Rehoboth race caps 50 half-marathons in 50 states

It may have happened before, but one man planned a unique way to celebrate his entrance into his 70s – run 50 half-marathons in 50 states.

John Newsam said he had a desire to run a half-marathon in San Diego where his wife Sharon and he now live.

“There's never kind of a good time to start training,” he said. “And I finally realized if I didn't start soon, it would be too late.”

After completing his first half-marathon, Newsam said he felt a sense of accomplishment, but yearned for an even greater challenge.

On a trip to Peru, he learned one of his friends was wrapping up 50 marathons in 50 days with a race in Montana. Newsam ran to support his friend, but he said the idea must have nucleated.

“The light went on,” he said. “When I turned 70, I thought that’s a pretty challenging quest to set myself on.”

Both he and his wife are very involved in their professional lives, but are afforded the chance to work on the road. The marathons began as a side dish to a necessary trip meal, but they soon they became the main entrée.

“If we were traveling somewhere for some reason, professionally or with family, I’d look for an event in the vicinity, and it began to get a little bit more manic,” Newsam said. “I started organizing trips somewhere close to where there was a half, and then the next weekend somewhere that was accessible by driving.”

The challenge itself has a growing community, but each person places a different time limit on the adventure. Newsam decided he could accomplish the feat in two years.

“Toward late last year, I was able to squeeze in a couple more events, which allowed me to finish 25 last year,” he said.

He reasoned since he did it one year, he could sensibly accomplish the grueling goal again. While he reaps the benefits of running, Newsam doesn’t like the actual running part.

“I like a sense of achievement,” he said. “It's hard running, and very few people like it, but to commit to making this happen creates a challenge, and the grit and determination fueled me,” he said.

Prior to the Rehoboth marathon, Newsam enjoyed a home-cooked pasta dinner. He said he likes to carbo load before the long-distance treks.

During the race, his body is pushed to the limit, but a mental war begins to rage.

“The biggest issue is, there are various stages through the 13 miles when there is an almost inescapable drive to stop,” Newsam said.

He likes to break the run into segments, as it is best to eat a large meal with small bites.

“Usually for the first three miles, I feel tired and out of breath, and it's almost like I have to stop because I can't breathe enough,” Newsam said. “I know now that come three miles, that will go away.”

He checks in two miles later to see how he is doing, and says the seven-mile mark is important because he is more than halfway done. He discovered in the Anchorage, Alaska, race his runner’s high kicks in at about the nine-mile mark, but recently it has been happening at the halfway point.

While he might be alone on his obligations to reach his goals, Newsam says the runners in races, along with his family and friends, help keep him going

“I felt a lot of support and encouragement, which is important because you have good days and you have a lot of bad days,” Newsam said.

Waiting at the finish line for him as he secured first place in the 70-74 age group in Rehoboth were his loved ones who made signs in the shape of all 50 states to celebrate his achievement.

“The most important thing is the spectators,” Newsam said. “We've got a great group that came out to support me. They went to great lengths to kind of map out all of the events I've participated in.”

Newsam said the encouragement helped him keep his mind off the cold, wet conditions.

“Rehoboth Beach is a great location for the event,” Newsam said. “I can't say anything other than good things about being here for the event.”

Another goal Newsam set was to finish in under two hours, something he came close to twice but was off by one minute each time. Recently he broke the two-hour mark and maintained that level in the Rehoboth Beach run, crossing at 1:58:48.

He believes he picked the right destination for his journey too.

“Certainly a delight to do the last of the 50 here in Delaware, and especially to do it in Rehoboth Beach,” Newsam said. “It’s been really special.”

As the 71-year-old recovers, he might have to figure out some new routines.

“I'm gonna have to do something, because it's been a two-year quest and a lot of time on the road, and Sharon and I have kind of gotten used to it,” Newsam said.