College Relations

April 16, 2004

CONTACT --- Jim Glynn at 978-542-7519 or james.glynn@salemstate.edu

SALEM - Two years ago, John Ayers ran Salem State College's annual 5K road race in record time. He managed to keep pace with leader Mike Toomey for two-thirds of the course and had enough left in the tank to pass Toomey and post the course record time of 15 minutes, 10 seconds.

Ayers, who grew up in Beverly and lives in Salem, will return to compete in the 8th annual Wellness Fair and Road Race at 9 a.m. Sunday, April 25 outside the O'Keefe Sports Complex on 220 Canal Street. This time, however, he will not eyeing a new record. "I'm just looking to be competitive this year," said Ayers. "This will be my first big test since I've been on medication for hypothyroidism."

Ayers was reaching new heights as a competitive runner in 1995 but began feeling ill in 1996. "I didn't know what was wrong," he said. "I kept running but I wasn't able to hit the level I was at in 1995."

It wasn't until he saw his doctor for a strep throat in July of last year that his ailment was diagnosed. "The doctor recognized the symptoms of hypothyroidism, a disease that is more common in women," Ayers explained.

Since the diagnosis, doctors have been adjusting Ayers' medication levels. "Getting the right treatment level can take six months to a year," Ayers explained. "At first, the medication made me violently ill."

With his medication under control, Ayers is back running. "I've been training hard for the past four weeks," he said. "I'm very competitive and I'll run the race as hard as I can," he promised. "I have to be realistic though. No records this time."

World-class runner and Olympic hopeful Jennifer Toomey will present awards and prizes following the race. Toomey, of Salem, whose record performance in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter races at the U.S. Indoor Championships in Boston put her on the cover of this month's Runner's World magazine, will also be on hand at the Wellness Fair for autograph signing.

Considered one of the fastest women runners in the world, Toomey holds the women's record in the Wellness Fair 5K race.

Proceeds from the road race and fun walk will benefit the Salem Homeless Shelter and the Animal Rescue League.

Major sponsors include the North Shore Medical Center, The Salem Evening News and The City of Salem. For more information, contact Joseph Dunn Sr. at 978-542-6537.