In the crowd of 50,000 people running the New York City Marathon, there is an elite group of athletes that stands out: the streakers. They aren’t known for being at the front of the pack and no, they’re not that type of streaker. Rather, the streakers are elite because of how many NYC Marathons each of them has run, and near the top of that list is Craftsbury running camper Jim Mahony, at 40 marathons. I’ll say that again: 40. 40 New York City Marathons! And that’s 40 in a row, consecutive, without missing a year, back-to-back-to-back-to…. you get the idea - Jim’s streak is unbroken and still alive.

“Most of the guys that are ahead of me [on the streakers list] are in their 70s. So I’ve got some age on my side,” Jim says. “I think what we’re all trying to do at this point is get to 50. I’m hoping that, God willing I stay healthy, that I can do it.”

Jim ran his first NYC Marathon at age 26, in 1981, the first year it was televised by ABC. He was one of around 12,000 competitors in that year’s race. “It was just something that was there in front of me and I said, ‘Yeah I’d like to take a shot at it,’ and off I went,” Jim says. He had started running after college as a way to stay in shape that didn’t rely on anyone else’s schedule. Local races pulled him into the competitive scene and well, he hasn’t stopped.

“It’s probably one of the best days of the year in New York. Because everyone is pulling for one another. Everyone is upbeat about it. It really is like a gigantic block party.”

“After I did it the first time I said I had to come back because I just missed 4 hours,” he says, “And the next year I did come back and started breaking 4 hours. Probably after the 2nd or 3rd one I was like, well I’m going to keep going just to see how fast I could go. I think my 5th or 6th one was my best one. I did 3:39. Then it was like, I’ll keep going.”

Jim finishing his 6th NYC Marathon in 1986.

Back then, it wasn’t as competitive to get into the marathon. What was most important was just to follow the entry rules and you’d get a spot. Mainly, your application had to be postmarked by a certain date. “Back then everyone showed up at the main post office in NYC around midnight and dropped in their application.” It was that easy. As the years went on, the organizers put up more obstacles to get in but Jim was fortunate to gain entry for the first 15 years. After that, once he was designated as a streaker, he was granted automatic race starts.

About 14 years into his streak, Jim had surgery on his meniscus. “I had knee surgery and I thought for sure I’d stop. But then I was turning 40 and I thought I’d give it to myself as a birthday present… I was able to schedule [the surgery] in the spring so I really only missed about two months of training.” After that, what could stop him? Well, his other meniscus eventually needed surgery but Jim had already figured out how to not miss a marathon for that. But besides that, Jim’s body has held up remarkably well. “Fortunately, God kind of blessed me with a body, that knock on wood, that I’ve been able to keep doing this.”

And what’s more? Jim’s training has only gotten better. About 5 years ago, Jim’s wife saw an article about another NYC runner who talked about the Craftsbury running camps. So Jim signed up and went to the Northeast Kingdom. “One of the benefits of coming up to Craftsbury was that I got to see what a real, organized, training program could be. I’d never had anybody coach me.” During Covid, Jim had phone calls with former running director, Heidi Caldwell, about how he could improve his training. He started incorporating intervals, long runs, and hills into his program and also started stretching and even sleeping better.

“I’m still not going to break the times I had 20 years ago, but I’m still doing it. I’m 66 years old and I can still do this. There aren’t too many other people I know that can do this at my age. I’m not going to break any world records or win too many age group races but I’m still out there having a good time with it,” Jim says.

Coming to Craftsbury running camps not only improved his training but also brought Jim into a more robust running community. At the All-Comers camp, Jim met like-minded people, people he could train with and connect with. “It’s a different breed,” he says. “Not everyone is into running, but these people are, so that’s what’s good about it. We’re all at different stages of our lives, but this is one thing that kind of brings us together.”

And after going back the last four years and maintaining the relationships via zoom calls and emails, Jim says, “It’s almost like an extended family.”

This past year, there were 9 runners from Craftsbury camps that ran in the NYC Marathon. So Jim organized a call to pass along the knowledge he’s gathered over the last 40 years. Advice mainly centers on logistics - what he claims is the hardest part of the marathon for many people.

At the start line of the 2022 race, in the crowd of 50,000 people, he ran into friend and fellow Craftsbury camper, Ron Bernier. That’s serendipity.

Jim has completed 40 NYC Marathons and is headed for 50, in a row.

Besides the growth of the marathon in terms of racers and spectators, the change in the event that has stood out the most for Jim is the ability to track competitors. Since the beginning, Jim’s family has come out to watch him run. Before tracking, they were always guessing where he would be. Now, besides their guaranteed meet-up spot at the 25 mile mark, Jim’s family can follow him throughout the whole day.

“That’s been a big support to me, that my family has been behind it,” Jim says. “They understand it so that’s good.” Jim’s kids are grown now and his son has gotten into running. They’ve gotten to start the last 3 New Yorks together. And last year, his son qualified for the Boston Marathon so for a change, Jim was a spectator and supporter for that race.

Jim’s goals don’t stop at running 50 NYC Marathons. He’s also on his way to running a marathon in each of the 50 states. In April, after running the Salisbury Marathon in Maryland, he’ll be up to 14 states. So the plan is to do 2 marathons per year, each in a new state, plus New York. But the focus will always be on streaking New York. “If I don’t hit all 50 states that’s all right. I’ve got to get to 50 New Yorks,” he says.

That’ll be in 2032. What will help him get there? The Craftsbury running community and his family.

“The camaraderie that I get by coming up to camp is something that has really helped me, especially the past few years,” he says. “I enjoy meeting these people, because the people at camp, I can relate to them. We’re all different people and we come from different backgrounds but the whole idea of running is built into us and we enjoy it and we go out and talk about it and at the end of the day we can sit and laugh about it and have a good time with it and it’s just neat being around other runners. It’s different from joining a running club or anything like that. These people are special people.”

“Between them and my real family it’s what’s really helped me, especially in the last few years, to keep going and I’m hoping that I can keep going as far as I can.”

A 40 Year Streak, and Counting, at the New York City Marathon