Mary Croft. Photo: Chris Emeott
Octogenarian Mary Croft has run 235 marathons and shows no signs of stopping.
On her 80th birthday, Mary Croft celebrated by running 80 kilometers (50 miles) at the Across the Years ultramarathon in Arizona, where runners complete as many laps as possible around a 1.4-mile loop over 48 hours. This was just one more achievement in a running career that spans decades.
The Bayport resident picked up running in her 30s, inspired by a friend who ran daily for her mental health. But it wasn’t until she watched that friend participate in Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth that Croft decided to go for it. Back home, she began a 12-week training plan and signed up for her first 26.2-mile race: the inaugural Twin Cities Marathon.
Since then, she has run more than 200 marathons—in all 50 states and all seven continents—and has no plans to retire her running shoes anytime soon. “I think the exact number is 235,” Croft says. Among her finisher’s medals are 42 from the Twin Cities Marathon—one for nearly every year since the event began in 1982. She has also earned several medals in 50K, 50-mile and 100-mile races.
When it comes to long-distance running, being comfortable in your own head is essential. Croft says she doesn’t mind the solitude, but she also loves the community running has brought her. “Mary is one of our oldest members,” says Lisa Potter, one-fourth of the leadership team at St. Croix Valley Runners. “She has lived her life fully out loud, and she’s truly, truly an inspiration.”
Mary Croft (bottom right) with other members of the St. Croix Valley Runners club. Photo: Rob Joyer
Aging as an athlete is no small feat. Croft says that it hasn’t been easy watching herself slow down over the years. “I try not to get too depressed and just be grateful that I can still be out there and active and participating as much as I can,” she says.
Croft brought her family along while she ran in the Across the Years ultramarathon, having someone join her for each lap. “I’m kind of their hero, in a way,” she says. “They don’t all aspire to be runners, but they can see what I’ve accomplished, which is rewarding.”
St. Croix Valley Runners
Lisa Potter hears it all the time: “I hate running.” Her response? “Run long enough, and you will love it.”
St. Croix Valley Runners is a free group open to all ages and paces. Potter remembers worrying she’d be too slow to join. “[The fear that] everyone was going to be so much faster than me was absolutely not true,” she says. “There are all kinds of fast, and you’ll fit in anywhere.”
Runners meet on weekends at 7 a.m. in warmer months and 8 a.m. in colder ones. Saturday runs start in downtown Stillwater across the street from The Daily Grind, and are often followed by coffee. Sunday runs begin at the Browns Creek State Trail parking lot, and some members meet during the week too. “It can be as much or as little of your life as you want it to be,” Potter says.
The group also hosts happy hours and holiday events. “It’s the nicest group of people you will ever meet … we support each other in running, but we also support each other in life,” Potter says.
St. Croix Valley Runners
Instagram: @stcroixvalleyrunners
