Stories, Articles and Race Reports
The path to 50 States By Peter Graham
I started Running in the 1990s and ran New York Marathon back in 1991 which was my 5th Marathon I had run. By 1996 not running every week but maybe two a week I had reached about 50 which included my first 2 Marathons a week apart which was Boston 100 th Marathon on April 15th 1996 and London Marathon on April 21 st 1996. After that I was just interested in completing 100 Marathons so the next 3 years just ran as many as I could do to reach 100 Marathons. So in Abingdon in October 1999 I finished 100 Marathons.
After that it was not a case of stopping as I had agreed to run the 100 Marathon Club as Secretary so no time to stop just slow down and not run as many events.
It was my good friend Tad Lancucki who was always there with good advice and suggestions what to do that he gave me the idea to complete 100 different Marathons which I did not think possible as were there 100s of events too much travelling not for me. The former Secretary Brain Doherty who I would every so often had been invited to Yakima WA a runner he had met in 1997 Marathon Bob Dolphin was putting on an event in Washington State USA. I looked on a map a long way from home but it seemed to good an opportunity to miss So with my advice Bob & Lenore started up 100 Marathon Club North America so a new Club and a New Challenges were waiting.
I met some of these great US Marathoners and yes I considered myself a bit of a traveller but nothing compared to these runners who had travelled across the USA. I was interested in doing this 50 US States running a Marathon in all 50 USA States but considered it would take a lot of travelling as well as a lot of money.
You only needed 10 to join and I was a 1/3 the way there New York, New York State, Boston MA and Yakima Washington State. I did not know of any UK runners who were doing this and to my surprise our New 100 Marathon Club Chairman Roger Biggs was a Member and was looking to add to his list of US States so the offers came why don't you come along. The offer of travelling with someone you know plus I do not drive so a blessing when you get offered a ride and of course on may times wait for you at the end as Roger was always much faster than me.
After seeing the devastation in Washington DC where I ran the Marine Corp Marathon in October 2001 I decided to put the travelling to USA on hold so I did not run an event in 2002 and stayed away. By 2003 I considered it was time to go back and try and get to 10 to join the 50 States Club. This was achieved with Roger help we ran 3 Marathons in 8 days. Philadelphia on one Sunday, Atlanta on a Thursday which in US was Thanksgiving Day and the following Saturday in Sparks North Central Trail Maryland, so 10 US States had been completed.
Then as they say, just kept going for the next event, nothing planned just see what events were available and how easy to get there. My very good friend Henry Reuden has been a great help as he has supplied me listings which have shown me what events are available to run. Also not to forget all the 50 State Runners I have met, too many to mention who have helped me along the way.
So in total I was 1 st in USA in 1991 on November 3 rd in New York and I am finishing my 50th USA State in Longmont Colorado on September 11th 2011.
At the finish of the Gobbler Grind...