Alan David Roth, PhD
October 18, 1942 - December 27, 2025
Alan David Roth, a longtime Montgomery County resident whose life spanned athletics, international service, science, and community leadership, passed away on December 27, 2025, at the age of 83. His decades of volunteer service and leadership in athletics were recognized nationally when he was awarded the U.S. Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024 and then inducted into the Marine Corps Marathon Hall of Fame in 2025.
Alan was deeply woven into the Montgomery County running community. He founded a local chapter of the Achilles Track Club, helping athletes with disabilities train and compete, and he was a familiar and beloved race announcer at many local road races. Known for his warmth, encouragement, and ability to make every participant feel seen, he became a trusted and welcoming presence at events throughout the region.
Born in New York City on October 18, 1942, Alan was three minutes older than his identical twin brother, Peter Marc Roth, and they shared a bond that remained central throughout their lives. He spent his early childhood in the Bronx before the family moved to Scarsdale, New York, where he attended the Edgemont schools.
Shortly before the twins' high school graduation, their loving father died, an early loss that shaped their independence, resilience, and sense of responsibility. He was an exceptional man, deeply loved by both brothers and classmates. A well-known cartoonist, he remained closely involved in their school community, even starting a soccer team for their class and, during their earlier school years, coming into the classroom to teach students how to draw—experiences that taught both brothers the lasting value of contributing their gifts to others.
From a young age, Alan was an accomplished athlete. In high school he played varsity golf and trained in high diving under a coach at New York University. He attended Syracuse University, where he was a varsity diver and butterfly swimmer, Treasurer of his junior class, a member of the Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity, and a member of the Syracuse Traditions Commission—a select leadership group. He spent his junior year studying abroad in Italy, where he joyfully gained fluency in Italian.
In 1967, Alan joined the Peace Corps and served for two years in Thailand during the Vietnam War, teaching English as a second language in a village near the dangerous Mekong River. During this time, he became fluent in Thai and Lao and developed a deep and lasting connection to Southeast Asia. After completing his Peace Corps service, he briefly became a Buddhist monk there, shaving his head and living in saffron robes while meditating on a mountain top and receiving daily food offerings from nearby villagers. Although the food created health issues, curtailing this chapter, it reflected a lifelong interest in spirituality.
Alan pursued graduate studies at New York University toward a master's degree and PhD in Public Administration and International Development Economics. Much of this period was spent in Paris and Geneva, where he wrote most of his dissertation, became fluent in French, swam regularly and practiced karate. This followed his study with the renowned teacher Peter Urban at the famous Chinatown Dojo in New York City, where Alan earned a black belt and later achieved the rank of third-degree black belt.
During the early 1970s, Alan traveled extensively through regions then open to independent exploration, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and parts of the Middle East, conducting research for his doctoral work. In 1973, while in Switzerland, he met Josyanne Beauvais. Soon afterward, he was hired by the United Nations to work with hill tribes in northern Thailand and settled in Chiang Mai. Josyanne joined him there, and in 1974 they were married in Chiang Mai in a Thai Buddhist ceremony followed by civil ceremonies, with Peter in attendance.
Over the next years, Alan worked on international development projects for the United Nations and USAID in forty countries, including Cambodia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Tanzania, and Morocco. While working in Manila, he inhaled toxic fumes while stuck in traffic, an injury that permanently limited his health and ability to travel widely. As a result, he and Josyanne eventually settled in Wheaton, Maryland. They later separated amicably in 1980.
Remaining in Maryland, Alan reinvented himself professionally. He founded Advanced Product Distributors, helping introduce new chemical products into the automotive accessories industry and building a successful independent sales business. In the late 1980s, he collaborated with a scientist on advanced high-energy physics and electro-optics and co-founded Advanced Fusion Systems. The company developed innovative fusion-energy patents, attracted major investment, and constructed a large manufacturing facility. Alan played a key role in liaising with the U.S. Department of Defense and other government agencies, becoming deeply knowledgeable in fusion science, and speaking at conferences before stepping back when new leadership took over.
