Newton officer gives new meaning to ‘going the distance’

When Curt Brass finished a 2014 marathon in a little more than four hours, the feedback he received didn’t match how he felt about his performance.

“Some people said ‘Curt, 4:08 is not a bad day,’” Brass said regarding the Athens, Ohio marathon. “But I did awful. I walked a portion of the race.”

Brass’ fierce determination and high standards for himself are part of what pushes him to train for, and excel in, marathon running. A veteran officer with Newton Police Department, Brass is also a U.S. Marine combat veteran and an active member of the Iowa National Guard, which recently chose Brass to be on its 2015 marathon team.

“What I love about marathons is that I enjoy pushing limits,” Brass said. “I enjoy seeing what my capabilities are, and how to expand them. You’re really only competing against yourself.”

Brass, 41, got into marathon running when an NPD co-worker suggested he enter the Dam to Dam Run in Des Moines in 2012, when it was still a 20-kilometer event. He ended up entering the Des Moines Marathon a few months later, and before long, he was entering distance events regularly.

His latest eye-opening performance was May 3 at the Lincoln Marathon in Nebraska. He was the Iowa National Guard team’s fastest runner, finishing the face in 3 hours, 9.37 seconds, helping lead the Iowa team to eighth place among guard units represented.

Brass was active-duty in the Marines for four years in the early 1990s, shortly after finishing high school, and saw combat during his time serving in the Marine reserves from 2002 to 2011, so it’s not as if he just started facing huge challenges recently. However, he said, marathon running requires clearing mental hurdles in a very unique way.

“When I finally decided to train for marathons year-round (in January 2014), I had to really change my diet to accommodate my running,” Brass said. “I still did a lot of the shorter and smaller races, but I was gearing for the 26.2-milers.”

Brass has even competed while out of state training with the guard, in environments as different as Texas and Tennessee. He learned about the Iowa team after other guardsmen saw him running after drill sessions at the guard complex near Des Moines International Airport, and submitted a time from another recent event that led to him being named to the 2015 Iowa team.

Brass’s time in Lincoln ranked him not only tops among the five Iowa guardsmen, but also 24th among the 75 guardsmen to finish the race. He was 52nd overall among the 1,147 people to finish — third among the 115 men ages 40-44, and 48th among all 696 male finishers.

“It was a pretty warm day, and that might have kept me from hitting seven-minute miles toward the end,” said Brass. “A lot of folks were ‘feeling’ the warm day, but I didn’t really feel the heat until, like, mile 18 to 20. Mile 20 is where I really tried to kick it up a notch.”

As a police officer, Brass is always looking for how well events are secured and operated. He said he really liked the setup of the Lincoln Marathon, which featured an initial loop back toward the finish line that allowed runners to “opt out” at a shorter distance, instead of running a second loop that completes the 26.2-mile marathon.

“The police really did a phenomenal job with that event,” he said. Brass’s goals in the years ahead include breaking the three-hour mark. He said that’s easier in colder conditions. He also wants to help lead the Iowa National Guard to team to great success; Iowa place eighth among guard teams in Lincoln, and he’d like to compete in a 100-mile race.

“The most I’ve run competitively so far was in Quad Cities, which was a 50-miler,” he said.

Acting Newton Police Chief Rob Burdess praised Brass’s efforts.

“We are proud of Officer Brass’s accomplishments, and are fortunate to have such a dedicated officer working for our department and serving the community,” Burdess said. “Earning a spot on the National Guard Marathon team is a testament to his dedication to fitness.”

Burdess said police work can take its toll on the mind and body, and Brass’s running keeps him in top shape on more than one level.

“As a police officer, being physically fit is important for career longevity, as well as having the ability to handle the numerous physical and mental challenges the job entails,” Burdess said.

Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com