Northeast Ohio I-CAR Committee Chairman Dave Cottrell, 59, (Crash Champions; Akron, Ohio) is preparing to run 209 miles in Ohio from Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky to Kings Island in Cincinnati, in the Coast to Coaster, an ultra-marathon race taking place April 25 to 30, according to a news release.
Proceeds from his run will benefit CREF and collision repair educational programs throughout Ohio.
As of March 27, Cottrell told FenderBender, he has raised $2,200, assuming he completes all 209 miles in the six days. He has the ambitious goal to raise $20,000.
'Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Pop-Tarts'
Participants in the Coast to Coaster will be given six days to finish, requiring the ability to travel at least 35 miles per day; however, Cottrell’s personal goal is to complete the journey within five days, giving him a day to recover before his 60th birthday on May 1.
He plans to rest and recuperate every night at a motel and as of March 27, he has received four sponsors for motel stays and he’s working on getting two more.
Cottrell will also take short breaks every five miles. He’ll avoid eating anything heavy throughout the day, opting instead for small snacks such as Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Pop-Tarts while he’s running. He’ll only eat one substantial meal per day, which will be at the end of the day when he’s at a motel.
A crew will assist him throughout the event to help provide aid or transportation if needed, and CREF is helping him put together a group of volunteers to join the crew and support him on this journey.
To prepare for the journey, Cottrell runs whenever he has some free time, training inside on a treadmill during the coldest months; however, time is often limited. In addition to working full-time as a collision center general manager and serving as chairman of the Northeast Ohio I-CAR Committee for the past eight years, Cottrell has been an I-CAR instructor for both hands-on and welding tests for the past 22 years, plus he is a husband, father, and grandfather.
Cottrell began running in 2015, at the age of 51, increasing the distance over time. “Two years after I started running, I participated in my first marathon,” he said in the release. “I’ve since run a total of 11 marathons, six 50-mile runs, one 100k, and two 100-mile events; each of the 100-milers took about 29.5 hours to complete. This will be my first 200-plus mile destination run and is really uncharted territory for me. Besides the greater distance, I usually compete on trails, and this event is going to take place on roads, running from Sandusky, Ohio to Cincinnati, Ohio.”
Although he started running later in life, Cottrell has always been an athletic person. “When I was younger, I was a roller speed skater and I competed all across the country,” he said in an interview with FenderBender. As he’s gotten older, he’s gotten into biking and kayaking.
Cottrell loves running so much that he was planning to compete in the marathon before the idea for the marathon came up.
"make it easier for today’s youngsters"
Cottrell got his start in this business at Maplewood Career Center in Ravenna, Ohio, where he graduated in 1988 before the I-CAR curriculum was around.
"I did it the hard way, so I am all for anything I can do to make it easier for today’s youngsters.” After graduating, Cottrell worked as a technician for many years before moving into production management and ultimately being promoted to general manager. Through his experience in this position, he has seen firsthand how challenging it can be to attract new technicians to the field.
“Our industry needs to focus on the next generation,” he said. "Today’s youth are focused on electronics and are losing the desire to work the blue-collar jobs of old, but modern vehicles are essentially motorized computers, so there’s an opportunity for our industry to capitalize on that technology to capture young people’s interest. I-CAR is introducing a new, very impressive curriculum for students that will better prepare them to enter a shop with enough knowledge to be able to accomplish something meaningful on their first day on the job.
“Schools don’t always have the means to prepare those students, so collision instructors rely on CREF and the industry to fill those gaps,” he continues. "The Northeast Ohio I-CAR Committee works closely with several local schools to help provide the uniforms, tools, equipment, and training their students need as they prepare for a collision career, and then we also assist in placing those students in local shops whenever possible. CREF will always have a soft spot in my heart due to the Foundation’s devotion to schools, students, and our industry.”
In his interview with FenderBender, he concluded, “I’m just doing it for the kids, you know, and trying to help the future of our industry where we all know we need new technicians coming into this field.”
To support Cottrell, visit his sponsership page.
