WHEELING – Walter Seamon is a running marvel.

His running prowess is so adept that even Father Time can’t catch him.

The lifelong Wheeling resident is currently winding down his training for the Boston Marathon, an event he knows quite well. When Seamon toes the starting line in Beantown on April 16 it will mark the 19th time he has competed in the Cadillac of road races.

Making Seamon’s feat even more remarkable is that he is 77 years young. Like fine wine, Seamon is getting better with age.

Seamon just doesn’t compete in the Boston Marathon — he excels in it. A year ago, he finished fifth in his age group. In 2013, he was fourth. In 2009, he was runnerup.

Those age groups are composed of hundreds — if not thousands — of competitors from around the world.

Seamon enters each marathon with the same mindset.

“I just want to get starting-line healthy and I will take it from there,” he offered.

That mode of thinking is obviously working.

Seamon’s race success is forged by his intensive training routine. The nationally ranked runner believes it takes some three months of solid work to be properly prepared for Boston.

“I start up right after Christmas, regardless of the weather. We run in sub-zero temps and on ice. We get get 55 miles a week in,” Seamon said “Sundays are typically our long runs. We start at 13-14 miles and work up to 22 miles on Sundays. We also do hill work during the week and go up to Wheeling Park for some work on the track.”

For Seamon, “we” means he and running enthusiast Tom Rownd. The pavement pounding pair became a training tandem back in 1995.

“Tom had been running marathons and I saw him at a few races and told him I’d like to try one, but I wasn?t trained to do one,” Seamon recalled. ?He invited me to start training with him and the group he runs with.”

Seamon accepted the invitation and then – at Rownd’s urging – decided to sign up for the Columbus Marathon with hopes of finishing, with never a thought of Boston in his mind.

“I didn?t how it would work out,” Seamon said. “I ran and qualified and that happened to be the 100th anniversary of the Boston Marathon. Tom gave me insight on marathons.”

Seamon’s first taste of running dates back to 1993.

“Mark (his son) was training for an Ironman and I went with him,” Seamon said. “I came back and he said, “Dad, why don’t you run a 5K with me? I ran that race and basically got hooked on it.”

Getting hooked has resulted in Seamon running 39 marathons. And while all marathons are demanding, Seamon takes it all in stride.

“It is not all that tough, as long as you get your training in and you do your homework. There is a fine line between being ready and overtraining. You can feel it,” the former electrical estimator said. “Boston has four significant hills. Heartbreak Hill is 22 miles into the race and twice as long as Wheeling Hill. You see people laying down along the road.

“In addition to your training you must have a proper diet and good nutrition. You can’t fuel up on garbage,” he added. “Even if the race goes well it does take about a month to totally recover.”

It is eight days until race day and all the toughest training is now in Seamon’s rear-view mirror.

“I did a 22-mile run two weeks ago. Now I am tapering. I put in 20 miles last week and cut it to 11 this week,” he said. “Friday will be my last run…just two miles. That will give my body a chance to recover.”

With a handful of top five finishes and a personal best of 3:10 at Boston to his credit, Seamon takes a new approach when he leaves Saturday for Beantown.

“I have no goals this year. This is the first year I am running to just see what I can do,” he offered. “I feel good and I am happy with the training I put in.”

Don’t look for this to be Seamon’s swan song in Boston. The feisty septuagenarian has no intentions of exiting the roadways.

“I don’t plan on quitting. I will keep running as long as I can,” Seamon said. “I am 77 but I feel like I am 37. As long as I stay healthy, feel good and have a positive attitude I will keep going.”

COACHING LEGENDS

AIDING EASTER SEALS

THE ANNUAL Easter Seals Telethon will be play out Sunday, April 15 on WTRF TV 7. Five OVAC prep grid coaching heavyweights have agreed to appear and take pledges for a great cause.

Steubenville’s Reno Saccoccia, Martins Ferry’s Dave Bruney, Wheeling Central’s Mike Young, Weir’s Tony Filberto and Wheeling Park’s Chris Daugherty will all be on air starting at 4 p.m. Each will have their separate phone numbers.

Those numbers are Filberto (304-233-4950); Young (304-233-4951); Saccoccia (304-233-4952); Daugherty (304-233-4954) and Bruney (304-233-4955).

Kudos to those five grid gurus for helping a great cause. I will make a donation call, just pondering which one it will go to.

BUBBA’S BITS

MIKE DEVOL has been named the new head football coach at Belpre High. DeVol has previously served as head coach at Caldwell, Parkersburg South and Warren Local. He led South to the state championship in 2003.

THE PREP basketball season in the Ohio Valley comes to an official close today when the OVAC Samuel Mumley All-Star Games are staged at OUE. The girls commence play at 3 p.m. followed by the boys’ contest. In addition to the court action, a host of deserving individuals will receive special awards.

ZACH COLLAROS is a great football player. The former Steubenville Big Red and University of Cincinnati quarterback also has a huge humanitarian side. His foundation recently donated $3,000 to the Jefferson County Task Force. Collaros is currently playing for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.

THIS SPRING’S nasty weather gives credence to what I have said for years now. The OHSAA and WVSSAC should flip-flop softball and volleyball seasons. Softball would be treated to ideal game conditions in late August and September. Volleyball in the spring would be unaffected by this snow, rain and cold we have experienced so far.

DESPITE COLD conditions, Thursday proved the perfect night for softball coverage. I staffed the Wheeling Central-Steubenville Central twinbill at I-470. It turned out to be a historical event. Maroon Knight aces Marissa Garlitz and Riley Bennington hurled back-to-back perfect games. It is a feat unheard of in OVAC annals.