50 miles for 50 years

Rather than candles, Donna Dutton will blow through mileage to represent reaching her half-century mark.

In what is becoming a family tradition, Dutton is planning to run 50 miles in honor of her 50th birthday today.

"We're definitely crazy, I think," she said. "My husband did it on his birthday, and I thought, you know what, I'm going to give it a try, too."

A decade ago, she never would have considered it.

That was about the time she and her husband, Calvin, decided to try running with their three children and a couple of friends.

With little expectation, they laced up their shoes and hit the street.

"Everyone took off," she recalled. "The guys ran about three miles. The kids ran about a mile. I made it a half mile."

But the family was committed and continued to improve. Still, Dutton had her limits.

"She swore she'd never run more than a half marathon," said daughter Christy Buskee. "Now she's outrunning every one of us."

Half marathons soon turned into marathons, then 50-mile ultra runs.

Dutton attributes her success to the support of her family. Running, she said, has become a hobby rather than a chore.

"We use it as an excuse to go on vacation as a family," she said. "We've gone to ultra runs in Virginia Beach and Arizona. It keeps everyone active, and we're all doing it together."

Even when she's the last of the family to cross the finish line, it's still worth it.

"I do it for fun and to finish," she explained.

Dutton has been training for her birthday run and set a goal to complete it in 12 hours.

"Realistically, it'll probably be more around 13," she said. "My husband did it in nine hours, so we'll see."

She's only completed one other 50-miler. It was the American River Run five years ago. The cutoff time was 13 hours, and she came in with just two minutes to spare.

She came up short at two other attempts.

But she feels good for Sunday's run: "Fifty years, 50 miles, sure."

The added benefit, she said, is that she can eat as much as she wants on her big day.

"That big piece of cake I've been wanting, I can go ahead and have it," she said.

Then she reconsidered. "I probably won't want much of anything other than some dinner and to get in the hot tub. Running like that, it takes everything out of you."

Calvin Dutton ran from Bower's Mansion in Washoe Valley to Dayton for his 50-mile birthday run in November 2007. Donna Dutton's route will be along Fort Churchill Road from Fallon.

Buskee said she's proud of her parents.

"I think it's amazing," she said.

But when Dutton says it's a tradition their children Keith, 28, Buskee and Kristal Bonifate, both 25, should follow, Buskee hesitates.

"We'll have to see about that," she said.

- Contact reporter Teri Vance at tvance@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1272.桥