Rich Archbold: Legacy Runners don’t let a few aches, pains keep them from the Long Beach Marathon

They whitethorn beryllium slowing down immoderate due to the fact that of inevitable aches and pains that travel with precocious property –one is recovering from COVID-19 — but that’s not stopping a premier radical of runners from competing successful the Long Beach Marathon connected Sunday, Oct. 10.

They are the Legacy Runners. The moniker comes from having competed successful each 36 of the erstwhile Long Beach Marathons, which began successful 1982. (The mathematics is not a mistake. There was nary contention for 2 years due to the fact that of fiscal problems.)

The determination of this prime radical of 14, astir of whom are successful their 70s and 80s, is incredible.

Here’s a emblematic effect from 1 of them erstwhile I asked wherefore helium keeps competing successful this grueling race:

“My near genu has been bothering maine due to the fact that of the arthritis and bony connected bone,” said George Wallims, 75, of Huntington Beach, “which has slowed maine down a small bit, but Legacy Runners don’t dice we conscionable transportation connected the tradition.”

He volition locomotion the half-marathon with his chap Legacy Runner, Gordon Watson.

Wallims talked astir the camaraderie that has developed implicit the years with the seasoned runners.

“We each look retired for each different during the contention and assistance each different get done it,” helium said. “We person done that galore times.”

Everyone was disappointed past twelvemonth erstwhile the coronavirus pandemic canceled the in-person contention and forced organizers to spell virtual. The contention is backmost this twelvemonth with 2 options: tally successful idiosyncratic Sunday oregon tally a virtual contention by yourself and corroborate it with contention organizers.

Of the 14 Legacy Runners, 7 volition tally oregon locomotion successful idiosyncratic connected Long Beach streets Sunday and 5 volition bash truthful virtually from wherever they live. Two runners — Tom Pontac and Steve Harvey — were unavailable for comment.

One Legacy runner, John Sumpter, 77, of Long Beach, volition tally connected the aforesaid people arsenic the different runners, but helium volition commencement earlier adjacent Marine Stadium, down his house, to debar the crowds astatine the commencement and decorativeness line.

“I americium going virtual to debar the crowds due to the fact that of the coronavirus,” helium said. “The household has been safe, and we proceed to beryllium cautious.”

Sumpter, erstwhile play manager astatine Poly High School, had a misfortune past year, which astir kept him from moving successful anything, fto unsocial a marathon.

Sumpter, an avid cyclist, was riding his motorcycle successful a residential country successful Buena Park with nary motorcycle lanes erstwhile helium decided to determination onto the sidewalk. He deed immoderate benignant of obstacle — and was thrown from his bike. He was knocked unconscious, separated his enarthrosis and suffered terrible aggregate bruises.

“I passed retired 2 much times earlier I got to the hospital,” Sumpter said astatine the time. “But, fortunately, I was wearing a helmet, which prevented much terrible injuries.”

He gradually resumed grooming and completed his virtual marathon implicit 4 days past year.

An eternal optimist, Sumpter said helium and 1 of his Legacy buddies, Jim Warnemuende, are readying connected completing their 50th Long Beach Marathon together.

“It’s lone 13 years away,” helium said with a grin. He would beryllium 90 years aged then.

Unfortunately, Warnemuende, 80, volition not articulation Sumpter for this year’s marathon successful Long Beach.

Instead, helium volition stay successful Redding, successful a caller location helium built aft his erstwhile 1 was destroyed by the devastating Carr wildfire successful Northern California successful 2018.

Warnemuende, who spent 35 years astatine Long Beach City College arsenic a code connection teacher and dean of the originative arts department, retired successful 2000 and moved to Redding. Despite the nonaccomplishment of his home, helium trained and ran successful the 35th LB Marathon successful 2019. He was looking guardant to an in-person marathon successful Long Beach past year, but the coronavirus canceled that.

He ran a virtual contention successful Redding past twelvemonth and did the aforesaid this twelvemonth connected Sept. 27.

“I ran my virtual marathon successful a beauteous parkland adjacent my location done rolling, forested hills,” helium said. “

Warnemuende said helium plans connected returning to Long Beach successful idiosyncratic adjacent twelvemonth to proceed connected his travel to 50 marathons with his Sumpter.

Tom “Frosty” Frost, 68, of Rancho Santa Margarita volition beryllium successful Long Beach Sunday — moving successful grant of his daughter.

Lisa Anne Frost was 22 erstwhile she boarded United Airlines Flight 175, which crashed into the World Trade Center connected Sept. 11, 2001. She was heading location from Boston University earlier starting a occupation successful San Francisco.

“Many of the Legacy runners arsenic good arsenic myself tally successful representation of my daughter,” Frost said.

He besides ran successful the archetypal Long Beach Marathon aft 9/11, which happened connected Nov. 11 that year.

“I kept the drawstring live with each the Legacy runners, possibly 60 of us, wearing Lisa’s representation connected their shirts,” helium said. “I’ll ne'er hide a runner passing maine astatine mile 23. He said, ‘I cognize who you are. I cognize what you’re doing, and it’s the astir courageous happening I person ever seen. I’m moving the remainder of my contention for your daughter.’”

Frost said his girl made a poster for the 15th twelvemonth of the race, which helium plans connected donating to the LB Marathon Legacy Hall of Fame.

“This contention is my idiosyncratic people connected the world,” helium said. “I archer radical each the clip I’m a Supreme 15. I’ll support going arsenic agelong arsenic I can.”

Also moving successful idiosyncratic are Kenneth Williams, the “baby” and youngest of the Legacy radical astatine 59; Michael Benov, 66, of St. George, Utah; Ken Purucker, 84, of Long Beach; Lorenzo Herrara, 69 of Buena Park; Calvin Lau, 74, of Los Angeles; Phil Newberg, 83, of Newport Beach; and Wayne Fong, the oldest subordinate astatine 89.

Benov said helium was not acrophobic with being with crowds, particularly with the precautions that person been enactment successful place.

The Legacy Runners are “a special, dedicated and caring radical who enactment each different twelvemonth aft year,” helium said. “It’s a precise refreshing and unsocial relationship. I ever look guardant to visiting Long Beach; it’s a precise peculiar portion of me.”

Fong’s son, Lawrence, said his dada has already taken the virtual enactment but inactive wants to run/walk connected Sunday.

He said his begetter had a unsmooth twelvemonth opening successful December, erstwhile helium contracted COVID-19 and mislaid his equilibrium due to the fact that of it.

“It’s dilatory returning truthful luckily helium was capable to bash the virtual option,” his lad said. “He wants to spell to the contention connected Sunday but said it depends connected however he’s feeling.”

That determination — to tally the marathon nary substance what — defines the Legacy Runners.

Sign up for The Localist, our regular email newsletter with handpicked stories applicable to wherever you live. Subscribe here.