Paul Reese

Paul Reese (1917 – November 4, 2004) was a United States Marine Corps colonel during World War II, and he later became a high level administrator with the Sacramento City School District. Reece became a local running legend as a top age group competitor, a pioneer in the ultrarunning community, and founding race director of the Clarksburg Country Run, the first long distance road race in Northern California.

Reese was a founding figure of the Buffalo Chips Running Club, and one of the best ever 50-59 age group runners. He set numerous national records in his 40s through his 80s, running in the 2:36 territory for a marathon in his mid-50s, and also a low 13-hour 100 miler in his 50s. He wrote several books chronicling his many cross-state and cross-country runs. In December, 1997, he finished, with Hawaii, running across all 50 states. The running community was greatly impacted far and wide by his death in 2004.

In 1990, at age 73, he and George Billingsley ran across the United States for a summer ‘fun run’. Two years later, he and wife Elaine headed east from their California home on a mission to run across each of the 14 remaining states west of the Mississippi River. Over the next five summers, Reese ran these states and wrote daily in his journal, the basis for his second book, Go East Old Man.

After his military career, Reese worked in the Sacramento City school system until his retirement in 1982. During this time, he was the race director for many events, including the old Capitol to Capitol 140 mile run, the Sunkist 100, a two-day stage race and the Pepsi 20 Mile Run.

The Clarksburg Country Run (originally the Pepsi 20), which preceded all the Northern California marathons, was a 20 miler for its first 15 or so years, beginning in 1966. The 2005 event, which also has served as the 30 km Pacific Association USATF championship for many years, has been renamed the Paul Reese Memorial Clarksburg Country Run. Paul personally supported the race through its formative years, and he also started the Lake Tahoe 72 Miler (an ultra-marathon around the lake on roads), and the Sunkist 2 day 100 km event.

Reese graduated from Christian Brothers High School in Sacramento in 1935. He attended Sacramento City College and the University of California, Berkeley, earning a master’s degree in administration in 1940.