Woman runs her 200th marathon at 70
At 70 years old, Hutt Valley resident Chris Leahy just ran her 200th marathon, with a 100 per cent completion rate
Her 200th was in Tauranga last month 21, alongside her husband Mike.
Leahy got into marathons in 1984 after seeing an ad for the Hamilton Marathon Clinic, as a way to lose weight, stay healthy, and get involved with like-minded people.
Thirty-seven years and thousands of kilometres later, her reasons remain the same.
She ran her first marathon around October 1984 – training consisted of an hourlong jog four to five times a week.
She finished that first marathon with terrible cramp in both her calves, and thought, ‘‘never again’’.
But she was back again the following year. ‘‘You sorta get hooked on it.’’ Marathons were also a mental challenge. ‘‘People crap out around 32 kilometres, which they call hitting the wall.’’
Despite this, Leahy had a completion rate of 100 per cent. ‘‘Every marathon I’ve started, I’ve finished.’’
These days, Leahy and her husband and Mike walked their marathons. Her two sons lived in Hamilton, and went along to watch the Tauranga race. They were supportive but didn’t see the appeal. ‘‘One of my sons said, ‘I’ve got a crazy mum’.’’
Leahy was not always athletic. ‘‘I hated sports when I was at school, because you were forced to do it.’’
Her life since discovering the sport had been shaped by her marathons. She met her current husband through running, and together they broke a number of records.
In 2016, they became the only couple to do the ANZAC sweep, completing a marathon in every state and territory in New Zealand and Australia. Leahy is the only Kiwi to have completed the Australian sweep.
She completed her 100th marathon in 2010, and Mike did his in 2011, making them the first couple in the southern hemisphere to complete 100 each.
Marathons encouraged them to travel. Leahy competed in the Honolulu marathon in 1993 with some 75,000 other people.
Her last marathon abroad, the Australian Outback Marathon in 2016, was also her toughest, ‘‘all on soft, red sand’’.
While Leahy has no date for her next event, she won’t be stopping any time soon. The new year will bring new events, new challenges, and perhaps a new record.