Phillip Oppenheim: A True Friend of Running in Sacramento
Phil Oppenheim: December 31, 1944 – August 17, 2011
This past week, the Sacramento running community lost a good friend and staunch supporter.
Whether you knew his name or not, the chances are beyond good that you’ve been helped by him at a local race. If there was a race in town, Phil would likely be giving his time to make it better.
Whether it was working pre-race packet pick-up or the finish line at your local 10K, Phil would be there enthusiastically pitching in. Capital Road Race Management lists Phil on their website as “Race T-shirt Distribution Engineer.”
When I took up the challenge of this website, Phil became a loyal reader, supporter, and regular source of information and encouragement.
Phil was never, to my knowledge, a fast runner, but he had tremendous respect for those who were and for the work they put in. Most of all, he was a believer in the transformative power of exercise.
I will miss the frequent news tips and updates that Phil sent my way, but mostly I will miss his greeting as we pass along the trail through Discovery Park during our weekday runs, and his obvious pleasure in just being out there.