Lee Davis A Successful Runner Among Other Things

Enthusiastic Attorney Had Outstanding Times In His Day

  • Thursday, September 18, 2014
  • John Hunt

Lee Davis grew up in Philadelphia, went to college at Elizabethton College in Central Pennsylvania and graduated from law school at Boston University.

He also became a pretty good runner during that time.

Davis is a high-profile attorney in Chattanooga who does something physical every day.  He doesn’t train like he once did and he doesn’t even like to talk about his times from earlier days, but he more than held his own on the road.

For the record, Lee has run under 32 minutes for the 10K and he’s gone sub-2:40 twice in marathons and he’s also broken 15 minutes twice in 5K races.  Those numbers speak for themselves about what kind of speed he had.

He and his wife Heather Ott met while she was going to graduate school at Middlebury College in Vermont.  They later moved to Chattanooga where they had an outside wedding on Raccoon Mountain in January 1993.

They are now the proud parents of three children – Logan, Parker and Matthew.

Logan is 20 and spending a year studying abroad in Paris.  Parker is 18 and a senior at Signal Mountain High School.  Matthew is 14 and a freshman at Baylor.

Lee’s running has taken him to some exciting places where he’s been able to meet some exciting people.  Now some 35 years later, running is still a most important part of his life.

“I was involved in an Outward Bound program when I was in high school.  One of the requirements was being able to run six miles on a trail.  Early March in 1979 was when I started training,” the personable 52-year-old Davis said earlier this week while taking a short break from his law practice at his office on East Fifth Street.

“I followed a schedule and I ended up finishing second in a trail half-marathon.  My second race was the Harrisburg International Marathon where I had a 3:07.  I could set a decent pace and stay with it, but I wasn’t a sprinter,” he recalled.

“I did a 10-mile run with Bill Rodgers within 30 days of moving to Boston and that was one of the highlights of my running career.  What a wonderful introduction to a great sport with one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet,” he smiled.

Davis got involved in the Boston Athletic Association and was active there for 10 years while his law career was just beginning.  He completed the marathon there twice with a best of 2:42 in 1988.

While in Boston, he met Heather and their first “date” was a six-mile run on the Robert Frost Trail.

“I met Heather while I was there and we went for a run on our first date.  At the time, she had no idea what my name was.  Running became a big part of our relationship.  Our first run when we moved here was at Reflection Riding.

 It was a beautiful place, but I thought I’d die going up that big hill to Covenant College,” he remembered, referring to that tough, tough two-mile climb known around town as “Big Daddy.”

“One thing I noticed when we moved here was how much tougher the courses are.  I was used to running along the Charles River where it was pancake flat, but there are a lot more hills here than there,” he said matter of factly.

“I lived a half-mile from the finish line when I was in Boston and I trained on that course at least five days a week.  I’d love to go back and do that race at least one more time,” he smiled.

These days, Lee runs  during his lunch hour where he either goes to the nature center (it used to be Reflection Riding) or to Baylor to run with Heather.  He normally logs about 30 miles a week where he used to run 60-75 a week for 20 years.

“I try to do something every day and I do what my body will allow.  These days I do as much biking as running, but physical activity has become a lifestyle for me,” he nodded.

Lee has won a few road races back in the early 90s and he’s still involved in the Chattanooga Track Club.  He was talked into helping with the Signal Mountain Pie Run in 2000.

“This will be my 15th year “helping” with that race.  I love directing that race with Bill Minehan.  It’s a no frills event with a low entry fee.  It’s a celebration of running where runners get a fresh-baked apple pie for their effort.  It’s far better than a trophy and that’s what running is all about,” he said in reference to the 10K that will be held on Oct. 25.

“I had some good times back in the 80s and 90s as I had my years when I competed.  I’m sure I’ll get more involved when the kids get older, but running has broadened my life and brought me all kinds of new experiences.

“I’ve also made some really good friends while running and that’s one of the biggest benefits for me,” he said.

Another part of the running community that Lee and Heather have embraced is the annual trek up the W Road on New Year’s Day that ends with food and fellowship at their house.

“That event used to end at Tom and Christy Sell’s house, but we decided to take over when they moved,” Lee explained.

While Lee and Heather take great pride in their children and spend quite a bit of time with them, Lee is also a bee keeper.  They have about a half-dozen hives in their yard and they also have about 30 chickens.

Lee comes from an active family of longevity and he wants to maintain that practice.

“My grandfather used to do a lot of swimming and he swam a mile three days before he died at the age of 94,” he concluded.

As you can tell from the details of this story, Lee Davis has been ultra-successful at everything he’s done in his life and most of it centers around his running.

He just hopes that he can keep up the sport that has brought so much joy and reward to his life.

(This is the 30th in a series of runners in the Chattanooga area.  If you know someone who might make an interesting story, email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@comcast.net)   

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