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Profile: Broad Street Run

Second in a series of Daily News profiles of runners entered in the 33rd annual 10-mile Blue Cross Broad Street Run May 6.

Second in a series of Daily News profiles of runners entered in the 33rd annual 10-mile Blue Cross Broad Street Run May 6.

Who: John Domzalski

Residence: Germantown

Age: 70

Occupation: Drexel University professor; he teaches biomedical ethics and law, plus health policy.

Education: Bloomsburg University; master's degree in public health, University of Pittsburgh; law degree, Temple.

Previous career stop: Philadelphia Health Commissioner.

Broad Street Run history: This will be his seventh BSR. "It's such a breathtakingly positive experience. On the subway ride to the starting line the cars are just packed with people. Everybody's in a great mood. The age demographic is decidedly at the other end of the spectrum from me. The race itself is wonderful; it's well-organized."

Broad Street goal: "About 1 hour, 18-20 minutes." He enjoys checking the race results. "I take great delight in looking at people half my age who came in behind me. I'm not built for running: I'm 6-1, 195 pounds."

Other races: Philadelphia Bar Association 5K. "I focus more on the times there. You find people in your age group that are really fast runners. I know what that takes, so that's an inspiration."

Why he started running: Prior to the birth of his first daughter Carolyn in 1971 he quit smoking and began running. "People think it's difficult to start running, but you can start small - maybe for a half-block or so each day. Once you've experienced the elation of running [you'll never go back to smoking]. Running is a very health-positive thing; it helps me maintain a level of fitness."

Training: Early morning runs with daughter Amanda, a nurse, and long runs on weekend. "She suggested we start running the Broad Street Run. She isn't running this year though; she has a family commitment in New York with her husband's family. Carolyn does not run, but she does the gym and bikes."

Other hobbies: Tennis; fitness-center workouts. "I lift weights, not to bulk but to keep the ravages of gravity at bay."