WASHINGTON — Joe Harris’ friends call him crazy for running dozens of marathons and more than 100 half marathons into his 60s. But he considers himself more of an opportunist.
He’s the guy who tells organizers what works and what doesn’t at Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon series races across the country.
“Doing these races, I’ve gotten to go to places that I’ve always wanted to go to but never seemed to get there — like New Orleans and San Diego and Chicago and Portland, Oregon, and Dallas, Texas,” says the retired Fairfax County Public Schools teacher.
When Harris runs the half marathon at the D.C. Rock ‘n’ Roll event Saturday, it will be his 100th event with the series known for its on-course entertainment and post-race concerts. He has 99 Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon series races under his belt — 84 half marathons and 15 marathons.
In exchange for the intel the 65-year-old Fairfax man gathers that helps improve Rock ‘n’ Roll races across the country, race organizers give him “VIP status” — a race-day luxury that includes private bathrooms, post-race massages, a buffet, private gear check, access to ta VIP lounge, shuttle service and more.
“I’ve been called the smart shopper, the quality control person — and those are tags I’d gladly wear to get VIP status,” says Harris.
The experience costs participants an extra $90 for the D.C. races.
“Once you get a taste of VIP, there’s no going back. It’s the difference of first class and coach,” he says.
For the last seven years, Harris has evaluated races — Rock ‘n’ Roll or otherwise — and reported back to Rock ‘n’ Roll race organizers with his impressions.
So how did it start?
In 2007, the Vietnam veteran ran the Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon in Nashville and was disappointed with the beverages offered on the 26.2-mile course. After the race, he let the race organizers, including Rock ‘n’ Roll series co-founder and Senior Vice President Tracy Sundlun, know his frustration.
“We encourage anybody and everybody to tell us about their experience,” Sundlun says, adding that Harris demanded a refund and vowed to leave the series if things didn’t change.
Sundlun promised to improve the drinks and gave Harris VIP status for his next race as a thank you for his feedback.
After that, Harris struck a deal with Sundlun: he would run races around the country and after every race, and send Sundlun a detailed report about their shortcomings and their highlights. Harris would receive VIP status for his efforts.
“That started a string of 55 races in a row for me. I did every Rock ‘n’ Roll race from 2007 to 2011,” says Harris, who has run a total of 26 marathons and 115 half marathons since he started running in 2004.
And while running that many races can cost thousands of dollars, Harris says it is worth it to know you’re going to get good quality and enjoy the experience.
“It’s almost like when you go shopping, you tend to go back to stores where you get good customer service, so that’s what the Rock ‘n’ Roll race gave me — consistent quality,” he says. “That you knew what you were going to get what you paid for, and it was fun at the same time.”
Harris’ feedback is mutually beneficial, Sundlun says.
“One of the problems with putting on now as many races as we do, is I and others don’t get to see what others are doing,” Sundlun says. “Another set of eyes, like [Harris’], at other events giving us his perspective as to what works and what’s a great idea and what didn’t work — it just helps us tremendously.”
And Harris is happy to offer his opinions to fuel his addiction to running and traveling.[
Still, there’s no place like home, says Harris, who planned to reach the 100-race milestone on his home turf so he can celebrate with friends and family.
The races have allowed him to witness musical acts grow into fame, too. He saw Grammy Award-winning country group Lady Antebellum go from on-course entertainment at the Nashville event to being the main act at the post-race concert.
After Harris knocks the D.C. Rock ‘n’ Roll, he plans to tackle another dozen races he has planned for 2015.
“We will see how long the knees hold up,” he says.
Sundlun has much more confidence in his friend.
“Don’t stop there buddy,” he says. “We will see you at number 200.”
