Bruce Brown
Special to the Athletic Network

Charles Wimberley has always been a runner.

As a high school athlete at Church Point, he served as captain of the football team and was named the squad’s most valuable player and best back.

When spring rolled around, he excelled in track and field in the half mile, mile and two mile.

That ability led to a track and field scholarship at the University of Louisiana (then SLI), where Wimberley was team captain for the 1955 season as a junior.

He continued his running career in the U.S. Army in 1957 and ’58, then years later resumed his passion on a competitive basis.

Now, at age 77, Wimberley is still running. He has won 25 national championships in Senior and Masters competition as one of the most consistent middle distance runners in the country.

"When I went to Southwestern, my vision was to finish high school, get a convertible and get an apartment," Wimberley said with a laugh from his Mandeville home.

"The summer before I got there, I ran against some members of SLI’s track team and beat them. The coach at the time, Russ Davis, offered me a working scholarship. Then I got a full scholarship."

Wimberley remembers rivalries with Louisiana Tech and Northwestern State, and being pitted against future AFL receiving great Charlie Hennigan of NSU in the 880-yard run.

At SLI, Wimberley made an impression on teammates. He was named Hardest Worker as a sophomore and captain as a junior.

Graduate school followed at LSU, focused on agriculture and math, before Wimberley was drafted.

"I was sent to San Francisco and was working on NIKE missiles, when I found out they had a track team and I asked if I could try out," he said. "That’s all I did in the military – run. There were no fireworks. I was in between the Korean and Vietnam wars."

The Army squad competed in meets against collegians and others. When he exited the Army, Wimberley taught school for a year in Morgan City before entering the oilfield service industry.

The urge to compete again was rekindled years later, after some 10-12 years of post-Army life, from an unexpected source.

"The lady across the street liked to run, and asked if I would run with her," he said. "She didn’t like the way men looked at her when she ran. So, I ran with her, and I got addicted again in my 40’s.

"I went to a Christmas party in Houston, and found out there was a quarter marathon run by NASA. I won my age group. I remember there was sleet during the race, and afterwards we went into a small building for awards and I met some astronauts.

"I got talking with a guy and told him I would rather still be running track, but there is no track. He said, ‘Sure there is. Masters track.’ It turns out he was a NIKE coach in Houston."

That was all Wimberley needed to hear. Soon he was training again, competing and excelling once more.

"I got started on the circuit," he said. "In 1984 at age 50, I won the 1500 meters at the Canadian Nationals and U.S. Nationals. In 1985, we put together a team that set the 4-mile U.S. relay record, then broke it."

Wimberley has been part of four American and two world age group records. At age 60, he anchored 4×800, 4xMile, sprint medley and distance medley relays.

"It’s exciting," Wimberley said. "I’ve made friends all over the country."

Those friends include Steve Scott, at the time the U.S. record holder in the 1500 meters, along with noted comedian, athlete and track and field enthusiast Bill Cosby, who invited Wimberley to a collection of the top 50-year-old milers in the country.

At age 55, Wimberley placed third in the 1500 and fifth in the 800 at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, the closest thing to a track mecca in the country.

"We ran 7 races in 8 days," he said. "I really wanted to make the finals in both distances, and I did."

Wimberley had a successful business in the oilfield service industry, but like many was hit by the oil bust in the 1980’s.

"At one time, I had 195 people working for me," he said. "Then we had to cut to 30. That was the hardest part of my life, to have to let good people go."

Wimberley patented a process to remove radiation from oilfield equipment and remains active in retirement as a consultant when not retreating to a second home in rural Mississippi.

Mainly, though, he stays active through his running, with an outdoor competition in Cleveland on his immediate horizon.

"After this year, I’m going to back off," said Wimberley, a detail fanatic who still has every workout and result of every race he’s ever run. "I’ll still run locally, though. Then, when I’m 79 ½, I’ll start to gear it up again."

Anyone with information, materials, pictures, memorabilia, etc., of the university’s former athletic program participants is requested to contact Ed Dugas at athleticnetwork@louisiana.edu   Thank you.