Stories From Main Street: New Rochelle Man Runs 100 Marathons
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- As the legend goes, in 490 B.C. a Greek messenger ran roughly 26 miles from Marathon, Greece, to Athens. He announced the Greeks had defeated the Persians -- and then he died.
Running a marathon is a Herculean feat. Tom Dente from New Rochelle has run 100, roughly one per month for the past several years.
"I feel good," Dente told WCBS 880's Sean Adams. "I feel excited. I think, again, for me, it's just been an extraordinary set of experiences in meeting so many people. And just think about the New York City Marathon for a second -- 50,000 people, 130-plus countries, Achilles runners, Olympians, all the different runners of all different abilities, and you get to be part of that."
Dente started the odyssey when his wife was being treated for breast cancer. It was his way of showing solidarity -- they would struggle together.
"My wife, Liz, was finishing chemotherapy at that time, and then within the type of breast cancer that she had, getting to the five-year mark was important, so for me and for her and for our family, it was a nice reminder to say: 'Let's focus on the next five years. Let's think about the next five years as a series of milestones that we work through, and let's use the marathon running to do that,'" Dente said.
After five years, he kept on going. The Havana Marathon earlier this month marked his 100th marathon.
"For me, just personally it's always inspiring to be out there," he said. " ... Just this past year, I've had a chance to run in Paris, I've had a chance to run in Manchester, I had a chance to run in Kilimanjaro."
As he turns 50, Dente now has a chance to reflect on all of those miles under foot.
"There's so many possibilities for anyone individually and for all of us collectively, just to think about 'what's the next chapter mean?' and 'what can you take on?'" he said.