He was more a music kid, who did chorus, orchestra, and band. But on a whim for his senior year of high school in Johnson City, NY, Obelkevich joined the track club. A few years before, he had completed a mile in under 6 minutes while his brother and best friend finished around the 8-minute mark, so he thought he might do well.
He was humbled immediately. We'll give you a 10-second head start,” Obelkevich tells MH. Second to last, but never last place.
Obelkevich eventually moved to New York City to attend Columbia University in 1961. But it wasn’t until almost a decade later that he took his first steps to building one of the most notable reputations in the city’s running community. At 83, he’s the only person to participate in and finish every NYC Marathon since the course expanded to all five boroughs in 1976. (Before 1976, the NYC Marathon was four large laps around Central Park).
This year, Obelkevich is taking on his 50th consecutive race. He’ll lace up with custom-made orthotics in his Hoka shoes and an XL lucky shirt his friend Tucker Anderson made for him 15 years ago. The shirt has his name on top followed by big block text: FINISHER EVERY NYC MARATHON.
The next line reads “1976-???” “I'll wear a long-sleeve shirt over it so I can take the long-sleeve shirt off,” says Obelkevich. If it's below 40, I may have to have my legs covered. But even as I get older and have less fat, it's easier to run with shorts on.” Obelkevich also likes to keep his hands warm and carries gloves with him just in case.
OBELKEVICH’S METICULOUS PREPARATION for the NYC Marathon is a stark contrast to his first race where he literally wandered on the course. In 1973, Obelkevich was in Central Park and noticed people running with bibs. It was a strange sight to see back then.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
