Crawford resident Shannon Arnold collects something unique: running bibs.
They sit in a stack in the back of his car, nestled among pairs of running shoes and the occasional medal.
“I want to get all of them and put them in a room,” said Arnold, who recently finished third overall in the Maxeys Model Mile 5K.
Souvenirs and prizes aren’t what he’s after, though. Instead, he simply wants to run and compete.
Arnold’s running career started three years ago when a friend asked him to participate in a local Halloween 5K, despite his lack of running background.
“I was always athletic, but I was a loner (in high school), so I really didn't participate in a whole lot of sports,” Arnold said. “I played some at home, but I didn't do anything (competitively).”
After some mild convincing, Arnold agreed and ended up placing in his age group.
“I was shocked,” Arnold said.
A few months later, Arnold returned to his hometown of Comer to run in the annual Comer Reindeer Run, where he finished second in his age group.
Now, he runs a race nearly every weekend, not just in Georgia, but in South Carolina, Florida, and even San Antonio, Texas, where his daughter lives. During the week, he works for J&J Portable Sanitation Products, which, much to his delight, is close to his home.
That’s because regardless of how busy the week is, he tries to get in additional training, keeping his mileage consistent. Occasionally, he’ll travel up U.S. 78 to run in Athens. Other times, he runs around Crawford or officiates high school softball and basketball.
He’s built up a new community on the roads and trails, making friends with runners from across the Southeast. He’s a member of the Athens Road Runners in Georgia and the Upstate Running Club in northern South Carolina.
“It feels good, especially with me being out of state,” Arnold said. “It feels good for me to go over there (South Carolina) and people recognize me.”
He keeps in touch with his running friends using text messages and Facebook, sharing calendars and coordinating races. He’s often accompanied by Royston residents Cliff and Sheila Finney, whom he met at the Hartwell Dam Run in 2024.
“Shannon was kind of quiet and just very humble, and you know, he just runs really fast,” Shelia Finney said. “He just floats by people like you're not even running, like he’s running on air.”
To her, Arnold’s attitude is what makes him stand out.
“People who are fast, they kind of get cocky,” Sheila said. “But Shannon's never been that way; he’s down to earth. I love that about him.”
On race mornings, his demeanor stays the same.
“I mean, he's the calmest person I've ever met,” she said. “He doesn't get or appear to be nervous.
Arnold arrives an hour early to every race. If he can, he tries to eat a protein-packed meal four hours before the race starts, and he focuses on electrolytes rather than water.
Once he arrives, he keeps it simple and relaxes.
“I don't care how big the race is,” Arnold said. “I guess in the beginning, I was because I was worried about the next person. Now, I'm running my race. They told me, 'Run your race, don't worry about the next person.’”
He stretches out 30 minutes before the start, and lines up near the middle of the pack.
“I'm a slow starter, so they’re always ahead of me,” Arnold said.
Once he finds his pace, however, it’s nothing but smooth sailing.
“I’m just cruising,” Arnold said. “I don't wear earbuds, I don't wear my glasses — I can't see my watch — I'm just running my race.”
That composure is what allows Arnold, who turns 58 next month, to excel.
“He holds himself back, and he just knows how to pace himself,” Sheila said. “He can come from almost the back of the pack to the front of the pack, because he just stays calm and he doesn't let that adrenaline take over.”
He generally prefers the road or trails when running; in fact, his first time racing on a track was in April, when he qualified for the 2027 National Senior Games in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in three events: the 400-meter, 200-meter and 100-meter sprints.
“I don't really like the track field because I'm just going in a circle,” Arnold said. “I don't like that — I like the scenery.”
Arnold has time to prepare for Tulsa in July. Until then, he will keep finding his rhythm from the middle of the pack, and adding to his collection of trunk bibs — wherever the road takes him.