Calvin Dutton runs down the dirt hill adjacent to Highway 50 just west of Mound House Wednesday.
DAYTON — ne plus ultra loosely translated in Latin means there is no reason to go further. But when it comes to ultra running, Calvin Dutton is just getting warmed up.
Dutton celebrated his 60th birthday on Wednesday by running 60 miles. His 60-mile run was a follow-up to what he did on his 50th birthday when he ran 50 miles. “I’m a little tired,” said Dutton on Wednesday night after finishing his run.
When asked to compare his 50-mile run 10 years ago with his 60-mile run, Dutton said Wednesday’s run actually couldn’t have gone any better. “Actually it was pretty good other than the weather,” he said. “This was, I would say, one of my easiest runs I’ve had. Everything was perfect. It was just a perfect run.”
Asked if he was going to run 70 miles on his 70th birthday, Dutton said, “That’s my plan right now.”
On Wednesday, Dutton began his run on the treadmill at about 2 a.m. He ran about 20 miles on the treadmill until it became daylight when he then headed for Bowers Mansion. From there it was on to Western Nevada College and to the shopping center where the old K-Mart was located and then he continued onto College Parkway and then onto Fairview, arriving at Riverview Park at the end of Fifth Street at about 9 a.m.
He then proceeded to Deer Run Road and onto Highway 50 through Mound House, saving an uphill stretch toward the end of his run. “I don’t want to make it super easy,” Dutton said.
He eventually finished at his home about five miles east of Dayton at about 2:30 p.m. He finished the 60 miles in 12 hours, 12 minutes.
Dutton has completed five 100-mile runs. He completed his last 100-mile run in 24 hours in Long Beach about a year-and-a-half ago. He has plans to next complete the Rio Del Lago 100-mile run near Sacramento and eventually would like to complete a 200-mile run. “‘Cause I ain’t getting any younger,” Dutton said.
Dutton and his wife, Donna, also ran 40 miles on their 40th anniversary. When asked if they would run 50 miles on their 50th anniversary, Donna just laughed but Calvin replied, “I say yes.”
Calvin’s explanation for why he participates in so many ultra runs was simple. “I love running,” he said.
He also said he couldn’t run like he does without the support of his family. “You can’t run unless you’ve got that,” he said.
And he’s already looking ahead to that milestone of running 70 miles on his 70th birthday. “We’ll see you again in 10 years,” he said.