MARATHON MARVEL OLDEST RACE ENTRANT STILL ON THE RUN AT 88.Byline: Staff Writer ENCINO - Ernie Van Leeuwen - at 88, the oldest entrant in Sunday's Los Angeles Marathon The Los Angeles Marathon is an annual marathon held in Los Angeles, California since 1986. It was inspired by the success of the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles. The race starts at about 8:15AM and runs through Downtown Los Angeles, Koreatown, the Crenshaw district, and - runs for his health, to win and to bring attention to his environmental causes. But mostly the retired Encino electrical engineer runs just because he can. Van Leeuwen, who took up running when he was in his 50s, wins more often than not, as his nearly 100 trophies and medals show. It doesn't matter whether he's running in a 5-kilometer, 10-kilometer or marathon. He has so many medals they sound like a wind chime Noun 1. wind chime - a decorative arrangement of pieces of metal or glass or pottery that hang together loosely so the wind can cause them to tinkle wind bell decoration, ornament, ornamentation - something used to beautify when he runs his fingers through them. ``He wants to dance every dance when we go to a party. I want to sit one out, and I'm 20-something years younger than him,'' said his wife, Nina. ``He's able to get up in the attic In the Attic can refer to:
Sunday's marathon will be the sixth Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. and seventh overall 26.2-mile race for Van Leeuwen. His best time is 6 hours, 6 minutes, and he has won the 80-98 age category of the L.A. race five times. The rain and cold of last year's race caused him to finish second in 6:50:32. Van Leeuwen was named USA Track and Field's Masters Long Distance Running Outstanding Male Athlete of 1998 and is listed among the USATF's top Masters performers in the 80-84 division, having run five kilometers in 29:43 and 10 kilometers in 1:05:20. ``This is just phenomenal,'' said Russell Ernst, a young man of 53 and Van Leeuwen's friend. ``I just had (knee) surgery, so my running days might be over, and he's running marathons. If we're walking at 88, we feel lucky, and he's running marathons.'' Van Leeuwen no longer notices the double takes he gets when he lines up for another marathon. He has been running for 35 years, long before it was fashionable. He never considered himself athletically inclined and didn't start running until he read a 1966 Reader's Digest Reader's Digest U.S.-based monthly magazine. Founded by DeWitt and Lila Wallace, it was first published in 1922 as a digest of articles of topical interest and entertainment value condensed from other periodicals. article, which he still has, about an Air Force training regimen. ``It was good enough for the fellows,'' he said. ``I felt it was good for me. If that helps me, then I'll do it. . . . My son was always athletic, so I followed his example.'' He started jogging a block and walking a block, then expanded to a couple of blocks, then a mile. Before long, he entered races and won most of them. ``He's tenacious te·na·cious adj. 1. Clinging to another object or surface; adhesive. 2. Holding together firmly; cohesive. tenacious viscid; adhesive. and real determined and keeps going, one foot after another,'' Ernst said. ``I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. how he does it.'' One reason Van Leeuwen said he runs is to bring awareness to his pet environmental concern: human overpopulation overpopulation Situation in which the number of individuals of a given species exceeds the number that its environment can sustain. Possible consequences are environmental deterioration, impaired quality of life, and a population crash (sudden reduction in numbers caused by . When he runs, he wears a cap that says ``Earth Repair Service,'' which is his nonprofit organization Nonprofit Organization An association that is given tax-free status. Donations to a non-profit organization are often tax deductible as well. Notes: Examples of non-profit organizations are charities, hospitals and schools. devoted to educating people about environmental issues. He also has an Internet site. CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: ( 1 -- color) At 88, retired Encino electrical engineer Ernie Van Leeuwen is the oldest entrant in the L.A. Marathon. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer (2) ERNIE VAN LEEUWEN Multiple medal winner |
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