Upper Peninsula Road Runners Club Hall of Fame

Alan Jarvie, Rudyard​

Inducted into the UPRRC Hall of Fame in 2019 as the 44th member.

Alan Jarvie has been a runner his entire life.  His most vivid childhood memories revolved around running.  It was his preferred mode of defense for those occasional playground skirmishes at school and early on became his signature trait.

Running served him well during four years of track and cross-country at Rudyard High School.  He ran many events, but excelled at the two mile, posting many efforts in the sub eleven minute range.  Shortly thereafter, his gift payed off during a 3-year stint in the army where endurance and being fleet of foot had its advantages.

Upon returning home running took a hiatus as starting a family and career took precedence.  In the early to mid 1980’s the popularity of road racing arrived in northern Michigan and Al caught the running bug again.  Before long he was training and racing on a regular basis with unexpected success.  Much of his free time was then devoted to running and he joined the U.P. Road Runners Club feeling that the eastern UP was poorly represented.  Al has served as the eastern representative since 1990.

At this time Al also took up the challenge of coaching track and cross-country at Rudyard where he served from 1990-2011.  During his tenure Rudyard had 2 UP State champions, 4 runners-up and 6 conference titles in cross-country.

During the past 35 years most of Al’s log books have registered one or two thousand miles of training and ten to twenty races per year.  Some years more or less depending on goals and injuries.  He claims he’s never mastered the marathon, despite numerous Boston Qualifiers, stating he’s too impatient.  Lifetime PR’s include: 2 mile-9:39, 5K- 15:55, 10K- 35:37, half marathon-1:23, marathon-3:07, and 50K-5:41.  Other running highlights are co-founding a prisoner running club at Kinross Correctional Facility which had as many as 125 members regularly participating; winning the Michigan USATF 5K Masters track title in 1998; making the pilgrimage to the Boston Marathon in 2009; and being part of the incredible family that makes up the running community be they athletes, organizers or volunteers.  We must not forget one of his most rewarding highlights, mentoring young and old, beginners and experienced runners.  He helps them by writing training programs, and is always willing to run with them as they train.

Most of Al’s running takes place on the trails now.  The lower impact and laid-back mind set are an accommodation to the aging process, but he’s still out there doing it and that’s what matters.  Al continues to live in Rudyard with wife, Margaret.  His daughter Michelle lives in Pickford and is also a runner.  He is an avid reader and enjoys biking, woodworking and really fast cars.