Hargrove running race for 16th time
John Hargrove has a lot of miles under his belt. The 71-year-old Arcadia man estimates that he’s run close to 400 long races — what he defines as marathons and anything longer — since he got into distance running in the mid-’80s.
On Sunday, Hargrove will run the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon for the 16th-straight year. Hargrove has completed the 26.2mile race every year since it started in 2001.
Hargrove spoke to The Oklahoman about how he got into running, what drives him to keep going and more.
Q: What motivates you to continue running marathons at age 71?
A: “I live with chronic pain. The exercise is what keeps me going. Once I discovered that the long runs helped me more than anything, I got into them. I’ve completed 25 100-mile foot races. I like the Oklahoma City stuff. You don’t have to go a long way. It doesn’t cost you much. And you get to see the local people, and I like that.”
You got into running to cope with a medical issue?
“Yes. I had gone to over 30 doctors and none of them were helping. I did a 10K race in 1986. The Midwest City Library Run. I did that and I felt better that day since I’d felt since the ’70s.”
What was the medical condition?
“Chronic pain. It was the left side of my body. I couldn’t even stand up straight up when I started. Don’t put (in) there that I cured myself because I haven’t. I’m still working on it. I haven’t given up. You ain’t going to fail unless you quit. I’m going to keep solving my problems until the day I die. I’m glad I’m alive again. I wasn’t very happy in ’86. I joined the YMCA, and it changed everything. I still go there. In the morning, I’ll be at the YMCA until noon.”
When did you run your first marathon?
“My first marathon was the Andy Payne Marathon in May 1988. I felt so much better that next week that I ended up running two more marathons that year. Then I ran something like 10 the next year. The most I’ve run is 14 or 15 marathons in one year. I’ve done a lot of them.”
How many miles a week do you run?
“I run at least 20 to 30 miles a week. Sometimes it’s much higher than that. There’s a 24-hour race I’ll do in October. I’ve ran my age in distance every year since 1990. Right now it’s run and power walk, run and power walk. I did 71 miles after I turned 71. I did 70 miles the year before that. It’s getting really tough on me to get that mileage in at one time.”
You’ve acted as a guide for Benny Meier, a blind runner, in years past. Do you plan to run alongside him this year?
“No. He had a heart valve replaced, and it just knocked the fire out of his running. He’ll do the half, I think. He set his distance back to the half marathon, and I’m stuck on doing marathons.”
How many times did you guys run the (Oklahoma City Memorial) Marathon together?
“Nine times. We started it nine times, and we finished it nine times.”
How did you and Benny start working together?
“We’re both members of the Oklahoma City Running Club. … I talked to him, and he said he was going to run the Oklahoma City Marathon. And he said with (his wife) Angela. And I said, ‘Benny, you’re much faster than her.’ He said, ‘Yeah, but I can’t out-run her, can I?’ I said, ‘I’ll run it with you.’ That’s how we did it. We went out and ran around Lake Hefner two times, and I said, ‘We’re good to go.’ It took off from there. The first time we did it was his fastest time.”
How long do you envision yourself continuing to do long races and running?
“As long as I can walk. I’m going to do aerobic exercises, and the best way to do it is to enter into competitions because that motivates you. I’ll work at it harder in a race harder than I ever will in my home.”