APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – One of the best marathon runners in his age group lives right here in Appleton, and he’s gearing up for a world championship race in just over a week.
“We always say the first goal is to finish and run the best you can, but what’s most important is having fun,” said Al Schmidt.
Schmidt, who is 72-years-old, will run the AbbottWMM MTT Age Group World Championships on Nov. 2. The race gets contested within the New York City marathon and participants need to hit a qualifying time to take part in the championship. Schmidt is in the 70-74 age group.
Schmidt said he has been running his entire life and that it’s something that truly brings him joy. He said he loves being outside, pushing his limits, and competing. He also said he loves the camaraderie and has made so many friends over the years from the sport.
“Marathons are in a way like life, there’s ups and downs,” Schmidt said. “There are challenges, and there are times when things are really difficult when you are running, and the other extremes there’s times when you are just joyous.”
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Schmidt not only loves running, but he’s also really good at it and has the hardware to prove it. Memorabilia from the dozens of races he’s been a part of fill a section of his Appleton home, complete with medals, pictures from the Ironman he conquered, and keepsakes from the 10 Boston marathons he’s ran.
Schmidt has also finished in the top four in his age group in world marathon majors like the Chicago Marathon and Boston Marathon.
“I’m grateful for what I do, what I can do,” Schmidt told Local 5 News. “I tell people at the end of the race that I’m happy every time I finish. Every time I finish something, I’m happy.”
Schmidt said that whenever he’s running a marathon and gets to mile 22, he starts smiling because he knows at that point he’s doing well and is going to finish. Although he’s very fast, he said he sometimes deliberately runs marathons at a slower pace because he enjoys the camaraderie shared by the people in the back of the pack.
He said listening to his body has been one of the secrets of his longevity in running. When something hurts, he takes time off or slows his pace down, preventing small aches and pains from becoming major injuries.
For those who want to get into running but don’t know where to start, Schmidt suggested starting slow and going out for short runs. Over time, he said, you’ll get better and be able to add more mileage at faster paces.
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He said it also helps to have a running buddy.
“When I think of marathons, I think of the people that I’ve run into, and to me that is very special,” Schmidt said. “You know, when I wake up in the morning, if I’m not in a really good mood and I put on my running shoes and I step outside, everything changes.”
Schmidt said he’s approaching the world age group championships with the mindset of having fun. He said he’s also looking forward to the after-party once he crosses the finish line.
However, he’s a competitor and said he is also already looking forward to races in the future.
“I’m actually looking forward to my next age group, because if I don’t slow down too much, it can be a lot of fun,” he said with a laugh.
Schmidt said he’s run over 50 marathons, completed an Ironman, and has qualified for the Boston Marathon 10 times. He qualified for Boston for the first time in 2012 at the age of 60. He said he hopes his story will inspire others to get active and show that you’re never too old to be successful at something.
