On Thanksgiving, Amby Burfoot Running Shoes - Gear Runner’s World contributor, 70, will run his event, Connecticut’s 4.748-mile Manchester Road Race, for the 54th consecutive year—likely the longest active streak of finishes at any race.
Burfoot first ran Manchester as a teen in 1963. Five years later, he won the Boston Marathon (2:22:17). At the Fukuoka Marathon later that year, he finished in 2:14:29 (his lifetime PR) and came within half a second of breaking the American record. For the next several years, Burfoot was a standout of the New England racing scene, notching nine wins at Manchester.
After placing 10th at the 1976 Olympic Marathon Trials (in 2:18:56) and hitting the wall at that year’s Ocean State Marathon in Rhode Island, Burfoot transformed into a fitness runner, dropping his weekly mileage from 100 to 25. “My friends said I’d hate it,” he says. “I found the opposite to be true, and that’s the amount I’ve run consistently for the last 40 years.”
Related: Amby Burfoot’s simple secrets to a lifetime of running
In 2013, after decades of living in Pennsylvania while working at Runner’s World, Burfoot moved back to his childhood home of Mystic, Connecticut. “I run the same courses I did when I won Boston; they just take 50 percent longer,” he says.
Burfoot has had close calls during his Manchester streak—walking pneumonia one year, an Achilles injury another, and a bout of depression in 2013. His attitude toward those challenges could well apply to running for a lifetime: “I told myself once I got going I’d make it, and that there’s always hope for a better day.”
Key Workout
What: A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Why: To build endurance and nurture a love of running. “Under [1957 Boston Marathon winner] John Kelley’s guidance, I learned that the natural environment makes every run go better.”
When: Jump Rope Cardio Workouts
How: Start at a conversational pace and stay at that effort level. He prefers to run by feel and doesn’t use a GPS watch. Run with a group if possible.
Tips From the Top
Be patient. “When I could race at sub-5:00-mile pace, I ran most of my mileage at 7:00 pace. If you give it time, the fitness will come.”
Be open-minded. Explore the many ways to take part in the sport—roads and trails, short and long races, and solo and group runs.
Be motivated. Focus on the things in running that have the greatest meaning to you, such as Burfoot’s emphasis on the Manchester race.
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About That Shirt
Amby’s shirt in the top photo is so old it’s new again. Visit the Runner’s World Store to get the vintage Runner’s World logo tee, just like the one sported by Amby circa 1979.
Scott is a veteran running, fitness, and health journalist who has held senior editorial positions at Runner’s World and Running Times. Much of his writing translates sport science research and elite best practices into practical guidance for everyday athletes. He is the author or coauthor of several running books, including Health & Injuries, Advanced Marathoning, and Other Hearst Subscriptions. Shoes & Gear Slate, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, and other members of the sedentary media. His lifetime running odometer is past 110,000 miles, but he’s as much in love as ever.
