Veteran runner Jeff Johnston reaches another marathon milestone, completes 200th race, has no plans to stop

Jeff Johnston isn’t stopping at 200 marathons. He’s got many more running goals, including running a marathon on all seven continents. The 65-year-old from Deer Park said he thinks he may even attempt to reach 300 marathons before his running days are through.

Johnston’s marathon plans are on hold because of the coronavirus. He said three of his upcoming races have already been postponed or canceled because of the pandemic. He said he’s hoping the situation clears by this fall. He has plans to run marathons in Ireland and South America as he begins work toward his goal of completing races on all seven continents.

He already has been accepted to run in a marathon at Antarctica in 2022. Johnston explained that there is one marathon run in Antarctica each year. Runners take a ship from the southern tip of South America for a four-day crossing to Antarctica. The marathon is run in two groups, with one half of the runners competing the first day and the second half running the race the second day. Johnston said last year’s race was run in record warmth at 32 degrees, while many of the races have been run in far colder conditions.

Johnston has a long list of running achievements. He ran a marathon in every state, and then he did it again. It may even happen a third time. He’s run a sub-four hour marathon in every state, and he needs to do it in nine more states to complete his second round of sub-four hour races. He runs 10-12 marathons per year and said he plans to continue that schedule as long as he is physically capable to maintain it.

Johnston ran his first marathon in 1983 when he ran in Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth. He has run in 24 straight Grandma’s races. It was announced a few days ago that this year’s Grandma’s race is canceled, so he’s hoping to resume his streak there next year.

He didn’t run his second marathon until 10 years later, when he returned to run at Grandma’s. Johnston didn't run at New Richmond High School, where he graduated in 1972. His only scholastic sport was golf. His friend, Jim Groth, talked him into running Grandma's Marathon in 1983. His running shoes then got thrown to the back of the closet until 1992 when he began seriously looking at running. That led him to resuming marathoning the following year.

The pace that Johnston is completing marathons is truly impressive. He is averaging six years to complete another 50 marathons as he steadily saw his total climb from 100 to 200. He completed his 50th marathon in a race in Dallas in 2004 and he ran his 100th marathon when he completed Grandma’s in 2008. His 150th marathon was run in Anchorage, Alaska in 2014.

Johnston ran his first marathon in 1983 when he ran in Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth. He has run in 24 straight Grandma’s races. It was announced a few days ago that this year’s Grandma’s race is canceled, so he’s hoping to resume his streak there next year.

He didn’t run his second marathon until 10 years later, when he returned to run at Grandma’s. Johnston didn't run at New Richmond High School, where he graduated in 1972. His only scholastic sport was golf. His friend, Jim Groth, talked him into running Grandma's Marathon in 1983. His running shoes then got thrown to the back of the closet until 1992 when he began seriously looking at running. That led him to resuming marathoning the following year.

The pace that Johnston is completing marathons is truly impressive. He is averaging six years to complete another 50 marathons as he steadily saw his total climb from 100 to 200. He completed his 50th marathon in a race in Dallas in 2004 and he ran his 100th marathon when he completed Grandma’s in 2008. His 150th marathon was run in Anchorage, Alaska in 2014.

Johnston said Grandma’s and the Boston Marathon are his two favorite races.

posted Saturday April 4th
by David M. Newman