Alan also worked as a corporate risk consultant, focusing on climate change, space weather, electromagnetic pulse threats, pandemics, and cyberwarfare. He was known for his ability to synthesize research from across scientific disciplines and to communicate complex risks clearly and pragmatically. He was an invited speaker at different climate conferences.
Beginning in 1978, Alan became a central figure in the running world. He competed in marathons and triathlons, achieving a marathon personal best of 3:15, and served in leadership roles with USA Track & Field, including Chairman of the Associations Committee for ten years and Chair of the General Competition Division for seven. He initiated the first scientifically controlled study on stretching and created America's Running Routes, an early online mapping system that predated GPS technology and eventually logged more than half a million routes.
For more than two decades, Alan played a major role in the New York City Marathon, serving as a multilingual announcer at the marathon expo and the International Breakfast Run at United Nations Plaza the morning before race day, where he welcomed thousands of international runners in 14 languages. He was also the announcer at the start of the race.
In 2001, Alan reunited with a college girlfriend, Judy Robin. They married and shared many years together. Alan took great joy in helping raise Judy's three grandchildren on many visits to them. Judy passed away in 2014.
In his later years, Alan devoted himself to studying vitamin D, convinced through personal experience and extensive research that higher doses of it played a critical role in creating better health. He spent years writing a book on the subject, driven by a commitment to precision and completeness. Though the book remained unfinished, his intellectual curiosity and dedication to understanding human performance never waned.
Alan David Roth lived a life of extraordinary breadth, marked by service, discipline, curiosity, and a rare ability to bridge cultures, disciplines, and communities. He is survived by his twin brother, Peter Marc Roth, his nephews, Benjamen Alan Roth, Christopher Evan Roth, his neices-in-law, Erin Donavan Roth, Melissa Roth, his grandneices, Keira Mary Roth, Fallon Julia Roth, his grandnephew Parker Max Roth, and is remembered with deep gratitude by friends, colleagues, athletes, and communities around the world whose lives he touched.
In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Alan's memory may make a donation in his name to the Montgomery County Road Runners Club, an organization that reflected his long dedication to athletics and community service throughout his years in Maryland.
Donations may be made at:
https://mcrrc.org/donate/
October 18, 1942 - December 27, 2025
Alan David Roth, a longtime Montgomery County resident whose life spanned athletics, international service, science, and community leadership, passed away on December 27, 2025, at the age of 83. His decades of volunteer service and leadership in athletics were recognized nationally when he was awarded the U.S. Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024 and then inducted into the Marine Corps Marathon Hall of Fame in 2025.
Alan was deeply woven into the Montgomery County running community. He founded a local chapter of the Achilles Track Club, helping athletes with disabilities train and compete, and he was a familiar and beloved race announcer at many local road races. Known for his warmth, encouragement, and ability to make every participant feel seen, he became a trusted and welcoming presence at events throughout the region.
Born in New York City on October 18, 1942, Alan was three minutes older than his identical twin brother, Peter Marc Roth, and they shared a bond that remained central throughout their lives. He spent his early childhood in the Bronx before the family moved to Scarsdale, New York, where he attended the Edgemont schools.
Shortly before the twins' high school graduation, their loving father died, an early loss that shaped their independence, resilience, and sense of responsibility. He was an exceptional man, deeply loved by both brothers and classmates. A well-known cartoonist, he remained closely involved in their school community, even starting a soccer team for their class and, during their earlier school years, coming into the classroom to teach students how to draw—experiences that taught both brothers the lasting value of contributing their gifts to others.
From a young age, Alan was an accomplished athlete. In high school he played varsity golf and trained in high diving under a coach at New York University. He attended Syracuse University, where he was a varsity diver and butterfly swimmer, Treasurer of his junior class, a member of the Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity, and a member of the Syracuse Traditions Commission—a select leadership group. He spent his junior year studying abroad in Italy, where he joyfully gained fluency in Italian.
In 1967, Alan joined the Peace Corps and served for two years in Thailand during the Vietnam War, teaching English as a second language in a village near the dangerous Mekong River. During this time, he became fluent in Thai and Lao and developed a deep and lasting connection to Southeast Asia. After completing his Peace Corps service, he briefly became a Buddhist monk there, shaving his head and living in saffron robes while meditating on a mountain top and receiving daily food offerings from nearby villagers. Although the food created health issues, curtailing this chapter, it reflected a lifelong interest in spirituality.
