PORT ANGELES — Chuck Milliman thought his first marathon in 1973 would be his last.
“I told myself I would never punish myself like that ever again,” said Milliman, 77.
On Sunday, the retired pastor from Sequim will lace up his running shoes for his fourth straight North Olympic Discovery Marathon and his 57th marathon overall.
“I enjoy the camaraderie of getting out and being with people and just running,” he said, adding that running helps him manage stress and stay in shape.
Running courses
Registered for the four main races this year are 2,030 people.
The 26.2-mile North Olympic Discovery Marathon begins at Sequim’s Carrie Blake Park at 9 a.m.
The scenic course follows the Olympic Discovery Trail to the finish line at Port Angeles City Pier.
The popular 13.1-mile half-marathon begins at 9 a.m. at the Agnew soccer fields near the corner of Old Olympic Highway and Barr Road.
It also follows the Olympic Discovery Trail to Hollywood Beach and the City Pier.
Also starting at 9 a.m. are the Olympic Medical Center 5K and 10K runs, both of which are-out-and-back events on the Olympic Discovery Trail beginning and ending at City Pier.
A 1.2-mile kids marathon is planned for 4 p.m. Saturday.
An awards ceremony for the adult events is planned for 11:30 a.m. at City Pier near Port Angeles CrabHouse Restaurant.
Registration is closed for all events except the kids marathon.
Although Milliman said he is “not a health nut,” the veteran runner once clocked a marathon in a swift 3 hours, 26 minutes.
His times have slowed over the years — Milliman ran last year’s North Olympic Discovery Marathon in 5 hours, 37 minutes and hopes to run a 5:25 on Sunday — but he is showing no signs of letting up.
78 miles on 78th birthday
If he can find a way to raise money for charity, Milliman plans to run 78 miles on his 78th birthday in November.
“I’m going to try it,” he said.
Milliman got a late start in distance running. He was 39 when his sons, Phillip and Bruce, both of whom were track athletes, urged their father to start running.
At first, Milliman was disappointed in how long it took to cover a short distance, but his strength and endurance eventually caught up with his will.
“After that, I just keep running,” he said.
Since his first marathon in Seaside, Ore., Chuck Milliman’s wife, Shirley, his daughter, Kim, and two sons have logged in marathons as a family.
Chuck and Kim Milliman took first place in the father-daughter division of Seaside marathon.
Milliman compared the North Olympic Discovery Marathon with the Seaside race because of its varying but not-too-steep topography and unpredictable winds.
“It can be terrible,” he said of the headwinds along the Strait of Juan de Fuca as runners make their way into Port Angeles.
“You never know what the weather is going to do.”
Sunday’s forecast calls for a chance of showers with a high of around 60 degrees and a northwest wind of about 7 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
Milliman, who took a two-year hiatus from running after he underwent heart bypass surgery in 2001, isn’t the only 70-something entered in Sunday’s events.
70 and older
Eighteen athletes who are 70 or older registered for one of the four main races.
At 82, the oldest competitor is signed up for the 5K run.
There are three 70- or 80-somethings signed up for the 5K, four signed up for the 10K and nine registered for the half marathon.
A 73-year-old man is signed up for the marathon walk, which starts two hours before the marathon at the same starting line.
Milliman altered his training regimen this year to eliminate the short distance runs. He ran no less than six miles a time.
His typical routine would be a six- to eight-mile run followed by one day of rest, then a 16- to 20-mile run followed by two days of rest.
“The challenge for me is staying motivated to get out every day and put in the miles,” Milliman said.
To augment his training, Milliman parked on the far end of parking lots to put in the extra walking.
After decades of wear and tear on his muscles and joints, the 5-foot-10, 165-pound Milliman is currently blessed with a clean bill of health.
“God has been good to me,” he said. “I don’t have anything wrong.”
Milliman draws on his running experience to push through the pain of the last six miles of a marathon. He remembers how hard it was to finish his first marathon.
“I though I would never finish it,” he said.
More training
Milliman plans to use his fourth North Olympic Discovery Marathon as a springboard to even more training.
His sons have urged him to try to qualify for the Boston Marathon.
He would have to incorporate more speed work and complete a marathon in 4 hours, 45 minutes to qualify for Boston in his age division.
“That’s kind of in the back of my mind — way back there,” Milliman said.
One of the things that Milliman likes about the North Olympic Discovery Marathon is the number of volunteer-staffed aid stations that provide water, sports drinks, snacks and energy gels.
“They give you aid when you need it,” he said.
What he doesn’t like about his home marathon is seeing Port Angeles when the Discovery Trail makes a left at the mouth of Morse Creek.
“At Mile 22, you can see the finish line,” he said. “It just goes on and on.”
But it’s all part of the fun for a runner.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
