Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY -- Waldo Burnham is off and running, and there's no telling when he'll stop. The 68-year-old Utahn has run 90 marathons in just over three years.
The Granite High School graduate got hooked when he turned 50 years old.
"I was a long-haul truck driver and the closest I could park was exactly one mile away from my home. I had to get home in a hurry one night, so I ran," he said.
He's been running ever since. That one mile turned into two. Then Waldo entered a 5K race, followed by a 10K, and 14 months later he ran the St. George marathon.
He finished in 4 hours and 7 minutes. Four years later, he ran it in 3 hours and 17 minutes, earning a spot in the Boston marathon.
"A lot of people at the end of their first marathon, they'll say that's enough. I just wanted to prove to family and friends I could. I got hooked on it and was planning the next one," Waldo said.
For the past three and a half years, he's completed at least one marathon a month. In June, Waldo ran back-to-back marathons around Bear Lake. If his plans work out, his 100th will be the Salt Lake City Marathon next April.
"I like being active. I've always worked a hard physical job. I've always been competitive in sports," he said. "Another reason I like to run is I meet so many nice people, and then I like to be competitive with my own time. Since I'm getting older I'm getting slower, but I still do it," said Waldo.
Waldo retired a week ago, and he and his wife Joan have packed up the RV and are ready to roll.
"Excitement I can't even describe about being free of a 40-hour work schedule and doing what I want to do now," he said.
What he wants to do is run a marathon in every state, and become a member of the 50 States Marathon Club.
Though he's been diagnosed with osteoporosis, Waldo plans to make his goal in about three years. He's already run a marathon in 15 different states.
"We just want to travel, visit national parks, friends and family and run," he said.
Waldo and his wife have rented out their home and figure it will take three years to run a marathon in every state.
He's also an avid mountain climber -- climbing the high points in 11 western states.
E-mail: kaiken@ksl.com
