These dedicated runners have done every LA Marathon for nearly 4 decades

LOS ANGELES (AP) — They have run through heartache and grief, battling illnesses and injuries as their bodies have aged. Some are now using wheelchairs, including the oldest who is 87.

Despite it all, the Los Angeles Marathon's Legacy Runners have stuck to their mission: finish the race.

On Sunday, the group of 92 marathoners, including 10 women, marked their 40th LA Marathon, participating in the 26.2-mile (42.2-kilometer) race every year since the city's iconic event began in 1986.

“We’re legacy runners, we just don’t know when to quit,” 77-year-old Lou Briones said.

Briones even has finished the race on crutches after surgery. Since getting both knees replaced, he walks the race.

“You gotta do it,” Briones said. “No matter what the conditions are, you gotta be there at the starting line on race day.”

When Briones and others gathered at the starting line for the first LA marathon, President Ronald Reagan had just been reelected and few weeks prior the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded, shocking the country. Tom Bradley was serving as the first Black mayor of Los Angeles and the city was grappling with the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Los Angeles was inspired to start its own marathon after the success of hosting the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, much like the beginning of the Boston Marathon in 1897 after the first marathon competition was held in the 1896 Summer Olympics. Los Angeles is now preparing to host its next Olympics in 2028.

Five years after the LA Marathon started, event organizers began recognizing runners who had completed every race with a plaque. They continued to hold celebrations for the dedicated runners every five years.

Around the 15th year, Briones decided he wanted to formalize the group. He and a friend printed out stickers with an email address and brought them to the marathon in 2002.

“We went to the race and we just started yelling out,” Briones said. “We’d stick it right on their bib, and then after the race, most of them immediately sent an email. That was the beginning.”

Some Legacy Runners said they were inspired by U.S. runner Joan Benoit, who won the first Olympic women’s marathon at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

May DuBois, 80, remembers watching the race on TV and seeing Benoit finish far ahead of the rest of the pack of runners. A classical pianist, she had never run in her life.

Two years later, DuBois ran the same path as Benoit — starting and ending at the Memorial Coliseum — since back then, the LA Marathon route was the same as the Olympics. She said it felt just “like running in the Olympics with everybody cheering us on.”

Now, she can’t imagine going a day without running 3 to 5 miles (4.8 to 8 km).

“I’m healthy, I look good, and I don’t get tired. I never get sick, I don’t even catch colds,” said DuBois, who hosts a brunch to celebrate after each marathon.

Each year, Legacy Runners are given the same bib number. They start meeting monthly for training about six months before the marathon.

Cliff Housego, 76, started running after his father died at 48 from a heart attack. He decided he wanted to live long enough to see his grandchildren and even great-grandchildren.

Over the years, Housego has gone through two divorces and lost his daughter. Through it all, the marathon has been a constant in his life.

“Many, many things could’ve stopped me from being there,” Housego said.

At 83, Sharon Kerson realizes that, too.

After a year of dealing with sickness and vertigo, Kerson completed her training last week at the West Los Angeles College track, the same place she first started running more than 40 years ago. She has run more than 600 marathons.

She wore a rain jacket from the St. George Marathon in Utah, shorts from the San Francisco Marathon and a T-shirt from the 30th LA Marathon.

“I never was fast and I’m not competitive at all,” Kerson said, adding that her only goal each time is to finish.

Rick Bingham began racing in a wheelchair a decade ago after injuring his Achilles tendon during a triathlon. At 87, he swims half a mile (0.8 kilometer) every other day and lifts weights. To train, he went 5 miles (8 kilometers) one day around his ranch in a wheelchair.

Bingham has no plans to slow down. He wants to reach his 50th LA Marathon.

“I’ll only be 97 when I do that,” he said.

Bingham's commitment to remaining in the race has inspired Luis Gallardo to continue.

Gallardo, 71, was planning to quit after his 38th marathon, when his knees gave out. But he began training again when Bingham offered him his extra racing wheelchair.

“We went through too many things over the years, too many hardships,” Gallardo said. “To do it with him is just a blessing.”

Gallardo’s goal is now to reach the 50th LA marathon with Bingham.

After that, Gallardo said, he will find a way to finish the race with his friend, even carrying Bingham across the finish line if he has to.

Topics

These dedicated runners have done every LA Marathon for nearly 4 decades

They have run through heartache and grief, battling illnesses and injuries as their bodies have aged
ABC News - 6h
New Bedford Half-Marathon is Sunday. Here's everything you need to know.

