Kerry Green is a runner through and through. And he wouldn’t want it any other way. He sees it as the true test of a fit person.
“It’s black and white. A mile’s a mile. A second’s a second. It’s not like you can say technology’s helping you with it,” said Green.
Originally from Pennsylvania, Green is a marathon runner who resides and regularly runs in Mansfield. He is one of the few runners in the world who have accomplished what is called a 5 Decade Sub-3 marathon. This means he has finished five consecutive marathons within 50 years under three hours. To be specific, in the 118-year history of the Boston Marathon only four runners have accomplished running it in under three hours in five different decades.
In laymen’s terms: he’s fast. And he just turned 60 years old.
How does he do it?
Green started running while in college when his roommate’s friend from the track team noticed him lacing up for a short run. Green, a multiple sport high school athlete, said the track athlete invited him out for a run with the track team and he accepted. Green said his first run with the track team was nothing short of difficult, but he kept coming back.
“I’ve always said one of my great qualities is perseverance,” noted Green.
Within the first year of running with the track team and getting his first pair of running shoes, he ran his first marathon at Niagara Falls, finishing it in 2:42:00. According to Runners World, the average time it took for runners to finish one of the three biggest marathons in America (New York City Marathon, Chicago Marathon and Marine Corps Marathon) was 4:33:15.
In order to run the Boston Marathon, runners must first qualify. Green did not run the Boston Marathon this last April, but not because he could not qualify. However, he did in 2010 – when he was 56 years old. He finished the marathon in 2:58:18, which made him one of a few to ever do so.
In November 2014, his goal is to become the first person to run five decades under three hours at the New York City Marathon. He’s already done it four times.
Green also takes his passion for running and fitness into his day job as a cardiac rehab specialist at OhioHealth MedCentral Fitness Center. He teaches classes to people who have suffered from heart attacks and other cardiac illnesses.
“My passion for fitness led to my involvement in sports, and then I got into running. Then that led to a degree in exercise physiology, which led to a career in cardiac rehab. So you’re basically blessed to be doing something you just love to do. And it’s kinda neat that those things came together,” shared Green.
For Green, running has been the pursuit spanning most of his lifetime. He estimates that his commitment to the sport has yielded total of 95,000 miles in his lifetime.
To reach his November goal and celebrate his 60th birthday, Green plans to train with a variety of marathons. On his schedule are events in Lake Tahoe, Crater Lake, and other destinations in Colorado and possibly Utah.
The prize that awaits is not just elite company, but distinguishing himself from the every other runner in the world.
If Green successfully completes the big race in November, he will become the first person to ever run the New York City Marathon in five decades under three hours – at 60 years old.
