the second half, which is filled with hills.”
Seven St. John’s cross-country runners, including their coach, Jeff Bockey, accompanied him on part of Thursday’s run from near Dog Creek Road to the Veterans’ Memorial Park in Delphos.
The wind played havoc with Ebinger’s plans to make it more a vigorous jog than an actual ‘run’ – figuring a 12-minute-per-mile pace.
“Fortunately, it was with us but when you want to pace yourself, you have to work harder to do so,” Ebinger observed. “Plus, experts tell you in a run like this, walk at least 20 minutes of every hour or your body will ‘decompose’.”
Bockey figured it was a lot of fun.
“I didn’t know about this until recently and thought it would be a nice thing to do. Outside of the wind, it was a pretty good day to run,” he said.
Ebinger’s wife, Misty (an Orrville native), will also be along. She is in charge of all logistics and welcomes any form of encouragement for Eric during the run, including food (lots of pasta!) and Gatorade. They will also be offering a T-shirt for $20 with a portion of each sale going to the Lincoln Highway Association.
“It will not be easy but it will not be impossible,” Ebinger added. “OK, to be completely honest, most people think we’re crazy. But the road, the towns, the people and the legacy of Lincoln will be exemplified in every step.
“It looks like the weather is going to be cold but not extreme, ending a whole year of worrying over something we couldn’t really control. My wife and I are looking forward to meeting the people along this wonderful scenic highway and perhaps drawing attention to a man whose wisdom and grace guided our nation through its most turbulent period.”

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