Club History Retold by Members Bill and Jean Manning - Installment #8

Bill and Jean have been part of the fabric of the GDTC for over 25 years. Through their volunteering and dedication, our club continues to thrive. Here is their story.

Jean

Jean grew up in Pittsburgh and was actively involved in athletics from a young age. In high school, she was a cheerleader and also developed a strong interest in running. She competed in the long jump and triple jump and often trained with the distance runners, participating in various running events throughout high school and briefly in college.

Her true passion, however, was cycling. At just 12 years old, she completed a 40-mile charity ride, followed by a 50-mile ride the next year. At 19, Jean completed her first triathlon, marking the beginning of a lifelong commitment to endurance sports.

Jean graduated Clarion University of Pennsylvania, where she earned a degree in speech therapy. She began her professional career at a speech therapy clinic in Bangor, Maine. After two years, she transitioned to a hospital setting, relocating to Derry, New Hampshire, and worked at Northeast Rehab. She then joined Catholic Medical Center (CMC) where she has been for 26 years.

Bill

Bill is a third-generation resident of Derry, New Hampshire. He attended Lowell Trade School but left early following a fight with a teacher. ( Can you believe that??) He then began working as an assembly line worker at one of Derry’s three shoe factories, Klevbro.

At 17 years old, Bill enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He rose to the rank of Lance Corporal and was stationed aboard a ship off the coast of Cuba during the Bay of Pigs. Fortunately, he did not see combat and later noted that he narrowly missed being drafted for the Vietnam War. After four years, Bill was honorably discharged and returned home .A proud Marine to this day, Bill remains actively involved in veterans’ causes and is responsible for placing many of the flags seen at local memorials.

Back in Derry, Bill trained as an electrician and eventually established his own business, Manning Electric. He served the community as an on-call firefighter for 20 years.

Bill has two daughters and one son from his first marriage. He is proud of his 7 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.

He developed a passion for cycling as well, beginning with six-mile loops and eventually progressing to long-distance rides, including trips to Hampton Beach.

How They Met

Fittingly, Bill and Jean met on a cycling tour. Bill pursued Jean persistently, despite her initial response: “I don’t need another father!” His determination paid off, and they were married in 1995.

Cycling Achievements

Together, Bill and Jean have completed extensive cycling tours across the United States, including routes in New York, Michigan, Oregon, and throughout New England. They participated in organized bike tours for 20 consecutive years.

Bill has completed three cycling trips across the United States, most recently at age 70! During one of those trips, Jean joined him for over 1,000 miles, riding from Oregon to Wyoming. Bill has also completed a three-week cycling tour in China. Both have been long-time members of the Granite State Wheelers.

If you ever have the chance to hear about their experiences on their bike tours, they are amazing.

Running Accomplishments

Jean has been a lifelong runner and encouraged Bill to take up the sport after their marriage. Bill’s first race was the Lundgren 5K.

Jean has completed 20 marathons, while Bill has completed five. Notably, both achieved identical personal best marathon times of 4 hours and 18 minutes. They cite the Bar Harbor Half Marathon as their favorite race.

Involvement with GDTC

Bill and Jean joined GDTC in the late 1990s after connecting with members Paul Allen and Ray Goselin. Although Bill had known Jim Peters previously, he was unaware of his involvement with the club until joining.

For over 25 years, they have been highly active members, regularly participating in track workouts, Sunday runs, and Saturday fun runs. Jean particularly values the Saturday fun runs and the Couch to 5K training program.

Jean has also served as the volunteer coordinator for the Boston Prep race for many years—a demanding role that is essential to the event’s success.

Both Bill and Jean were honored as Members of the Year in the late 2000s, and Jean received the award individually again in 2024. They are integral members of the club, and their contributions have had a lasting impact.

They love that GDTC members have supported them regardless of their running journey. It doesn’t matter if you are just starting out, recovering from illness/injury, or training competitively for a race there are always members to train and support you.

Thank you Bill and Jean for your years of dedication to the GDTC.