Patrick Guilfoyle doesn't waste a lot of words. You can run with him for the better part of a twenty-mile training run (if you're fleet enough of foot) and share little more than the street directions on the course turn sheet. But like many befitting the label "the strong silent type," when he does open up there are tomes within annals amid compendia that he can offer on life, love, and the pursuit of happiness. All as it relates to running, of course.

While Guilfoyle claims not to have been a natural runner, he has spent the last thirty-plus years burnishing his talent and seeking to understand, relate to and grow with the sport. In many ways, the same could be said of his affiliation with Front Runners. Both aspects of his life dovetailed beautifully in 2006 as Guilfoyle, at 47, raced his heart (and likely several hundreds of dollars worth of shoes) out.

"I'm usually not a goal setter," Guilfoyle says, "but in 2006 I changed my philosophy a bit ... I wanted to run a spring and a fall marathon and every points race." But Guilfoyle, who has always picked the paces, distances and frequency with which he runs strictly on feel, happened to have ample spring on his step to far surpass his racing goal for the year. He ran in 20 NYRR races (including 10 points races), the Boston and Chicago marathons, the Reach the Beach 208-mile New Hampshire relay and in at least one other out of town race. His results have been sterling across the board, as he placed in the top ten for his age group in 16 NYRR races (including three first-place age group finishes), broke three hours in both marathons and placed for the team multiple times for both the open and masters men in club points races.

Guilfoyle admits that hitting all the points races was not always pain-free and easy. He altered summer vacation plans to make the Club Team championships and raced the Queens Half just twelve muscle-healing days after the Boston marathon. Not that he's complaining. Guilfoyle considers the commitment his "personal way to say thank you to Front Runners for all it has meant to (him) over the years."

For Guilfoyle, there definitely was racing life before Front Runners. While living in Brooklyn in the early eighties, he signed up with Prospect Park Track Club, initially to help secure plac ement in the NYC marathon. After five years running for them, Guilfoyle had not found the camaraderie he had been hoping to feel. Still somewhat closeted, Guilfoyle struggled with the idea of joining Front Runners, which would openly identify him as a gay male. But after his first partner, Eric, drowned in a failed rescue attempt in the Hudson River (for which he was lauded and eemed a hero by Mayor David Dinkins), Guilfoyle made an effort to honor his partner's memory by being more accepting of his own sexuality. There was, however, another roadblock to his joining the club. As someone who puts a premium on his running time and commitment to the sport, Guilfoyle viewed Front Runners as more social than athletic and had been considering signing up with one of the more "competitive" local clubs. "But I kept seeing (former Front Runner president) Patrick Barker run in races or just with other people in the Park," Guilfoyle notes. "He was definitely 'out' and also a very good runner -- he was the Kelsey of my group."

In choosing to participate in the points races, "those that by their very design self-select the fastest runners in the entire New York metro area." Guilfoyle hopes he serves as an example that you can be a serious, fast runner and a proud gay runner. "I hope that on some level I might inspire others to join Front Runners," says Guilfoyle, "much like Patrick Barker inspired me."

As a runner who has thrived through more than three decades of competitive racing, Guilfoyle resists being distinguished as a guru who can impart wisdom on willing acolytes. True to his economical sensibility, he says only that his goal "has always been to keep running, not to run as hard as (he) can." It's painfully clear that running means too much to Guilfoyle for him to ever risk not having it in his life. Makes perfect sense considering that lacing up his trainers has brought Guilfoyle far more than trophies, medals, and fan adoration, though it has brought him those, too. Running helpd him mourn the loss of his partner, battle depression and loneliness, accept his sexuality and place in this world and -- yes, there is even more --it provided the outlet for him to meet his current partner of four years, Johnny Fraser.

Given the unassailably holy place that running holds in Guilfoyle's life, it is not all that surprising that he chooses to keep his thoughts, feelings and insights largely to himself. But if you can get in shape to stay stride for stride with him, try to ply a story or two. It may yield only a "think we make this left turn up ahead," but when the stories do come, they are more than worth the wait.

Random Data:

Fun Family Fact: One of 8 children, Patrick has 6 brothers and one sister. "We were a mix of the Waltons and Eight is Enough," he says.

Marathon Moment: After training with his little brother for the entire summer and fall to break 2:50 in the 1996 NYC marathon, Guilfoyle, who had been clocking consistent 6:30s with his brother for two and a half hours, realized he needed to slow down at mile 24. His brother insisted on easing up too. Guilfoyle wouldn't let him but says "the generosity in that sentiment has never left him." (Guilfoyle finished in 2:50:51; his little brother crossed the mat in 2:49:15.)

Racing for a Purpose: After his first partner Eric died, Guilfoyle decided to race a 100K in Prospect Park as a way of dealing with his torment and pain. He won the race. "That day should have been one of the happiest moments of my life," he says, "but it only caused me to miss Eric more."

Marathon Man Loses Count: While Guilfoyle doesn't have a current tab on the number of marathons he has run, he has definitely mixed it up by racing the Long Island, New York, Boston, Twin Cities, Chicago, Miami, Dublin and New Orleans iterations. (He does have handy his average time over ten NYC marathons -- 2:59:36.)

Other Passions?: Here's a hint: If you're ever stuck trying to find a five-letter word for an ancient Buddhist rite of passage and can't get Will Shortz on the line, call Guilfoyle.