Larry Moon doesn’t let a little thing like age stop him from doing big things.
And over his 83 years, the Omaha, NE native has built quite the running resume.
Since 1977, Moon has run forty-five Chicago marathon starts, and a total of seventy marathons.
His approach is simple. He enjoys the excitement of competing and being outdoors among other runners. Not only has Moon run in every Bank of America Chicago Marathon since 1977, but he’s also run marathons in San Francisco, Detroit, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Boston.
“[Running in marathons, has] always been an exhilarating experience for me,” Moon said.
Even more impressive, Moon didn’t begin running until he was thirty-six years old.
He was a heavy smoker from the time he was in college until his mid-thirties. One day he decided to quit and take up running. And he hasn’t stopped since.
But not everyone has supported his running journey. At one point in his life, a close friend cast doubt on Moon’s ability to continue running marathons as he aged. But Moon was eager to prove that friend wrong.
“That’s one thing that kept me motivated for forty-seven years,” he said.
For many marathon runners, running in the Boston Marathon is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Fortunately for Moon, he qualified for it after running in the Lake County Marathon in 1981.
“One of my favorites [marathons] was the Lake County Marathon, he said. “That’s where I ran my best marathon, and I qualified for the Boston Marathon with that race.”
He has endured some challenging course conditions over the years, from extreme heat to running in slush.
During one race, the heat index reached 89 degrees. After crossing the finish line, Moon became dehydrated and suddenly his vision went black.
“I remember I was down on the ground, crawling on all fours and could not see,” he said.
But Moon persevered from that experience and didn’t stop training and competing in marathons. He could have given up, but he reminded himself of why he pressed on.
He said it’s because he sees so many elderly people stop being active. And that motivates him to keep moving and remain fit.
“I see people my age that don’t work out and what it does to them” he said. “It keeps me working out [and staying active].”
He also keeps a youthful outlook on life by including younger friends in his social circle. And he does fun activities with his family.
Sadly, Moon has had many friends and family members pass away, but he continues to live life to the fullest because he knows that the days are uncertain.
Moon doesn’t look too far in the future or dwell on his plans. He tries to live every day in the moment.
“I don’t have any plans beyond tomorrow,” he said.
Last August, he went to Montana for some white-water rafting, kayaking, and hiking with his family. And his family has gained inspiration from his marathon efforts. His nephew, son, and daughter-in-law have taken an interest in running marathons too.
As of now, he continues to train for the 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
Moon’s connection to Mercy Home was former Kellogg’s CEO Jim Jenness, a long-time supporter of the Home and our Heroes team. Moon and Jenness where coworkers at Chicago ad agency Leo Burnett. Since the dawn of the Mercy Home Heroes program, Moon has been considered an honorary member. And he has run with the Chicago Area Running Association (CARA) in past marathons.
This year he hopes to cross Chicago marathon number forty-sixth off his list.
