Citizen of the Week: Bob Dalton Keeps His Community Running

At 73, Bob Dalton may not run as fast or as far as he once did, but he is still moving forward—and helping hundreds of others do the same.

Dalton has been running for more than 55 years, beginning as a high school student who discovered that endurance came more naturally to him than baseball, basketball, football, or soccer.

“I did notice in soccer I was able to run up and down the field,” Dalton said. “Most of my teammates were tuckered out, so I just kind of naturally gravitated toward track and cross country in high school.”

Running remained part of his life through college, a 20-year Army career, and decades of service to the Peachtree City Running Club. He has served as the club’s president, vice president, and secretary for a combined 10 years and has been its membership coordinator for almost 20 years.

For Dalton, running has gradually become less about personal competition and more about gratitude and service.

“There’s a lot of people out there who wish they could run,” he said. “On those cold winter mornings or those hot summer days, when I’m just dragging through the workout, I remind myself to be grateful. I’m grateful that I can still run, and I tell myself I’m running for those who can’t.”

Dalton grew up in an Air Force family and moved frequently before settling in Marietta, where he attended Sprayberry High School. He later attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and helped start its first collegiate marathon team.

He went on to complete marathons on five continents.

After graduating from West Point, Dalton served in the Army for 20 years. His assignments included Korea, Germany, Fort Stewart, Fort McPherson, and deployments throughout the Middle East.

He was also selected for the U.S. modern pentathlon national team, competing in an Olympic sport combining equestrian jumping, cross-country running, pistol shooting, fencing, and swimming.

Dalton competed in the 1980 Olympic trials, placing 14th after about a year on the team. By 1983, he had risen to seventh in the nation and qualified automatically for the 1984 Olympic trials, but an assignment in Germany prevented him from returning to compete.

“We’ll never know, but hey, no regrets,” Dalton said. “I enjoyed my time on the team.”

His Army service later included work as a specialist in Western Europe and the German language. After the Berlin Wall fell and East and West Germany reunited, Dalton transitioned into military operations, planning, and intelligence.

He retired from active duty in 1995, worked for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, and later returned to Army service as a contractor and Department of the Army civilian. By the time he retired from full-time work in 2017, Dalton had spent more than 40 years working in, with, or for the Army.

Dalton said reflecting on the nation’s 250th anniversary carried special meaning because he graduated from West Point during the 1976 bicentennial.

“America is still not perfect. It never will be,” he said. “But I take a special pride in knowing that I played a small part in defending the freedoms that we enjoy today.”

Dalton has brought the same spirit of service to the running community.

He coached the marathon team at West Point and spent 15 years coaching Fort McPherson’s Army Ten-Miler team. He also coached for the Atlanta Track Club, directed his church’s 5K for 18 years, and has poured decades into the Peachtree City Running Club.

One of the club’s most popular programs is its Summer Track Classic Series. Dalton said the event has grown from a few dozen participants about 30 years ago to as many as 400 or 500 runners each week.

The series includes races for adults and children, a 50-meter dash for younger runners, and a parent-child relay. Children receive medals and frozen treats, and the emphasis remains on participation rather than pressure.

“Nobody’s keeping track of who’s in first or second,” Dalton said of the parent-child relay. “It’s just all for fun, and we just have the best time out there.”

The events require time, money, and volunteer effort, but Dalton said the results are worth it.

“It brings out the community,” he said. “It gives them something fun to do during the summer months, and we’re promoting a healthy sport to help them stay fit, enjoy life, and have a better quality of life.”

Dalton encourages people who do not enjoy running to find another activity they can practice consistently, whether that is swimming, biking, walking, pickleball, or golf.

“Just find something and do it on a consistent basis,” he said.

Dalton and his wife, Teresa, have been married for 47 years. They have one son, David, and two grandchildren, Liv Grace and Wells.

For years, Dalton served as his grandchildren’s weekly science teacher while they were homeschooled. He and Teresa, known to the children as Oma and Opa, continue to fill visits with family activities and what they call “Oma and Opa summer camp.”

Whether he is organizing races, welcoming new club members, coaching athletes, teaching science experiments, or putting in a few more miles, Dalton continues to run—and to keep good things running for others.

For more information about the Peachtree City Running Club, visit ptcrc.com.