The New Bedford Half Marathon will bring over 2,000 runners to the city on Sunday, March 16. Here's what to know if you plan to go.
Yahoo Sports - 2d
Kenya great Eliud Kipchoge to seek return to form in Sydney Marathon

Two-time Olympic champion to run in Australia for first time Race will make its World Marathon Major debut on 31 August Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge, perhaps the greatest runner in history, has ...
The Guardian - 3d
Matt Richtman becomes first American man to win LA Marathon in 31 years

25-year-old was competing in only his second marathon Tejinesh Tulu of Ethiopia takes women’s title Matt Richtman won the 40th annual Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday, becoming the first American ...
The Guardian - 17h
Organizers of Taiwan marathon apologize over trophies shaped like a Chinese machine gun

Organizers of a military-linked marathon in southern Taiwan have apologized after handing out trophies in the shape of a Chinese machine gun.
NBC News - 2h
Nottingham Forest Women: Their mission to return to the top a decade after nearly folding

Amber Wildgust’s early Nottingham Forest Women experience was almost biblical. In the beginning, there was Before the Centre of Excellence. That was a time when the women’s team (then called ...
Yahoo Sports - 1d
Former BYU runner — and current American record holder — impresses again in latest half marathon

Conner Mantz was the top American finisher in Sunday’s NYC half.
Yahoo Sports - 22h
US and Ukraine continue negotiations after marathon day of peace talks

Kyiv ‘ready to do everything’ to end fighting after Trump cut support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. Europe live – latest updates Senior US and Ukrainian officials have held marathon ...
The Guardian - 5d
The US is short nearly 4 million homes

Builders faced barriers like zoning and supply costs, which make producing affordable homes challenging.
The Hill - 5d
Johnson says Zelensky has done 'about face' on mineral deal

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said during a radio interview that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has done a complete “about face” on the U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal that was not signed ...
The Hill - Mar. 9
NFL free agency: Breaking down every move the Jaguars have made so far

Let's break down every free agent signing that the Jacksonville Jaguars have made so far.
Yahoo Sports - 2d
'He's part of the Big 4': Cavs see Jarrett Allen as vital, humble part of the roster

Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley have garnered the attention, but the Cavs are adamant that Jarrett Allen is every bit as valuable.
Yahoo Sports - 2h
The Boston Celtics have a way to beat every team in the NBA

They have a plethora of options to attack opponents with.
Yahoo Sports - 1d
Grand National runners, favourites & odds for 2025: Key horses to note

The Grand National is the only horse race truly captures the national imagination, with the millions glued to television screens for an average of 9 minutes and 10 seconds every April.
Yahoo Sports - 2d
Musk says DOGE is in almost every federal agency and plans to double staff

Trump adviser and tech billionaire Elon Musk said Monday that he plans to double the size of his staff in the Department of Government Efficiency, which he noted is already working inside nearly ...
NBC News - 6d
Picasso exhibition unveiled in Iran after spending decades locked away

After being locked in a vault for over three decades, more than two dozen masterpieces by Pablo Picasso have been unveiled to the public for the first time in Iran. After the Islamic Revolution in ...
NBC News - 2d
Sandia shakes loose of La Cueva, heads back to 5A final

Mar. 13—La Cueva overcame one sluggish start. The Bears could not handle another one in the same game. Sandia, as it has done several times to La Cueva this season, opened the game with a huge run. ...
Yahoo Sports - 3d
Nearly 100 arrested in Trump Tower protest over Mahmoud Khalil's detention

The NYPD said nearly 100 people have been arrested after a group of protesters entered Trump Tower in New York City to support Mahmoud Khalil.
CBS News - 3d
Ollie Bearman: ‘There’s nothing that I wouldn’t have done to get to F1’

Leaving home at 16 to pursue his dream has paid off for Britain’s youngest F1 driver as he begins his first full season. There is an unmistakeable air of steely determination about Ollie Bearman; ...
The Guardian - 5d
Man allegedly held captive in Connecticut room for decades, set a fire to escape

Authorities in Waterbury, Connecticut, say a woman held her stepson captive for more than two decades until he intentionally started a fire in his room in a desperate bid to escape. Police have ...
CBS News - 3d
Azerbaijan and Armenia strike deal to end decades-long conflict

Caucasus neighbours agree final two terms of draft peace treaty over disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Azerbaijan and Armenia have successfully wrapped up peace talks aimed at resolving their ...
The Guardian - 3d
Decades after peregrines came back from the brink, a new threat emerges

DDT use nearly wiped out the raptor by the 1970s. Now peregrine numbers are collapsing again in many countries and no one is quite sure why. For the past six years, Gordon Propp, who builds sets ...
The Guardian - 4d
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4: Every Skater Revealed (So Far)

The remake of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and 4 were recently confirmed, and like 2020's Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2, this new collection will feature most of the original skateboarding cast alongside ...
GameSpot - 5d
Stepmom held man captive for decades until he set house on fire, officials say

