Remember, the 1960s running community was miniscule compared to the broad appeal it enjoys today. Ron Gathje (pictured below with John Gathje, Steve, Jim Gathje, and Mike), a sheet metal worker originally from Stewartville, Minnesota, was perplexed when his son Steve started long distance running, but he and his wife, Helen, became huge fans of cross country and track as they cheered all runners and grew to love the sport.
Rochester Lourdes and St. John’s University located in Collegeville, Minnesota, became the beneficiaries of five Gathje (pronounced get-key) boys who excelled in the sport and Mankato State enjoyed the success of “arguably the best runner in the family,” according to her brother Steve, when Donna Gathje Mueller joined their program.
The following is a summary of the achievements, profession, and family of this preeminent running family, starting with Steve Gathje who served as the spokesperson for this story.
Steve, a 1973 Lourdes graduate, had experienced success in track in 9th grade and quickly decided “running was more fun than riding the bench in football” as he joined cross country the next fall. When legendary runner Bruce Mortenson became the coach his junior year, “me and Pete became real runners,” he says of the experience. Mortenson, to retain his amateur status demanded at the time, donated his salary to buy apparel and shoes for the runners. Steve had success in the Minnesota High School Independent league although he placed 6th compared to the 3rd place finish of Tim Miles of Cretin in the 1971 cross country state meet. “I was searching for a small liberal arts school,” Steve says of his decision to attend St. John’s. “I loved the space and seclusion for running.” Many would follow. For two years Steve would room with Miles, now a coach at his alma mater for more than 40 years. Steve’s collegiate highlights were running a 30:08.9 six-mile race and winning the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) distance event as a senior.
The math major had a career as an actuary and is known nationally for his astounding consecutive day running streak of nearly 46 years, or 16,742 days, until it was halted due to osteoarthritis in his right hip in 2018. It was the 5th longest active streak in the country at the time as he averaged about 7 miles per day. His personal best in a marathon is 2:27:30. His four children primarily played soccer.
Peter Gathje usually finished second to Steve in meets but the 1975 Lourdes graduate broke his older brother’s two-mile school record already in 1973 when he finished as runner-up in the state track meet. He was the first to fully benefit from the coaching of another legend, Myron Glass. More of a middle-distance runner, Pete later ran a sub-4:20 mile time and ran for four years at St. John’s.
A college professor and vice president of academic affairs at Memphis Theological Seminary, Pete has an adopted daughter.
Donna (pictured below with Jim and Steve at a Ragnar competition), the sole girl in the family, was instrumental in starting the girls’ cross country team at Lourdes in 1975. At the inaugural girls’ state meet, she placed 4th, within striking distance of titlist Leslie Seymour (Regina). The 1977 graduate became a 4-time All-American at Mankato State, Donna won the 5-kilometer run at the Drake Relays in 16:19.48, far ahead of her Division I challengers. She was invited to run at the 1980 Olympic Trials 5,000-meter exhibition run (not yet an Olympic distance for women) and placed 6th, a few seconds behind U of M star Rocky Racette (St. Louis Park), a bronze medalist at the event. Donna has been inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fames at Minnesota State, Mankato, and Rochester Lourdes.
The mother of 4 children, Donna is a surgical assistant in Rochester.
John won three consecutive 3200-meter state championships before he graduated in 1981. He also was a member of 5 consecutive Class A cross country state qualifying teams which finished as champions or runners-up. In 1980, John and his younger brother Jim finished 1-2 in every cross country meet of the year—including the state meet when they ran away from the lead pack. At St. John’s he earned All-American honors.
Today, John is an English teacher and coach at Mount Michael Benedictine School in Nebraska. Recently, he was named the Omaha Archdiocese Teacher of the Year. He is the father of two children—and the oldest attends St. John’s.
“Jim is the fast one in the family,” Steve admits. The 1982 graduate was runner-up to John in the 1980 cross country state meet but claimed the title the next year. Runner-up to Scott Fenske in the 1600-meter run in 1981, Jim again captured a state title in 1982—at the 3200-meter distance. Jim’s collegiate career rivals his sister’s: two-time NCAA Division III champion in the 3000-meter steeplechase including an 8:43.93 title in 1986, seven seconds ahead of MIAC rival Jeff Hyman of St. Thomas. His record setting time of 8:39.80 in the event at the 1985 USA Championships (won by four-time Olympian Henry Marsh) remains the Division III record by a full 4 seconds. The first Johnnie to enter the USTFCCCA (US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Assn) NCAA Division III Athlete Hall of Fame, Jim is also only the 8th MIAC inductee of the elite group (Olympic discus thrower Kris Kuehl of Concordia was the first).
A longtime accountant, Jim is now director of compensation administration at Optum, the parent company of United Health Care. The father of 5 children, two joined the College of St. Ben’s swim team, and a third was a member of the Johnnies’ basketball team. The middle child Tommy Gathje, earned a basketball scholarship to Winona State and the youngest child is in high school.
The youngest Gathje sibling is Michael Gathje (pictured below is a family run with Pete, Mike, Steve, Mary Jo Weis, Donna, John, and Jim). The 1984 Lourdes graduate valued running and is identified for his work ethic and running to the best of his ability at both Lourdes and St. John’s.
The English major earned a master’s degree at Villanova and now lives in the Pittsburgh area where he is chief program officer of Lifesteps. Mike has one son.
“The MIAC was a fun conference to be a distance runner. I cherish memories of teammates, coaches, and other runners,” says Steve summarizing his competitive running career. And Ron and Helen Gathje did too—so much so that they continued to attend Lourdes’ meets long after their children graduated.
Minnesota Athletes 