Runner Celebrates Boston and Birthday Milestones

Name: John Levey

Age: 49

Marathon experience: An avid running enthusiast, John has completed 36 marathons to date. This year’s Boston Marathon will mark an impressive 23-year Boston streak for John. He typically qualifies for Boston at another marathon in the summer or fall. He said he is grateful to be running Boston more than two decades, years after his first time at the starting line in Hopkinton in 1989. “I’m not one of the fastest guys, but I’m probably one of the more tenacious guys out there,” he said.

Reason for running: As a Wellesley native, John grew up watching the Boston Marathon. “It’s part of the fabric of the area,” he said. “It welcomes spring and it’s a special time. And if the Red Sox are winning that day, that’s even more fun.” The Boston Marathon is also generally within a few days of John’s birthday on April 13. “It’s become a tradition,” he said. “We go into Boston for [Boston Marathon] packet pick-up, and then head out to a great steak house for a pre-race birthday celebration dinner.”

Training tip: John’s best training advice is to enjoy the sport. “If you love running, everything else is easy. Training, setting goals becomes secondary. And as you get older you tend to enjoy running more because you realize how lucky you are to be able to do it.”