Better by the mile: Running coach, 76, completes marathon in every state with daughter
By Erika Tarantal
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HOPKINTON, Massachusetts (WCVB) — Beth Lennox and her father Scott are coaching charity runners who are training to run to Boston Marathon.
The duo knows plenty about going the distance. This January, they achieved their goal of completing a marathon in each of our nation’s 50 states.
The feat, incredible in itself, is even more amazing given their running history.
Beth was not interested in fitness growing up and Scott only ran shorter distances as a young man. He said he didn’t lace up in earnest for distance until he was 50.
“I almost get choked up when I think about it,” he said. “It was right at the time that I had actually put on a bunch of weight. My doctor,” he said, ‘Look, all your signs are going in the wrong direction. You have got to do something about it.’”
Ironically, Scott lives in Hopkinton, where the Boston marathon begins, and he spent his career working for John Hancock, the long-time marathon sponsor, but it wasn’t until a coworker encouraged him to be her running buddy that he even considered running the race.
“She was like my worst nightmare,” he said. “She just would not let it go. She said, ‘You’ve got to train with me,’ and in fact, over eight months, I lost 50 pounds and we ran 2003 together.”
“He instantaneously seemed younger,” Beth said of her dad.
Scott said he loved feeling younger. He loved the whole process of preparing for and running the race, so he started making a habit of running the Boston marathon.
Beth said that inspired her to run.
“To start focusing on my health and my fitness as a young adult,” she said. “Which I never really had before. And then, of course, I loved cheering him on at the races. I never envisioned it would be me out there as well.”
Now 76, Scott has run 79 marathons, 17 Boston marathons and all the other majors.
He ran all the 50 states after retiring at the age of 64. At one point, he ran eight marathons in a year. Beth ran 16 marathons in 15 months so that they could complete their 50th together.
That happened this January in Hawaii.
Thrilled with the accomplishment, but missing the adventure, Scott said he is looking forward to a reunion with the friend who got him to run that first Boston marathon.
“It’s my 20th anniversary, and she is running with me,” he said.
Scott and Beth said they treasure the memories they’ve made together while running, and they look forward to making more.
“Sometimes he’s carrying me, and sometimes I’m carrying him,” Beth said. “But we both get there.”
“We’ve just had fun,” Scott said. “There’s always some aspect of every marathon that we’ve done where we’ve had a really good time.”
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