Running marathons in all 50 states a satisfying journey for Harleysville's Tindall
Keith Tindall isn't sure of the exact date. But once it crossed his mind roughly 10 years ago, he was determined to make it happen.
When he crossed the finish line in the Maui Oceanfront Marathon on Jan. 15, Tindall had completed a 26.2-mile marathon in each of the 50 United States. Adding to the significance of the experience was that wife Donna, three of their four children and sister Melanie were there, too, with oldest daughter Amanda running the entire race alongside him.
Tindall decided in late 2021 that he wanted to end up with No. 50 in Maui, so he picked up the pace. He completed marathons in 14 states last year, with four in the five-weekend October that included a pair six days apart (the Mount Desert Island Marathon in Bar Harbor, Maine, on Oct. 16 and the Freedom's Run in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, on Oct. 22).
His accomplishment was certified by the 50statesmarathonclub.com and he received a trophy engraved with his name as the 1,817th person to accomplish this feat.
Memorable marathon experiences
Tindall, now 54 and living back in Harleysville after 20 years in South Sioux City, Nebraska, choked up when he entered the track at Hayward Field to close out the Eugene Marathon on May 1 because he had seen so many races from there on TV at the famed University of Oregon facility. He finished in 3 hours, 36 minutes and 28 seconds.
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The BQ.2 Marathon in Geneva, Illinois, on Sept. 13, 2014, was memorable because he ran a career-fastest 3:22.02 to better the 3:25 qualifying time for the Boston Marathon, which he completed in 2015 (3:35.06).
And there was his first one — the Des Moines (Iowa) Marathon on Oct. 21, 2007.
There have also been some unforeseen issues along the way for Tindall, a structural engineer for a company that makes cell phone towers. In November 2021, his flight to Jackson, Mississippi, didn't arrive until late Saturday evening due to a lengthy delay and the rental car he'd reserved was unavailable. He took an Uber to the hotel, which was within walking distance of the starting line, slept four hours and finished the Mississippi Blues Marathon the next morning in 3:48.04.
Lessons from the 50 marathons
"You learn how to handle (setbacks, including injuries) and bounce back from them," said Tindall, who runs six days a week and is training for the Schuylkill River 50K (31.1 miles) on April 22. "It's just a lot of good life lessons. … My alarm goes off at 4 or 4:30 (a.m.) and I don't even hesitate to get out of bed. It's such a habit. I look forward to it."
"I see it as perseverance," said Donna Tindall, who has completed 20 half-marathons in which Keith went the full distance and all four of their children have done at least one half-marathon. "I greatly admire him for that. … It's a character trait reflected in his personality. It's been an example for all of his kids, as well."
Tom Moore: tmoore@couriertimes.com; @TomMoorePhilly
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Montco man finds running marathons in 50 states a satisfying journey
