At 83, He's Running His 51st NYC Marathon — and the Only Finisher of Every Race Since 1976

David Obelkevich, an 83-year-old retired public school teacher from the Upper West Side, is preparing to run his 51st New York City Marathon — and his 116th marathon overall. According to the New York Road Runners, he is the only person to have finished every NYC Marathon since the race expanded to all five boroughs in 1976. Obelkevich ran his first marathon in 1974 in Central Park on a whim, and his personal best stands at two hours and 40 minutes, set in 1982. In 2020, a blood clot in his leg threatened his streak, but he pushed through without missing a race. He met his wife, Lyn, through running and credits the connections he has made along the way as the reason he keeps going. Now expecting to walk much of the course, he remains unfazed. His advice to first-time runners is simple: pace and time are beside the point. "Anyone can start it, but it takes a good person to finish," he said.