A decade of running: Kokomo retiree qualifies for NY marathon after Boston race

May 22—Retiring from a sedentary job as a car salesman at Eriks Chevrolet, Ronnie Greene decided to train for the Indianapolis Mini Marathon. A decade later, he's thankful he did.

Greene recently finished the Mini Marathon in fourth place for his age division. He also completed his sixth Boston Marathon in April, where he finished 75th of 195 runners in his age group.

The runner explained that he initially decided to participate in the Mini Marathon 10 years ago, at the age of 62, because it had been a bucket list item. He remembers being out of shape at the time and had been comfortable with the idea of walking a portion of the race.

"It wasn't easy at first," Greene said, thinking back on the marathons that made him start running. "It was slow progress."

Greene estimates he lost roughly 70 pounds in 2013 while preparing for his second Mini Marathon. He could hardly run two miles when he started.

The first time he qualified for the Boston Marathon, he got in with only two seconds to spare. Comparatively, Greene's time to complete the marathon this year should automatically qualify him for next year's marathon. It also qualified him for the New York City Marathon in November.

"I suppose it's like any other sport," Greene said. "But for runners, there's a high to it; it gets in your blood."

Although an appreciation for the sport brings running communities together, Greene suspects the camaraderie among runners contributes to Kokomo's strong running community.

"I've done a lot with running. It's been a good thing for me to get to meet these people and work out with them or run with them. It's just been a pleasure to meet them and get to be friends with them."

For a while, he would meet with a group of several other runners on Sundays. Each week, they would try to meet somewhere new — places such as Highland Park or Dairy Queen — and run together.

"It was a way of getting in some miles. But it was also a way of meeting with some friends and having a good time together," Greene said.

The group has dwindled over time, but he still likes to run with a few people on Sundays.

"I've built some friendships that I think will last forever," Greene said. He added that, although running is what brought them together, they enjoy any activity that gets them out of the house.

He hadn't considered running a full marathon until a friend told him he ought to give it a try. At the time, Greene said, a full marathon seemed out of his league. He kept the thought in the back of his head, though.

Later that year, after making good time during the Haynes Apperson Festival 5K, he decided to give the Monumental Marathon in Indianapolis a shot.

He's run 13 full marathons so far.

For Greene, marathon running is less externally competitive than other sports. Although he pays attention to his placings in each run, he said he mainly competes against himself by focusing on beating his own records.

This year, Greene noted, he ran his fastest Boston Marathon, making it to the finish line in 4 hours, 18 minutes and 10 seconds. The personal record beats his previous one by roughly 3 minutes and 30 seconds.

When he's running, his mind stays focused on keeping pace, checking his watch and making sure he's staying hydrated, Greene said.

After running the Boston Marathon course five times — The Boston Marathon also counted a sixth remote race in Kokomo for 2020 — Greene said he has a decent idea of where he is during the race. He makes sure he doesn't run too fast in the beginning, which starts downhill, and keeps his mind on the track ahead.

This year, around mile 23, he glanced at his watch to check how quickly he had been going through the course.

There were roughly 3 miles left in the race and he felt like walking. But if he picked up the pace, he could automatically requalify the marathon next year.

"Even though I was hurting, I thought 'I've got to do this,'" Greene said. He beat the qualifying time by one minute and 50 seconds.

Although Greene said he gets excited while lining up for the races, he said the real emotions kick in when he sees the finish line.

"You kind of feel the enjoyment of what you just did and you're glad it's over," Greene said.

Delivering papers

Greene spends five mornings every week delivering papers for the Kokomo Tribune. He's been bringing papers to readers since 1999. Among the most memorable front pages, to him, are from the demolition of Kokomo's red and white gas tower and the front page after 9/11.

He picks the papers up at 2:30 a.m., then spends the next three hours bringing roughly 400 newspapers to rural southwest homes.

Greene explained that he initially started delivering newspapers for the Tribune so he could pay off a credit card. Now, he said, he uses the extra money to pay for marathon trips.

He's never visited New York, so he plans on splurging a bit when he visits the city in November for the NYC Marathon. He already has a hotel booked and is looking forward to running through the five boroughs.

The runner explained there are six major marathons in the world. International competitors travel to Boston, Chicago and New York to participate in the annual marathons — Greene met runners from Dublin and Amsterdam while waiting in line to have his Boston Marathon medal engraved.

New York is the only U.S. race he hasn't competed in. Tokyo, Berlin and London host the three other races. Greene said he doesn't have any knee problems yet, so he could potentially compete in the overseas races.

"When I get up, I think I thank God every morning that I am able to do what I do," Greene said, explaining that friends his age have had surgeries or have to take medications. He added that he's also thankful for the support from family and friends. "There's no doubt in my mind if I would have stayed on the same lifestyle, I was sedentary and overweight, I never would have felt like I feel today."

James Bennett III can be reached at 765-454-8580 or james.bennett@kokomotribune.com.