PROFILE--Richard Houston has completed 27 Boston Marathons in a row

(Apr. 2022) Richard Houston just completed the Boston Marathon in 4:39:18. It sounds a modest achievement until you consider that it was his 27th Boston in a row, 34th overall, and he's now 65 years old. A melanoma survivor, he credits his long-term success to learning when the can "run through" an injury, and when that's a bad idea. He likes the 1979 Boston Marathon poster of Bill Rodgers hitting the finish with just a single word on the poster: "Relentless."

Career-profession? I recently retired after 43 years of teaching high school history. I worked at St. John's High School in

Steve and Paula Boone have run nearly 1200 marathons (collectively)

(Mar. 2022) Steve (72) and Paula Boone (a mere 55) are fixtures in the running community. Based in Humble TX, they run on average 20-35 marathons a year. Paula was originally from Utah but after meeting a longhaired hippy at the 1997 Boston Marathon she lost her heart to him and embraced Texas.  Steve just completed his 800th marathon at the Houston Marathon in January. He did his first marathon there and runs it every time he hits a 100 anniversary. His most prolific year of marathons was in 2014 when he ran 46.  Paula reached her milestone of 365 marathons in January of 2021. “This way I have a tee shirt for every day of the year without doing laundry,” she comments.  She runs an average of 14 marathons a year and as many as 35 but says Steve is much more dedicated than she is. “I don’t love running.  I love to eat, travel and hang out with my friends and doing marathons in all 50 states multiple times allows me to do all of those things.  Running is just the painful part of getting there,” says Paula.  Between them, they have 6 kids, 9 grandkids and 1 great-grandkid.  

 

Career-profession? Steve: I am mostly retired from my career as a computer programmer and feel a bit like a blacksmith after cars became widely available. Paula is a retired schoolteacher. In 1992 I created the Marathon Challenge program. The original intent was twofold. I wanted

PROFILE: Yuko Gordon, 71 next month, is one of the world's greatest marathon runners

(Jan. 2022) Yuko Gordon, who will turn 71 next month, is undeniably one of the world's greatest marathon runners. She competed in the first major global marathons for women--the 1983 World Championships and 1984 L.A. Olympic Games--and last fall won the 70+ division in the WANDA age-group world championships in the London Marathon. Two years earlier, she ran 3:19:37 to set the age-68 world best time in the Berlin Marathon. Gordon--born in Japan, raised in Hong Kong, and living for decades in Great Britain--set her lifetime PR, 2:38:32, in 1987. "I'm a fighter, and I don't give up easily," she says. "Progress occurs only outside of comfort zone." How long will she keep running? "I have no plan, I don’t have to--because my body will tell me one day."

Career-profession? My main career was Flight Hostess (Airline Stewardess) at Cathay Pacific Airways for 10 years from 1974 to1984. I left Japan for Hong Kong to take up the job when I was 23. I loved flying and travelling around the world, which was so liberating and exciting seeing the different places, the cultures and the people. In recent years, I only do volunteer work one morning a week as a gym assistant for the day patients at a local Hospice.   In 1984 before the Olympics, the only crucial mistake I made,

PROFILE--Mike Wien won the 70-74 division at both Boston and New York City last fall

(Jan 2022) How many runners do you know who are fabled in the marathon-triathlon world and also in corporate marketing circles? Not too many. But Mike Wien, a 70 yr old from Boulder, CO, is one, thanks to his involvement years ago in the launch of Tostitos, the crunchy, salty tortilla chips. More recently, he ran 3:29:34 at Boston and 3:34:54 in New York City to win the 70-74 division in both marathons last fall. Wien has achieved lots of triathlon podium finishes as well, and believes his success in running and life can be attributed to good balance. That is, a meshing of the Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Spiritual. Oh, and then there's his wife, Nannette. She has long supported all his endeavors, and excels particularly in providing healthy, high-calorie meals and expert on-course "competitive intelligence."

Career profession: I spent the first 28 years of my career in senior marketing roles with Frito-Lay, Pepsi, Omni Hotels, CitiBank, and Deloitte. While at Frito-Lay, I launched FANTASTIX (a huge failure) followed by TOSTITOS (a very big winner.) The next 15 years were in the

PROFILE: Andy Ferrara has been running for 58 years

(Dec. 2021) After growing up in Brooklyn and starting a teaching-coaching job there, Andy Ferrara had to move to a Houston suburb for a new position during New York City's financial difficulties. The move took root, and he continued running and teaching. Now 73, he has covered more than 100,000 miles and has a daily running streak that goes back more than 44 years. His secret? Maybe that when his body starts hurting, "Those times don't consume me."

Career/profession? I was a high school teacher and track & field/cross-country coach for 52 years. Retired in June 2021. 

When did you start running, and why? I started running as a sophomore (1963) in high school (Erasmus Hall in Brooklyn). I just wanted to make the track team. Once

PROFILE: Mark LeDuc has been running for 43 years

(Oct. 2021)Mark LeDuc completed his first run on April 1, 1978, but there's nothing foolish about his career running record. In particular, he shines at compiling his running data. How many of us can say, "I have run in 1224 races lifetime, winning 46 races outright and placing first in my age division 247 times." Now 67 and living in a Minneapolis suburb, LeDuc is still logging 30 to 50 miles a week. He follows the Cabbage Soup Diet when he needs to lose a few pounds, and is still chasing

PROFILE--Ray Charbonneau has been running for 30 years

(Aug. 2021) Ray Charbonneau started running as a quarter miler in high school, then took some time off for Doritos and beer. Since coming back, he has found himself drawn to marathons and beyond. Now, 60 and living in Arlington, MA, Charbonneau still feels the force, but also deals with a "brittle" body. He says that getting slower doesn't bother him as much as knowing "I'm going to keep getting slower." He advises other runners: "On race day, you can run faster than you’ve trained or farther, but not both." When not running (or cycling, or kayaking), he operates an independent IT company, writes books and articles, and helps freelance authors to publish their books on Amazon and other digital platforms.

Career-profession? After many years of corporate IT, I am now sole proprietor of ReallyFixIt.com, an IT service business, and y42K Publishing Services, where I help