Alan Gowen (1949-2025): The VHTRC Loses (another) Great Friend

Alan Gowen, former VHTRC president, nine-time Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 finisher, founder of the Hashawha Hills 50 km, and great guy has died. He took a serious fall while hiking in Acadia National Park and died two days later on June 27, 2025. His passing is a major loss for his many friends including those in the VHTRC.

Alan came to the club because he thought it sounded “cool.” He became one of the stalwarts who made the club cooler.

Alan was first, to us, a runner. Besides his many finishes at MMT, he finished Bull Run Run seven times. He finished JFK 16 times. He participated in the PATC’s Dogwood Half Hundred every year beginning in 1991 until it ended in 2002. See: https://new.vhtrc.org/news/membership-whats-the-attraction.

Alan was drawn to the VHTRC by its lowkey, but serious, competition — and its fun. He became one of the gang and eventually the president. He took that job seriously. He was quiet, unflappable, and extremely organized. He made the club better. Most importantly, he understood what made the club great. He worked to enhance that greatness.

Perhaps Alan’s greatest contribution to trail running was his creation of the Hashawha Hills 50 km. He, Pam, and his followers — they called him “coach” — ran in the area often. Alan thought there could be a race there. He designed the course and asked the VHTRC to sponsor it. The VHTRC got a good deal. The event always made money and was not a burden on normal VHTRC volunteers since Alan could draw help from his legions of local friends.

Hashawha was a challenging course with great aid (perogies!), great post-race food, and a cool handmade ceramic mug as a finisher award. Hashawha became so popular that it still needed an entry lottery after all other club events gave that up. Alan was proud that he could lower the entry fee each year and still make money.

Alan was a big supporter of women runners. He ran with his “girls” often. He was their “coach.” Alan would arrive at the Women’s Half Marathon in Goldie, his passenger van, from which many women emerged. Alan would then take up his critical volunteer job — standing with a red flag to point the way to start the second lap. Alan could play the lead, but he didn’t need to. He was happy to play a minor role. Alan was proud of just standing there with that flag.

Of course, Alan’s main girl was Pam, his wonderful wife. She was the outgoing extrovert to Alan’s introversion. They had many great adventures. An example was their Fourth of July routine. They would drive all the way down from their Maryland home near the Pennsylvania border to park near Fletchers Boathouse and then walk on the Towpath down to the Mall to watch the fireworks. After the fireworks, they had another four- or five-mile hike back. Alan was very proud of that hike. He spoke of it often. It was typical Alan — doing a common thing in an uncommon way.

Pam — “Lady Pamela” as he would call her — was the love of Alan’s life. Perhaps the best example of the duo of Pam and Alan at work was at Hashawha. Pam did the smiling, and Alan did the planning. They both did the work. Actually, I don’t remember much race day work on Alan’s part. Like any good leader, he had it planned. He just needed to watch.

I cannot remember running with Alan. I think I did, but if we all went running, I ran with Pam. I couldn’t keep up with Alan and, frankly, Pam was prettier.

Alan was not just a runner. Far from it. He had many other achievements. He was a skilled woodworker. His workshop was cool. (“Cool” was one of Alan’s favorite words.) The shop was clean and organized. It had many cool tools. And it had the required SI Swimsuit Calendar on the wall.

Alan had participated in car rallies. These were not wimpy ones. He and his teammate would drive all over the United States trying to make precise time checks. I don’t think that much sleep was involved.

He had a motorcycle. Of course.

He maintained a shelter on the Appalachian Trail for many years.

He biked all over the place.

And Alan knew everyone. He knew many JFK people even though he had “only” finished 16 times. Alan was a friend to everyone.

Finally, but this should have been first, Alan was anal — very anal. He was, unlike some people, not annoying about it. He was just organized and neat. He didn’t impose it on you. A good example of this was his woodpiles. Alan heated the house with a woodstove. He had a routine throughout the year of felling the trees, cutting the logs, stacking them in the woods with a piece of plywood on top, and then bringing the logs to the house to be burned. Those piles were works of art. You would look at one and say to yourself, “Ya, Alan did that.”

Alan was many things to many people. He was a core member of many circles of friends. He was not the most talkative person in those circles, but his absence will leave a huge hole. The VHTRC is just one place with a hole that Alan’s passing has created. We will miss him terribly.

Later in his running career Alan had serious health issues that he met with quiet determination and little complaint. They slowed him but did not stop him.

We should honor and emulate what Alan taught us — quiet friendship, contributing to the group at any level, and having a positive joy to life. And we should make any pile of stuff orderly in his honor.

Photos