Ecris Williams has covered a lot of miles in her 86 years. Whether by racing cars or running races, the spirited senior is no worse for the wear.
“She’s tough and gritty,” says Ray Pugsley, 55, owner of 10 PR Run & Walk stores. The stores support the PR DC Elite Race Team where Williams frequently runs. “It’s incredible. There’s no quit in her.”
A Tough Exterior
The longtime Reston resident turns heads and blows minds with her remarkable exercise ethic. A competitive runner for more than 65 years, the native-born German likes to present a prickly exterior, jokingly calling herself “The Mean Old German Lady.” But at her job as a swimming instructor for aqua fitness classes at Worldgate Athletic Club in Herndon, her students see right through her steely persona.
“I tell her all the time, ‘We’re not scared of you, Ecris,’” says Potomac Falls resident Rico Short, 69, a longtime participant in her class. Williams is known for her challenging but fun workouts. Still, don’t make the mistake of thinking class time is chat time.
“The hair on the back of her neck gets up if people are talking in class; she’s a little mean — but she does keep it fun,” Short says. “Her belief is that you’re there to work out for 50 minutes to an hour.”
Williams has taught at Worldgate’s pool since 1991, even training members of the then–Washington Redskins in water fitness. “When people ask me why I’m still teaching at my age, I say because it’s the only place they pay me for yelling at people,” Williams says. “I’m German and I gotta yell.”
A regular on the local running circuit and a member of the elite running team, Williams religiously runs 5K races and practically always wins her 85-and-over age category.
“She’s been the ‘old lady’ on the circuit, so to speak,” Pugsley says. “She uses the term ‘the old schlepper,’ and she just keeps going. She’s just out there all the time, inspiring everybody with what she can do at her age.”
Post-War Athlete
Born in 1938, Williams grew up in Berlin, Germany. She was an only child and was primarily raised by her grandparents. Her father went off to fight in World War II for Germany and never returned. Her mother was captured in 1945 and worked in a Russian war camp in the medical corps for two years before being released. A few years later, she succumbed to illness and died.
“I remember just about everything — it burns into your memory,” Williams says. “The bombing, the running into the bunkers, losing family.”
After the war, Williams met a woman who was a former German Olympian and had a daughter her age. She would train the girls in gymnastics after school, which got Williams interested in athletics. From there, she began running competitively during her adolescence, something that has stayed with her over the years.
“When I’m out running, that’s my church,” Williams says.
In 1960, she hitchhiked to Paris and met Franch, a young American service member. Ecris and Franch married in 1963. At the time, Williams says being a German national married to an American could get a bit prickly, so she became a naturalized citizen.
“They took me to Philadelphia to a courtroom,” Williams recalls, noting a woman swore her in as an American. “I’ll never forget, she said, ‘Are you willing to bear arms?’ I said, ‘Sure.’ I thought she meant hugging!”
The newlyweds moved to Germany for Franch’s government work. Eventually, they had two daughters and moved to State College, Pennsylvania, in the early 1970s.
“State College was boring. I came from the city,” Williams says. “My family would ask, ‘Where is State College?’ and I’d say, ‘Four hours away from a good loaf of bread,’” she says, referring to the drive to Pittsburgh bakeries.
It was at that time, as a young mother living in rural Pennsylvania, that Williams began tinkering with car engines and racing cars in Sports Car Club of America rally races, driving Austins and Datsuns for fun. Williams said the SCCA was popular and active all over the region, attracting high-speed driving enthusiasts.
“I was bored on weekends, and I missed athletics, but racing kept me involved in competition,” says the admittedly hyper-competitive Williams. “I had second place in the northeast division of America for a race; I really didn’t know what I was doing, but I did OK.”
The family then moved to the hills of Colorado and lived there in the 1970s and early ’80s. Williams began coaching gymnastics and track at her daughters’ private school and running recreationally again.
In 1984, the family relocated to Reston, and Williams has run in hundreds of local competitive races ranging in distance from 5K and 10 miles. And she has consistently been a top contender; her times have placed her squarely in the top tier for her age group.
“The No. 1 adjective for Ecris is competitive,” says Mike Witlin, 82, who has trained regularly with Williams for 20 years. “I remember when I first started working with her, I could beat her. She didn’t like it.”
The two friends have developed a comfortable running routine, stopping now and then so Williams can pet local dogs on their route.
“We stop for dogs on long runs; she has to be friendly to all the neighborhood dogs,” Witlin says.
“I call them puppy stops,” Williams says. “All the puppies in the area know me. They don’t know I need the break!”
Leading by Example
Both novice and seasoned runners in the area say Williams is a role model in the community.
“She’s an inspiration to so many people,” says Pat Welch, an 80-year-old competitive runner from Reston.
Williams’ impact on other runners is evident; every race in which she competes (she now only runs 5Ks), the younger, faster team members of DC Elite finish their race, then circle back on the course to finish beside Williams.
“We’ll retrace our steps and pick her up along the way and make sure she gets to the finish line. She appreciates that,” says Matt Barnes, a physical therapist and runner with DC Elite.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a race where she was finishing by herself,” says Cheryl Young, a 55-year-old runner from Reston. “It’s a wonderful thing.”
Health challenges, like uterine cancer, skin cancer, and lupus, have plagued Williams throughout her life, but don’t seem to stop her.
“I used to be the headlight, now I’m the taillight,” she says, referring to her diminishing running speed. She refuses to take any medicine, and instead says she puts her mind over matter.
“Pain is my friend,” Williams says. “Pain lets me know I’m alive.”
As her pace slows, the admiration she garners from fellow runners increases.
“She’s still an amazing runner,” says Young. “I’m sure she sees her decline and kind of negates herself, where those of us are still just super impressed and can only dream and hope we’re able to do as much and be as active at her age.”
Says fellow runner Barnes: “At the heart of it, she really cares about people and cares about humanity. She comes off as a tough curmudgeon, but she’s really a softy.”
Feature image courtesy PR Run & Walk
This story originally ran in our March Issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
