Is this really true?

[lovetorun]

Got connected on this website with the story of Larry Macon, the 64 year old marathoner. According to the story (and the you tube video I watched) he ran 105 marathons last year, was up to 139 so far this year and on several occasions did 3 in one weekend. Since I am about his age (67) and feel fortunate ( with the various aches and pains I am dealing with) to get in my weekly 3-4 3mile runs (11 minute pace), I frankly find it hard to believe this story.

I would in no way want to take away from this man, and I imagine it could be true...but, is there any way to substantiate these claims?

[Daisy]

If he holds the Guinness WR for most marathons in one year, then it is could well be true. I would expect them to verify such a claim.

http://runningblog.dallasnews.com/2011/ ... ghts.html/

[Conor Dary]

What keeps some people happy I guess.

Added to that is all the running talk by devotees who may not realize how annoying and boring their monologues can be. Dr. Baggish said his patients often bring in huge folders full of decades worth of data — heart rates on various runs, finishing times in races.

“They can talk about it until the cows come home,” he said.

So it might behoove runners to keep their running talk and braggadocio to their running friends. There may be something more than health concerns behind those cracks from friends and family about failing knees and backs and heart attacks among runners.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/1 ... t-runners/?

[tandfman]

That record may not last long. An Aussie is going to try to break it next year.

http://www.runnersworld.com/general-int ... thons-year

[lovetorun]

A 67 year old has run 139 marathons this year...and has done (by his own admission) over 100 the last two years...I don't think it's physically possible.

I've read several articles via google and watched 3 video's via you tube and this guy doesn't appear to be a fraud, but I don't believe it.

I guess if Guiness checks him out and confirms the claims, then I'll believe it.

[Conor Dary]

I think you are really making more of this than it really is. By his own admission the dude is doing about 13-14 min/miles, so some of those 'races' are probably like 15-16 min/mile. So he jogs/walks for 6 hours or so 2 or 3 times a week. And I suspect that is all he does, flies to another town, and repeats. In other words less than 80 miles a week at a pretty slow pace.

Yes, he is 67, but there are lots of guys that age or so training as many miles even faster. This guy gets noticed because he has a lot of money and a lot of free time and is obviously a bit egocentric. I remember Walt Stack used to do, everyday, a 5 mile bike ride, run 17 miles and then swim out to Alcatraz and back. And until he retired he got up at 2:30am to do this and then go do 8 hours as a hod-carrier.

[lovetorun]

Actually his marathon times range from a PR of 4:15 (sub 10:00 pace) to 5:45 (just under 13:00 pace) and he said in the interview I watched that his daily week day training was 4-5 miles...but I don't neccesarily disagree with your point.

I guess much of my doubt comes from my own experience as a same age (67) runner...with the aches and pains I'm dealing with I'm happy to get in my 12-15 miles a week at 11:00 pace. If I tried to do even a fraction of what he claims I'd be crippled.

[Conor Dary]

I guess much of my doubt comes from my own experience as a same age (67) runner...with the aches and pains I'm dealing with I'm happy to get in my 12-15 miles a week at 11:00 pace. If I tried to do even a fraction of what he claims I'd be crippled.

If it makes you feel any better you are probably far better off, healthwise, doing what you do than that guy's schedule. It is all just vanity, as Walt Stack noted about his own crazy training. And in the end rather pointless, but if it keeps this guy happy, whatever.

[TN1965]

I am a bit confused. This guy (Stefaan Engels) apparently ran a marathon every day for a year.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/02/05 ... index.html

So how could 139 a year be the "world record"?

[Conor Dary]

I am a bit confused. This guy (Stefaan Engels) apparently ran a marathon every day for a year.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/02/05 ... index.html

So how could 139 a year be the "world record"?

Yes, we talked about that elsewhere. The difference is probably in 'official' marathons, since where would you find 52 marathons anywhere in the world that run on Wednesday. Or Tuesday, etc.....

[TN1965]

Okay. So one of the challenges is to find official races on as many different days as possible in locations that you can travel from one to another.

Anyway, as for the "senior" athlete, Ed Whitlock ran a 3:15 marathon at age 80 last year. His daily routine is a 3 hr easy pace run at a local cemetery.

[Conor Dary]

Okay. So one of the challenges is to find official races on as many different days as possible in locations that you can travel from one to another.

Anyway, as for the "senior" athlete, Ed Whitlock ran a 3:15 marathon at age 80 last year. His daily routine is a 3 hr easy pace run at a local cemetery.

I know about Whitlock. Pretty amazing fellow.

[ExCoastRanger]

Old guys run fast. From mastersathletics.net
And 11-minute miles will crush plenty of 30-year-olds. Good running.

10000 meter - Men - M 65 - 69
Mark Athlete Nation Venue Date
36:02.29 Patrick Roussel FRA Vergeze 14.06.2012
38:28.00 Bert Streumer NED Emmeloord 17.05.2012
39:08.00 Wolfgang Ahrens GER Mariestad 11.08.2012
39:16.43 Francisco Aguilera ARG Mar del Plata 28.09.2012
39:29.07 Diaquino Gonzalez Valentin ESP Manresa 17.03.2012
39:31.13 Jean-Claude Demarque FRA Laon 17.06.2012
39:37.98 Wolfgang Nehring GER Marburg 05.05.2012
39:50.28 Omer Van Noten BEL Vilvoorde 14.09.2012
39:55.63 Edmund Schlenker GER Marburg 05.05.2012
40:34.01 Emilio de la Camara ESP Zgorzelec 16.08.2012
40:35.27 Hans-Walter Wolff GER Zwickau 12.05.2012
40:44.34 Peter Young GBR Zgorzelec 16.08.2012
40:53.70 Pierre Van Assche BEL La-louviere 05.05.2012
40:55.56 Rob Kruis NED Emmeloord 17.05.2012
41:00.84 Dietmar Lehmann GER Marburg 05.05.2012
41:04.6 Jean-Pierre Le Rest FRA Pirae 04.05.2012
41:12.47 Rene Versteven BEL La-louviere 05.05.2012
41:19.06 Christoph May GER Marburg 05.05.2012
41:27.6 Richard Bloom GBR Lee Valley 07.04.2012
41:36.10 Gary Patton USA St. Johns 09.08.2012

[Tuariki]

M65 - 34:42.2 - Derek Turnbull of New Zealand