Dave Murray was a self-described couch potato. "I was bigger than I should have been," he recalled, as he turned his memory back nearly 15 years. "I was 225 pounds. I was a couch potato."

Some of his colleagues - back then - at the volunteer fire department in Hepburn decided to enter a half-marathon in Regina. Dave decided he would join the challenge. In a nutshell, it didn't go well...

"It was horrible," he stated without a second of hesitation. "I finished last out of the four of us (from the volunteer fire department). I was angry with myself."

This week's Brainsport Times starts with a trip down memory lane because Dave's story took a major turn shortly thereafter... it's fair to say that running changed his life.

"I spent the next winter on a treadmill because I wanted to get better," he said. Now, nearly 15 years later - he's 65 pounds lighter and running is clearly a huge passion. He even proposed to his wife at a finish line!

"Race day is the best day," Dave continued. "It's Christmas morning. I love the positivity of it. The run community is the most supportive (community). The volunteers are out there cheering you on."

Dave is a regular on the local running circuit and clearly craves the starting line. In the last five months he has competed in the half-marathon at the Saskatchewan Marathon, ran the Beaver Flat Fifty and recorded the hat trick at the Step Up for Mental Health weekend (5K, 10K, 21.1K) in Saskatoon.

But nothing likely compares to what happened last Sunday in Prince Albert - his hometown - when Dave won the inaugural Summit Run 10 Miler.

With less than 200 yards to the finish line, he exclaimed: "I've never won a race before!" The smile didn't leave his face for hours and hours after crossing the finish line.