At the age of 79, Julian Gordon of Lake Bluff is still running marathons. Gordon, a former biomedical engineer said he became serious about running at the age of 52 . He just ran in the Chicago Half Marathon on Sept. 27 as a warm-up for running the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 11.
Q. How did you get into running marathons?
A. Originally I started running for my health. That was an easy uncomplicated way of getting some exercise. When I moved to Lake Bluff I became involved with the Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Running Club. I became almost addicted to running. I just sort of fell into competitive running.
Q. How many miles a week do you run?
A. Thirty to 35 miles. I’ve average three marathons a year now for 23 years.
Q. What was your first race?
A. It was a local race, the Condell 10K.
Q. How did you do?
A. Not well. In the lower 50 percentile. I was never very fast. My strength is in endurance.
Q. Have you had to make any concessions to age as a runner?
A. No, I run the same distances, the same number of races. I get a bit slower each year but not that much slower.
Q. What are some of the better-known marathons you’ve run in?
A. Boston twice New York London twice Berlin and Paris. I’ve done one in Bordeaux. I guess I guess I’ve done most of the major U.S. ones and the major European ones.
Q. Anything you’d like to add?
A. I’d like to add that the whole idea is to maximize the level of physical activity and mental activity… it is part of anti-aging.
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—Mark Lawton, Pioneer Press
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