Barker, who

had already qualified, and Reed then talked Ludwig into a

trip to Tallahassee that February so he too could qualify

for the Boston Marathon. He made it and the three

traveled north in April of 1994 in what was the beginning

of a beautiful friendship.

The trio

will enter this year's race next month, their seventh

Boston Marathon.

Ludwig,

Reed and Barker have run together practically every

Sunday for the past six years, usually running 20 miles a

week. During "buildup" weeks, the three

marathoners run over 30 miles. There are not many excuses

for missing the Sunday run; the only acceptable ones

being running a marathon, a wedding or a funeral, or an

illness or injury that has been approved by the other

two.

One excuse

that never makes the grade is inclement weather. They

have run in torrential rains, subzero temperatures and

snowfall. One of their many mottos is: "No excuses,

no whining and be prepared, you never know when a

marathon will come along."

Ludwig has

been running for 21 years. He is what is called a streak

runner, meaning he has run every day since 1978. He has

run in over 525 races, including 68 marathons and seven

ultramarathons. Among his highlights are running from

Columbus to Savannah along Hwy. 280 in 1992 to raise

money for the United Way. Ludwig completed this run, a

distance of 280 miles, in six days. Ludwig's goals for

the future are easy to remember: 100 marathons, 1,000

races and 100,000 miles.

Reed began

running 19 years ago. She has logged over 29,000 miles

and competed in over 260 races. She has run in 31

marathons, including her first Boston marathon, which she

ran in 1994 with her father. Reed trains with the

McIntosh girls track and cross country teams and is a

board member of the Atlanta Track Club. She would like to

run a marathon in every state and break the current age

group record for the marathon.

Barker, an

avid runner for over 24 years, has run in over 700 races

and logged over 55,000 miles. He has run in 53 marathons

and hopes to continue running for many more years in the

company of good friends.

The three

friends reached a milestone late in 1999. They ran the

Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon together and when they

crossed the finish line together they had run their

combined 100th marathon in their six years of running

together. They ran in honor of a fellow runner who was

recently diagnosed with cancer.

Endurance

is the quality they all share, both in their friendship

and in their running. When the three of them are lining

up in Boston on Patriot's Day, you can bet their six

years of motivating and encouraging one another and over

156,000 cumulative miles of running will pay off.