Local runner heads to top

JIM KATZAMAN / Stafford County Sun
Published: March 5, 2008

The Stafford resident could have been speaking of 1976, when he ran in the first Marine Corps Marathon. He has competed in many since then, posting a personal best 3 hours, 11 minutes in 1990.

During the years before the bicentennial, he wrestled varsity in college and played two years of semi-professional football for the Brooklyn Bruins.

He might also have been recalling his days as a triathlete, pushing himself through grueling days of swimming, cycling and running throughout the country.

Then there is his normal start every work day: He wakes up at 3:15 a.m. and "hits the door running by 4:40 a.m." after squeezing in 1,000 sit-ups before heading to work as test and evaluation lead for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle at Program Executive Officer Land Systems in Quantico.

Actually, it was none of that. Last month, Murgo had just gone all out for 19 minutes and 20 seconds to complete the toughest two-tenths of a mile of his life.

The distance might sound short until one notes that Murgo ran straight up 1,576 steps from the lobby to the 86th floor observation deck of the Empire State Building.

The 31st annual New York Road Runners Empire State Building Run-Up attracted 250 competitors, of which 215 finished, including Murgo.

The winner, Thomas Dold of Germany, finished in 10 minutes, 8 seconds, notching his third consecutive victory.

That was still far off the course record of 9 minutes and 33 seconds, set by Paul Crake of Australia in 2003.

The stair race was a new event for Murgo, who has long been attracted to ultra events.

"I had always been an athlete in college," he said, "always looking for challenges - those weird-type events."

Having arrived at Quantico while still in the Marines, he got involved with ultra events with the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club.

"I read about the [Empire State] Run-up in Runner's magazine," he said. His daughter Jennifer lives in Manhattan, and he asked her to look at the New York Road Runners Web site for a list of events.

He saw the run-up and decided to apply.

"You have to tell them how many events you've participated in the past," he said. He included his ultra marathons and background as a retired Marine Corps officer.

He did not include how he tore a quadriceps muscle on a hardwood floor three years ago.

His doctor predicted he would never run again. Later that year Murgo ran in the Bull Run 50.

"My doctor gave up on me," he said, "because he knows if he tells me not to run, I'll run."

Above all, Murgo emphasized, he is not running for himself but for all the wounded warriors who would like to run but cannot.

"I want to do it for them," he said.

And he will continue to run, even to the top of the Big Apple.

"I felt good enough afterward so that I'd want to do it again," he said.

If he does, he will likely warm up the same way he did in February: on a brisk three-block run from his daughter's apartment.

Jim Katzaman is a writer with the Marine Corps Systems Command.

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