Jim Dawson - Marathoner Extraordinare

Posted by Sandy Warren

on Apr 11, 2016

Marathoner Extraordinare Jim Dawson

Shares His Road with Ventura South

More than half a million people completed a marathon somewhere in the U.S. during 2015. The fact that Jim Dawson is part of that group is not particularly noteworthy. What is noteworthy (or better yet extraordinary) is the fact that Jim has completed at least one marathon in each of the 50 States over the course of the past two decades. Jim visited Ventura Rotary South on Monday, April 11, to share some of his experiences with 60-plus marathons under his belt.

Jim noted that the difficult distance of a marathon (26.2 miles) requires physical reserves that the body alone can't deliver. That's when it becomes more of a mental challenge. When asked if running marathons gets easier after having run so many, Jim said simply, "No, but the fact that I can tell myself I've done it before helps somewhat when the going gets really tough."

A self-admitted history buff, Jim noted that he has run through some really interesting sites, including Civil War battlefields, a portion of the Lewis & Clark Trail, General Custer's route, Denali National Park (Alaska), Glacier National Park (Montana), Mt. Rushmore, and Crater Lake, among others. "This is a phenomenally diverse country," said Jim, "and I have been blessed to see so much of it up close and personal."

Thank you, Jim, for giving us a fascinating look behind the scenes of your remarkable achievement!