"When I run, I run hard. On Sundays, if I'm at Camp David, I'll go for a hard, morning run-these days about 20:30 to 20:45 for 3 miles on a tough course."

That works out to under 7 minutes per mile.

George W. has been an avid runner since 1972. In fact, he's something of a health-and-fitness fanatic.

Here's an interview from "Runner's World" --

What running does:

First, it helps me sleep at night. Second, it keeps me disciplined. For example, I'm a person who believes in punctuality. That's a discipline. I expect the White House staff to be on time and sharp and to exercise. And in my case, running helps me keep that discipline.

Running also breaks up my day and allows me to recharge my batteries. Running also enables me to set goals and push myself toward those goals. In essence, it keeps me young. A good run adds a little bounce to my step. I get a certain amount of self-esteem from it. Plus, I just look and feel better. . . .

It's interesting that my times have become faster right after the war began. They were pretty fast all along, but since the war began, I have been running with a little more intensity. And I guess that's part of the stress relief I get from it. For me, the psychological benefit is enormous. You tend to forget everything's that going on in your mind, and just concentrate on the time, distance, or the sweat. It helps me to clear my mind.

... I go to work a little before 7 a.m., and I expect everybody to show up on time when I have a meeting. I make time to run or exercise every day. There's never a question in my mind that I'll exercise. Even when I travel, there's always a treadmill in my room. I have a treadmill on Air Force One. On long trips-for example, when I went to Europe recently-I ran for 90 minutes on the flight over there. When I came back from China, I ran on the flight.

... I try to go for longer runs, but it's tough around here at the White House on the outdoor track. When I'm at my ranch in Crawford [Tex.], I can do longer runs. It's sad that I can't run longer. It's one of the saddest things about the presidency. There would be nothing better than to take off on a long run around the Mall, but I just can't. I really miss those long ones.

(http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-297--12357-0,00.html)