A Connecticut man alleged to have been held captive and starved by his stepmother for more than two decades escaped the small room he had been locked away in by setting their house on fire, ...
NBC News - 4d
Rick Springfield remembers falling off a stage 25 years ago. So does his body: 'brain damage'

'Jessie's Girl' rocker Rick Springfield says he lives with the lasting toll of a hard fall that happened decades ago in Las Vegas: 'I found out I have some brain damage.'
Los Angeles Times - 6d
Every Pixar Movie Available On 4K Blu-Ray

. Pixar has released 28 movies over the past few decades, the majority of which are now available on 4K Blu-ray. Whether you’re interested in newcomers like Lightyear and Inside Out or old classics ...
GameSpot - 4d
NFL free agency: Every move the Colts have made so far

Let's break down each of the Indianapolis Colts five new free agent additions this offseason.
Yahoo Sports - 2d
Parkinson dedicates Wrexham's Wycombe win to fans

Manager Phil Parkinson dedicated Wrexham's League One victory at Wycombe Wanderers to his team's supporters after a fan was taken to hospital during the game at Adams Park.
Yahoo Sports - 1d
‘Something must have gone wrong with us’: David Cronenberg and Howard Shore on four decades of body horror

One is the master of gruesome horror, the other is the composer who scored his most famous films. They sit down to discuss their 46-year collaboration, and the unlikely source of their darkest, ...
The Guardian - 1h
The Players Championship: Every winner through the years

Here's a look at the players who have won The Players, since 1974.
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 7
UFC Fight Night 254 video: Every finish from Las Vegas, including multiple history-makers

UFC Fight Night 254 on Saturday was one of the most unheralded events of the year so far going in. There are metrics that are easy to see publicly, and ones that are behind the scenes, that made ...
Yahoo Sports - 18h
Talks progressing for Barcelona midfielder’s renewal but deal far from done

Barcelona have taken important steps towards securing a contract renewal for Frenkie de Jong, but there are still details that need to be ironed out before an agreement can be finalised. In fact, ...
Yahoo Sports - 1d
Five NHL Players On Playoff Hopefuls Who Have Slumped Since The 4 Nations Face-Off

Last month, the 4 Nations Face-Off delivered the kind of edge-of-your-seat action that got hearts pounding for both hockey fans and NHL players — whether they were suiting up in the tournament or ...
Yahoo Sports - 20h
Jersey numbers for every Georgia football transfer

Jersey numbers have been released for all six incoming Georgia Bulldogs transfers
Yahoo Sports - 2d
Arsenal in advanced talks to sign €60m La Liga superstar

Arsenal have regularly looked to the La Liga market in recent years, and in 2025, they are expected to sign one of the league’s best midfielders, that being Real Sociedad pivot Martin ...
Yahoo Sports - 1d
Bookmakers dinner: An exclusive seat at the table with legends of Las Vegas

Every year during the week of the Super Bowl, some of the most legendary bookmakers come together for a meal, to share stories and to think about what's ahead.
ESPN - Mar. 9
Francesco Friedrich of Germany wins 16th world bobsled championship, taking 4-man in Lake Placid

Francesco Friedrich won every championship he could in bobsledding this season
ABC News - 1d
Former Green Bay Packers cornerback Eric Stokes ready for more late-night food options in Las Vegas

Ex-Packers cornerback Eric Stokes is looking forward to having more late-night food options while playing for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Yahoo Sports - 2d
Department of Education cuts expected to have 'huge impacts' on teachers

After the Department of Education gutted nearly 50% of its workforce, educators have expressed deep concern -- not only for students' futures but for their own as well.
ABC News - 1d

More from Yahoo Sports

Newcastle celebrations are not over the top – this is why it means so much

If you do not understand what winning the Carabao Cup final means to Newcastle United, if you cannot appreciate what this moment has unleashed in a football obsessed city, maybe this is not the ...
Yahoo Sports - 20m
What is The Players Championship playoff format?

Here's the playoff format for Rory McIlroy and J.J. Spaun at The Players Championship.
Yahoo Sports - 21m
WSU women's hoops earns WNIT invite

Mar. 17—It's March, and the Cougars are not quite done playing basketball just yet. For the fifth straight year, the Washington State women's basketball team earned a postseason berth. WSU will ...
Yahoo Sports - 21m
Jaguars land potential No. 1 pick in NFL mock draft after early run on QBs

An early run on quarterbacks in a recent mock draft from PFF helped the Jaguars land a potential No. 1 overall pick.
Yahoo Sports - 21m
Is NCAA Tournament expansion a ‘slam dunk’? Where talks stand as March Madness begins

NEW YORK — All that stands in the way of expanding the NCAA men’s basketball tournament appears to be money. College sports leaders have been discussing with increasing diligence the possibility of ...
Yahoo Sports - 25m