Choir director and world champion: Culbreth teacher wins gold medal for running

Culbreth Middle School Director of Choirs Michael Jones won the gold medal for the 60m hurdles at the World Masters Indoor Track and Field Championships last month. Jones, who is 65 years old, took home the gold for the 65-69 age group. 

Jones said that he has been running his whole life. He started running track and cross country in high school. At 45-years-old, he ran a 200m sprint with Carolina Godiva Track Club in 27 seconds, and was told by a fellow runner that he should try running Masters Track and Field. 

That was what got Jones to his first track meet. 

“I remember waking up that morning saying to myself, ‘Why am I doing this?’” Jones said. 

Jones said that he has been running meets every year since. He said that he is motivated by a love of the sport, which he said he enjoys the same way people watch basketball or football. 

Jones started running the 300m hurdle after the pandemic in 2021. His record that year was 47 seconds. The next year he did it in 46, and the year after, he did it in 45. 

Jones attributed his faster times to his interest in optimizing his nutrition and training. 

“It's all about motivating and getting yourself out there and just trying to do the best you can,” Jones said. “And running is such an individual sport. It’s not all about the winning. To me, it's just really about me improving my time and maintaining my time.”

Two months before the Masters meet, Jones suffered a calf injury and took a full month off before training for the competition. 

“I told my wife, ‘I'm still going to the meet. I'm still going to represent the U.S.,'” Jones said. “If I have to climb over a hurdle, I was not going to miss this opportunity.”

Aside from running, Jones has been teaching for 30 years. He has taught at Culbreth Middle School for 19 years. Currently, he is the director of choirs, but in his years teaching he has also done band directing. Jones has won multiple teaching awards over the years and was inducted in 2022-23 to Who’s Who in America. 

After a full day of teaching, Jones said he assists the track team after school and then he trains for an hour and a half five days a week. 

Culbreth Middle School track coach John Miller met Jones when he started working for the school. Miller said that he is proud of Jones because he works hard at everything he does.

“When he came out to the track he helped out big time,” Miller said. “He's produced a couple champions and this year he’s on staff, and he's truly helping out the hurdlers that are there in all kinds of facets; in confidence, strength and conditioning.”

When he’s not teaching or running, Jones directs music for his church and writes film scores. 

Jones said he has been playing music since he was 7-years-old. He started with the guitar, and by the age of 9 he was able to play piano by ear. He has been recording music since the 1980s.

Jones has over 40 IMDb credits for his film scores, and over the years has won several film awards. 

Jones said he will keep running as long as his health allows. He said that he would love to continue participating in meets but since the meets are often international, they are quite costly. He was grateful to a GoFundMe that helped fund his participation in this year’s Masters meet. 

Fellow runner and friend of Jones, Rick Pack, said that Jones sets an example of persistence and positivity. 

“I wish there was more recognition of mature individuals, experienced individuals who are finding ways despite very busy schedules,” Pack said. “[Jones is] a musical composer, he's a teacher, he's a father, he's a husband, and he's still out there pushing himself physically.”

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