Dick Bartlett
Marathon feature

Having run marathons in Honolulu, Toronto and across the United States, 68-year-old Dick Bartlett will travel from Rock Hill, South Carolina, for the Eisenhower Marathon in Abilene April 7.

“Running in Toronto, Canada, was one of my favorite marathon experiences,” Bartlett said. “The last half mile or so is downhill and the finish is in a stadium filled with cheering people.”

Bartlett describes another great experience in Honolulu where his wife and he ran together for the entire race.

“I paced her through 20 miles and then told her she needed 9-minute miles for the last 10K in order to get a five-hour time,” Bartlett said. “She grunted and groaned and didn’t speak the rest of the way, and we had a 5:00 and a few seconds!”

Bartlett said he started jogging in November 1973 because he was 35 and approaching the age at which his father died—39.

“That first marathon in Syracuse, NY was my first race of any distance,” Bartlett said. “At the start line I thought I must be crazy!”

Bartlett later ran in Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston in 1981, in the Marine Corps Marathon, at Disneyworld in 2000, and in Vienna, Austria, and Copenhagen Denmark.

“I have been first in my age group in Ohio in 1987, second in New Jersey in 1999, second in my age group in Connecticut in 2004 and first again in Maine in 2005,” Bartlett said.

Keeping healthy, fellowship on the roads with other runners where he can share discussions of his faith, achievement of goals are all reasons Bartlett keeps running.

“The continual drive to exercise more than ‘normal’ people…living with small injuries, aches and pains are the hardest part about running the marathon distance,” Bartlett said.

Bartlett runs two medium distance days and one long day per week—all slow. He pushes his pace in one or two short days per week and cross trains on an elliptical trainer and in a swimming pool. He also walks a lot.

“My advice to new runners is to start out with walking breaks every mile, finding the ratio of run/walk that is best for you and your fitness level.” Bartlett said. “It is exhilarating to pass people in the last 10K instead of being passed.”

Bartlett’s personal goals include finishing a marathon in every state. He has finished 38 states, with the Eisenhower in Kansas being No. 39.

“I have run a total of 112 marathons so far,” Bartlett said. “ My best time was 3:10:31 in Harrisburg, PA. As time passes, my times have slowed and I walk most of the marathon now and shoot for 6 hours or less.”

Bartlett will be wearing bib No 96 on April 7 in Abilene. With Mary Jean Eisenhower presenting the age-level medals, Bartlett may just gain a special gift from the former President’s granddaughter.

The public is invited to join in the pasta dinner Friday April 6 at Parish Hall, 311 S. Buckeye and meet Bartlett. Tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for children.

Area residents may also enjoy the pancake/sausage brunch on race day with tickets at $4 each.

More than 300 volunteers from the Abilene area will fill water stations, serve as intersection security watchers, finish-line workers, registration volunteers, etc. to take care of runner needs.

Marathon and half races begin at 7 a.m. with 5K/10K races starting at 7:30 a.m. A Community Walk will be started at 9 a.m.