George Kempston
The Dallas running community last week bid farewell to a beloved coach, runner, role model George Kempston.
George Kempston a longtime staffer at the Mockingbird Lane Run On! store and member of the Dallas Running Club died last Tuesday, which also was his 70th birthday.
A fixture at local races, Kempston was running marathons and ultramarathons as recently as this past February, when he completed the Cross Timbers Marathon, known for its hills as one of Texas’ most-grueling trail races. In 2013 he ran the Paris Marathon in 4 hours 48 minutes at age 69. He ran the White Rock Marathon (now Dallas Marathon) most years since the early 1990s (source).
Not only was he an impressive and prolific athlete, but Kempston also was a coach to many local runners both in official and unofficial capacity. In local races, if not competing, he’d cheer from the sidelines, offering up practical advice such as, “Mind the tangents! (meaning stay on the inside of the turns)” in his British brogue, ” recall his protégés and Run On! coworkers, who remember him as idiosyncratic, clever and caring. He also was an avid stamp collector.
George Kempston runs the Too Hot to Handle 15k at White Rock Lake
Kempston was born in England and moved to Dallas in 1977. He leaves behind three adult children, Nicole Briggs, Michelle Kempston and David Kempston; six grandchildren and his partner Linda Boggs.
Reportedly the cause of death was a heart attack.
Kempston’s friends and family will host a memorial walk tonight (Monday, March 17) at 6 at Erwin Park in McKinney, TX.
Attendees should wear sporty attire and running shoes, organizers note. The family also requests that in lieu of flowers, donations go to American Heart Association, a neighborhood based nonprofit.
