Keith Knipling

Stan Duobinis

Stan Duobinis passed away on July 9. Stan and his wife, Margie Schlunt, were fixtures of the VHTRC from the earliest days of the club. They were avid participants of all club events and races — as runners, volunteers, and race directors.

Before the 2003 BRR.
Anstr Davidson, Gary Knipling, Margie Schlunt, Bunny Runyon (in front), Stan Duobinis, and Bob Phillips before the 2003 BRR. Stan is wearing his Coyote Four Play bowling shirt.

Stan and Margie finished the inaugural 1995 MMT together with 6 minutes and 24 seconds to spare. (Stan finished MMT two other times.) Stan and Margie also finished Western States as well as other old school California events like Chris Scott’s Coyote Four Play and Scott Mills’s San Diego 100 Miler. For years, they were fixtures at other local races like Kevin Sayer’s Catoctin 50km and the HAT Run 50 km.

Stan Duobinis and Gary Knipling at the finish of the 2001 BRR
Stan Duobinis and Gary Knipling at the finish of the 2001 BRR. Stan had just finished a long day of captaining the Wolf Run Shoals Aid Station, which had a space odyssey theme that year.

When they weren’t running, Stan and Margie were volunteering. For years they captained the BRR Wolf Run Shoals Aid Station, decorating the aid station with a unique, over-the-top, theme that was kept secret until the day of the race. Alex Papadopoulos continues their tradition today.

A Wolf Run Shoals wedding in 2004.
Wolf Run Shoals was a bunch of fruits in 2006
Wolf Run Shoals was a bunch of fruits in 2006.
Wolf Run Shoals Wizard of Oz in 2010
Wolf Run Shoals Wizard of Oz in 2010.
 
Stan Duobinis and Ed Demoney at the club volunteer party circa 1999
Stan Duobinis and Ed Demoney at the club volunteer party circa 1999.

Perhaps Stan and Margie’s most significant contributions to the VHTRC were from 2004–2010, when Stan served as the second RD of MMT, taking over from race founder, Ed Demoney. Stan played a pivotal role in the growth of MMT, and orchestrated the change in race venue from Skyline Ranch Resort near Front Royal, to the present start/finish at the Caroline Furnace Lutheran Camp. Stan was also at the helm in 2006, which required a last-minute course change because of a wildfire. (This was the year that Sim Jae Duk set the still-standing course record of 17:40 and was also the year of the film, Massanutten: Two Runners, 100 Miles.) As if that weren’t enough, Margie also served as the WHM RRD from 2003–2007.

Stan with 2013 MMT champion, Karl Meltzer
Stan with 2009 MMT champion, Karl Meltzer.

Stan Duobinis exemplified what VHTRC membership means, actively enjoying trail running while also giving back by helping and serving countless other runners by volunteering. Happy trails, Stan, until we meet again.