(EDITOR’S NOTE: The Times News is running a series of stories on former area athletes. The subject of today’s “Catching up With” is running enthusiast George Mitzen)

By Patrick Matsinko

pmatsinko@tnonline.com

George Mitzen’s finish line has always been a bit of a moving target.

When Mitzen set out to run three marathons (at 26.2 miles apiece) in a month in 1993, it was the biggest challenge of his running career.

“And that was just for me,” recalled Mitzen, who was 28 years old at the time. “It was a challenge. It was a running challenge for me.”

But Mitzen wanted to take it a step further. A few steps, actually.

“After I did it, I felt really good,” he said. “I was doing a lot of running at that time because I was coaching (cross-country) at Jim Thorpe with Drew Benyo. And Drew was a big help to me. He was like a coach too, almost.

“After that, I just got it in my mind, because I enjoyed it so much, that I’m going to try five in six weeks the following year. I didn’t know how it was going to pan out, but I figured I’d give it a try.”

Mitzen’s journey started in Erie in September of 1994 and ended at the New York City Marathon later that fall.

The goal was to qualify for the Boston Marathon the following year.

“To qualify, you had to run 3:10,” said Mitzen. “At Erie, I ran a 3:06, so I kind of thought, ‘Well, I already accomplished one of my goals getting into Boston. What do I do?’”

Keep running.

The following week Mitzen ran a marathon in Atlantic City, running a 3:09 and placing third in the 25-29 age group.

Having hit the qualifying standard for Boston in back-to-back weeks, surely Mitzen would want to take a breather.

Nope.

The next week he hit the road again, this time traveling to Columbus, Ohio. He celebrated Columbus Day with his third marathon in the series and his best time yet, 2:59.36.

Three marathons in three weeks. And he was just getting started.

His next stop took him to Washington D.C. for the Marine Corps Marathon, where he clocked in at 3:15.

After a week off, Mitzen hit the Big Apple for the New York City Marathon.

“And that was more about just seeing the city, because you go through the five boroughs,” Mitzen said. “It was the day after Halloween, and it was just a thrill.”

Less concerned with his performance or place, Mitzen ran a 3:36 in New York, capping a remarkable run - literally.

“Before the marathons, I was probably doing 60-70 miles a week,” said Mitzen. “And then for the marathons, I would only run a couple miles with the kids at Jim Thorpe. I would go on a Friday, and I would come back early Monday, and then I would go to practice with the kids all week and I would run, just to keep myself loose. Then on Friday I was traveling again.

“It was really a special time in my life, that I was in the best shape of my life. I really enjoyed doing it. Each medal meant something different, and they still do. I have them all hanging up.”

But he was far from finished.

Running took Mitzen all over the country, from huge races in San Francisco and Disney World to smaller events with finishers only numbering in the hundreds like in Coudersport, Pennsylvania. But each one had its own story.

He’s done the prestigious Boston Marathon twice. His first effort on Patriots’ Day in 1995 ended with a time a few minutes north of 3:30. His next effort at the event resulted in a 3:23.

“I qualified in back-to-back years and both years it was unbelievable,” Mitzen said of Boston. “It’s just the whole atmosphere of being there with 30,000-40,000 runners. It’s like the Super Bowl for running. That’s what Boston is for marathons.

“It was an awesome feeling, because it was a dream of mine, it was something I had always wanted to do - run Boston. Just being a part of it was unbelievable.”

During a 15-year stretch where he was logging his most serious miles, Mitzen, who is now 56, estimates he ran about 160-170 races, between 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons, full marathons and everything in between.

“I’m still running now, but just a little bit,” said Mitzen, who estimates he ran about 52 marathons during that 15-year run. “I don’t do quite as much, probably 10-15 miles a week. I try to get one half marathon (13.1 miles) in every year. That’s really my favorite race.”

Mitzen’s legacy extended beyond his own running career. After serving as an assistant with Benyo at Jim Thorpe for four years, he began a successful tenure at Panther Valley in 1995.

“We won three (Schuylkill League) division titles and a league title there,” said Mitzen. “So that was all part of it, too. And to this day, I see a lot of my former runners, and they’re running half and full marathons, and things like that.

“So it’s nice to know that it’s carrying on. It’s nice to know that somebody else is carrying on the torch.”

And there’s no end in sight.

“I’d always tell the kids, with this sport, you can do it forever,” said Mitzen. “It’s a lifelong journey, and a lifelong sport.”

Mitzen, who resides in Lansford, retired in 2012 after spending 24 years as a custodian in the Panther Valley School District.

He coached in some capacity for 15 years. In addition to PV and Thorpe, he also made stops at Marian (assistant, head track and field coach) and Palmerton (assistant track and field coach; head cross-country coach).