Athlete Profile: John Geesler

by Colleen Farnan

John Geesler has run tens of thousands of miles literally. As an avid ultramarathoner, he has excelled in races where he has logged in incredible distances of over 100 miles in one event. His enthusiasm for the sport of ultrarunning has taken him across the United States and around the world. Closer to home, he has experienced the simple joys of seeing wildlife while on training runs on local trails in the Adirondacks. But most of all, the sport has capped off a personal journey where he has surpassed the mental and physical challenges of long distance running. “There really are no limits. The longer the distance, the better I am. I keep progressing,” John said.

To the uninitiated, John explained that an ultramarathon distance is any distance over the standard 26.2 mile marathon. When asked if he is a little crazy, John admitted, “It helps to be a little mental but once you do one, you find it addicting.” John said the people he has met along met the way have added to his enjoyment of the sport. “It is the friendliest sport I’ve had anything to do with. The people are so friendly and helpful because the distance is so formidable,” he explained.

Preparing to compete in an ultrarunning event is similar to training for a marathon but with longer training runs, according to John. As with marathon, John does his long training runs on the weekends. Several times a week, he tries to put in 8 to 12 miles in a day. Mental toughness is also an important aspect of training for long distance running. John said that you have to be mentally prepared for running long periods of time but it is not so hard when you are used to it. 

For the most part, there are two types of ultrarunning events. In the first type, the race is a set distance and the winner is the first person to cross the finish line. On the other hand, the second type is a timed event where the winner is the person who is able to run the most miles within a set time frame. John has been competing in the timed events more recently.

As for the event itself, John usually does not sleep during 24 or 48 hour races but competitors can choose to sleep. He generally eats only Gu and might drink water, soda and V8 juice. John navigates after dark with a flashlight and plenty of batteries for nighttime trail races.

John’s interest in long distance running was sparked when a couple of friends wanted him to go canoe racing. His involvement in canoe racing subsequently led him to compete in triathlons. From that event, he graduated quickly to distance running and finishing his first 26.2-mile marathon. Once he ran the marathon distance, he considered doing a 50-mile race that he thought was “doable” but ruled out a 100-mile race as “ludicrous.” One thing has led to another. Now 15 years later, he continues to enjoy the challenges of competing in 100-mile races and longer.

Along the way, John has racked up numerous awards and has made history. He became the first American man to win the national 24-hour championship three times at Olander Park in Sylvania, Ohio. In the 24-hour period, he ran an impressive 137.52 miles in 2002.

At the Across the Years 72-, 48- and 24-Hour Multiday Races near Phoenix, Arizona in January 2004, he set the 48-hour American record by covering an amazing 248 miles. In January 2005, he entered the Across the Years 72-hour race and ran 300 miles (in 69 hours) — more than 65 miles ahead of the second place finisher!

In the past few years, John has had the opportunity to travel to other countries to compete in ultrarunning events. As an invited athlete, he has experienced other cultures on “someone else’s dime.” As part of the team of three to six members, John has represented the United States team in the 24-hour World Championships. In this capacity, he has traveled to the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, and will be traveling to Austria in July.

Other travel opportunities have included a trip to Taiwan in March of this year. He was invited as one of only a few non-Asians to compete in Asian 24-Hour Championship. Then in May, he was invited to travel to France to compete in a world-class race that was limited to only 24 competitors.

Closer to home, John enjoys his trail runs in the Adirondacks. “If I can see wildlife during my runs, that’s a bonus,” he said. Describing these runs as refreshing, John enjoys the simple pleasures of discovering wildlife such as a heron rockery and a bear with her cubs crossing the trail or a fawn curled up on the side of the trail.

John is remarkably humble and down to earth despite his increasing list of achievements in this demanding sport. He realizes that ultrarunning is not for everyone. However, John recommends to other people that they get active by just getting off the couch and doing something as simple as walking.

In his personal life, John is a native of St. Johnsville in western Montgomery County. He and his wife Kim have been married for 27 years. When asked about how Kim feels about his running, he says she is “fine with it but doesn’t understand why I want to run so much.” However, she was able to reap the travel benefits of John’s involvement in the sport by going to the Netherlands with him last summer.

As you may imagine, John is challenged to find time for everything in his busy life. He has worked at Helmont Mills, a textile business in St. Johnsville for the past 27 years. As maintenance supervisor, he puts in long hours, sometimes working 50 to 70 hours a week. The job allows him flexibility to work extra hours, which compensates for the time that he is competing out of the area. Back at home, John grows his own vegetables because he likes to “keep his freezer full.” He also hunts deer and occasionally rabbit. John has a “hobby barn” where he has an assortment of animals such as pigs, chickens and ducks.

John’s favorite race is the Vermont 100-Mile Endurance Run in Woodstock, Vermont. He has participated in this event for 14 straight years and has always been in the top 10. Last year, he came in sixth place out of 163 finishers with a time of 16 hours, 49 minutes. The race starts at 4 am and he finishes “each year before darkness sets in.” John says that it is “a fun course, handy to travel to and has great people.”

John also gives back to the local running community. He is the race director for the Towpath Trail Run 10K and 2-miler that has taken place in May for the past 17 years in St. Johnsville. The proceeds of this event benefit the St. Johnsville Chamber of Commerce. Also, he has been the race director for the annual Rotary Ramble Trail Run 10K and 2-miler for the past ten years that happens down the road in Fort Plain on June 11, 2005.

Colleen Farnan of Saratoga Springs is an active member of the Saratoga Stryders running club. She is a grants representative at the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services in the Violence Against Women Unit.

John Geesler’s perseverance and determination are exemplified by his enthusiasm for ultrarunning, involvement in the community and enjoyment of life.