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Runner Spotlight: Roy Youngberg
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April 2010
Roy Youngberg of Alberta, Canada and Oahu, Hawaii is 63 years old and has run 35 marathons. He has been married for 40 years, has three children and two grandchildren. His business of importing sunglasses and novelties takes him from Canada to Hawaii in the winter where he not only discovered his love of running later in life, but has connected with some special friends. Here is his story.
I started running late in life. I was in Hawaii during the Honolulu Marathon and watched some of the runners finishing. A friend of mine said anyone could run a marathon if they trained with the proper method. I thought I would give myself a fiftieth birthday present by running the Honolulu Marathon. I was 49 years old when I finished and have now run that race 15 times. I run marathons now because I don’t know any better and running sets me free. It gives me a place in the world wherever I go. I use to run with music but I soon started to love hearing the world around me; the birds, the trees, the snow, the leaves. Whether I run in Beijing, Los Angeles or Devon, Canada (my hometown), I feel free. My favorite place to run is Mount Tantulus in Hawaii. I have had the most incredible experiences on that mountain. Without spending too much time going over my log books, I believe I have ran 35 marathons; including ten in Big Sur, four in Las Vegas and Honolulu. I run a few 10ks, 15ks, and half marathon races during the year. Last year I ran in the World Master Games in Sydney, Australia. There were 28,000 athletes there taking part in 28 events. Big Sur is the most beautiful and hardest road marathon in the world, with a range of different climate conditions. Last year I decided to challenge myself by running two marathons in one week; The Boston to Big Sur Challenge. I needed to find a charity to sponsor my Boston race and I selected the American Liver Foundation. I was privileged to be selected for the Run for Research® team. After being selected to run for the American Liver Foundation, a friend in Honolulu was diagnosed with terminal liver disease and was not expected to live three months. Dave passed away in February. We belong to a group of runner called the Honolulu Hash House Harriers-the Hash for short. There are many groups of Hashers around the world…you have to phone the Hash line to find out where the run will be each week It is like a treasure hunt. One must follow clues such as marks made with chalk on the sidewalk or flour off road. Halfway through a run there may be a stash of beer and water to keep you going. At the end of the run there is a circle with beer and lots of laughter from friends. The Aloha Hash and the Honolulu Hash have been very generous in supporting the American Liver Foundation not only with donations but by telling everyone about the organization. They designed and sold a dry fit shirt and donated the proceeds to ALF and dedicated a Valentine’s Day run to the cause. The Hashers have inspired me to do more than I thought I could and have helped me focus on running two marathons in one week.
Many of my business suppliers are American companies and have sponsored me in the past so it was natural for them to give to the American Liver Foundation. I have sent emails to all my friends and family asking for their support in my challenge. I never expected the support to be so great. My initial goal was $5000. Last week, I decided that I wanted to set my sights higher and changed my goal to $12,000. I am not sure how much money I will raise, but I am grateful to everyone who has sponsored me. This is the first time that I have felt that I am running two marathons for more than myself; I am running them for others who have liver disease, are cured or have other types of cancer.
When I run Boston to Big Sur, I am dedicating certain miles to those who have suffered or are suffering and will pray and run with them on my mind during their mile.
To be truthful, running two prestigious marathons in one week scares me.
I want to finish both for my friends and family more than for myself and of course to all the ones who have suffered from cancer and liver disease.