Alan pursued graduate studies at New York University toward a master's degree and PhD in Public Administration and International Development Economics. Much of this period was spent in Paris and Geneva, where he wrote most of his dissertation, became fluent in French, swam regularly and practiced karate. This followed his study with the renowned teacher Peter Urban at the famous Chinatown Dojo in New York City, where Alan earned a black belt and later achieved the rank of third-degree black belt.
During the early 1970s, Alan traveled extensively through regions then open to independent exploration, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and parts of the Middle East, conducting research for his doctoral work. In 1973, while in Switzerland, he met Josyanne Beauvais. Soon afterward, he was hired by the United Nations to work with hill tribes in northern Thailand and settled in Chiang Mai. Josyanne joined him there, and in 1974 they were married in Chiang Mai in a Thai Buddhist ceremony followed by civil ceremonies, with Peter in attendance.
Over the next years, Alan worked on international development projects for the United Nations and USAID in forty countries, including Cambodia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Tanzania, and Morocco. While working in Manila, he inhaled toxic fumes while stuck in traffic, an injury that permanently limited his health and ability to travel widely. As a result, he and Josyanne eventually settled in Wheaton, Maryland. They later separated amicably in 1980.
Remaining in Maryland, Alan reinvented himself professionally. He founded Advanced Product Distributors, helping introduce new chemical products into the automotive accessories industry and building a successful independent sales business. In the late 1980s, he collaborated with a scientist on advanced high-energy physics and electro-optics and co-founded Advanced Fusion Systems. The company developed innovative fusion-energy patents, attracted major investment, and constructed a large manufacturing facility. Alan played a key role in liaising with the U.S. Department of Defense and other government agencies, becoming deeply knowledgeable in fusion science, and speaking at conferences before stepping back when new leadership took over.
Alan also worked as a corporate risk consultant, focusing on climate change, space weather, electromagnetic pulse threats, pandemics, and cyberwarfare. He was known for his ability to synthesize research from across scientific disciplines and to communicate complex risks clearly and pragmatically. He was an invited speaker at different climate conferences.
Beginning in 1978, Alan became a central figure in the running world. He competed in marathons and triathlons, achieving a marathon personal best of 3:15, and served in leadership roles with USA Track & Field, including Chairman of the Associations Committee for ten years and Chair of the General Competition Division for seven. He initiated the first scientifically controlled study on stretching and created America's Running Routes, an early online mapping system that predated GPS technology and eventually logged more than half a million routes.
For more than two decades, Alan played a major role in the New York City Marathon, serving as a multilingual announcer at the marathon expo and the International Breakfast Run at United Nations Plaza the morning before race day, where he welcomed thousands of international runners in 14 languages. He was also the announcer at the start of the race.
In 2001, Alan reunited with a college girlfriend, Judy Robin. They married and shared many years together. Alan took great joy in helping raise Judy's three grandchildren on many visits to them. Judy passed away in 2014.
In his later years, Alan devoted himself to studying vitamin D, convinced through personal experience and extensive research that higher doses of it played a critical role in creating better health. He spent years writing a book on the subject, driven by a commitment to precision and completeness. Though the book remained unfinished, his intellectual curiosity and dedication to understanding human performance never waned.
Alan David Roth lived a life of extraordinary breadth, marked by service, discipline, curiosity, and a rare ability to bridge cultures, disciplines, and communities. He is survived by his twin brother, Peter Marc Roth, his nephews, Benjamen Alan Roth, Christopher Evan Roth, his neices-in-law, Erin Donavan Roth, Melissa Roth, his grandneices, Keira Mary Roth, Fallon Julia Roth, his grandnephew Parker Max Roth, and is remembered with deep gratitude by friends, colleagues, athletes, and communities around the world whose lives he touched.
In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Alan's memory may make a donation in his name to the Montgomery County Road Runners Club, an organization that reflected his long dedication to athletics and community service throughout his years in Maryland.
Donations may be made at:
https://mcrrc.org/donate/
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Alan Roth, please visit our flower store.
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