Calling all couch potatoes, this should give you sufficient inspiration to get up and get moving.
Patty Hung, a 77-year-old Californian, is the first woman to run in 37 consecutive Boston Marathons.
37 times! When Patty Hung crosses the @bostonmarathon finish line on Mon, she'll set a new streak record. But making history was never her motivation. Hear what keeps Patty coming back: https://t.co/5p6bDQ3uye pic.twitter.com/CIXFjAJaCh
— Women's Running Stories (@WomenRunStories) April 13, 2023
Hung crossed the finish line at Monday’s Boston Marathon with an impressive time of 5 hours 40 minutes and 37 seconds.
During the first 5K, she averaged an 11-minute mile and finished the 26.2 miles with an average of just under 13 minutes per mile.
She admits that she got into running a little later in life and was never seeking attention or records.
As she told her cousin’s daughter, reporter Hannah Donnelly of NBC10 Boston, running gives her joy.
“It gives me purpose and time to be with my family.”
Donnelly affectionately calls Hung “auntie” and is just one of the proud family members who are inspired by her.
Hung’s Story
Patty Hung grew up in the Boston area, but she did not start running the Boston Marathon until after she relocated to California.
She was inspired to run her first Boston Marathon in 1987 when she noticed people running and walking in Oakland on a nice day.
From that moment on, she believed she could do it also.
Her family has run some of the races with her.
Hung is realistic when she says it is not easy.
She grits her teeth and runs through the discomfort and adversity.
Hung tells herself that “it’s all downhill from there” even when it is not.
Running With Thought And Purpose
To make the race more meaningful and personal for her, Hung makes a list of 26 special people in her life and runs one mile in honor of each person.
She normally writes those people’s names on her arm, but because of the rain at Monday’s Boston Marathon, she wrote them on a piece of paper instead.
Breaking a record was never in her plans, and Hung has no intention of hanging up her running shoes anytime soon.
She plans to be back for the 2024 Boston Marathon.
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