STOUGHTON - Bob Neufeld is an ordinary guy who, in his 30s, enjoyed going to the bars and just hanging out with friends. He knew this was not an extremely healthy lifestyle, and he wanted to change that.
Now, at age 64, Neufeld, who spends much of his time in Stoughton, is a man who embodies perseverance, discipline and a love for adventure. With an impressive record of 80 marathons under his belt, Neufeld has run in six continents, proving that age is no barrier to pursuing a person’s passion.
His journey into marathon running began when he was looking for a way to stay fit and healthy. What started as a simple fitness goal soon turned into a lifelong pursuit.
His first marathon was in Vancouver in May 1998. He will always remember this one, as it was his first and there was a profound sense of accomplishment when he crossed the finish line. It ignited a fire in him.
Neufeld scheduled a marathon in each following month, and by the time he finished his fifth one, he was exhausted, and not knowing whether he would be able to complete the others.
He said marathon running takes a great deal out of the body, and it needs time to recuperate after each run. Often runners will get sick afterwards.
Neufeld began to set bigger goals, one of which was to run a marathon in every continent.
His dedication to this goal led him to some of the most iconic and challenging events around the globe.
Running in the Boston Marathon was one he took part in because it was Boston, and he completed this one in April 2000, but shortly before that he ran in the Edmonton Journal Festival Marathon and recorded his best time running 42 kilometres in three hours, 12 minutes and eight seconds.
In November 2000, he travelled to Havana and participating in the Marathon de la Habana. He met with his Cuban friends and made a holiday out of it by going scuba diving.
On Sept. 23, 2001, the first Queen City Marathon (QCM) was held, and this is a memorable one for Neufeld, as he has continued to run in this event every year.
When Neufeld went to Rottnest Island, Australia, he took his mother with him so she could meet up with her pen pal of over 50 years in Perth. This gruelling marathon took place on Oct. 23, 2005.
Neufeld always made sure to make a trip out of his marathon runs, and when he went to Tanzania in March of 2007 to run in the Kilimanjaro marathon, he went on a safari afterwards.
The same year he ran in Pluck the Duck, Madge Lake-Duck Mountain. This was another race that was not easily forgotten when he saw a bear during his run.
His 2007 season did not end there. Neufeld traveled to Singapore to run his marathon and then went scuba diving in Thailand and Malaysia.
In 2008 he booked a marathon in Poznan, Poland, but this gave him the opportunity to visit family.
After running five marathons in 2009, he booked one in Nepal, called the Everest Marathon. It was his hope to see tigers in the wild of Nepal but settled for diving in Thailand.
For Neufeld's 64th marathon, he travelled to Santiago, Chile, in 2013.
Many of Neufeld’s runs are full marathons that are 42.2 kilometres long, and others are half marathons that are 21.1 km long, but he has also done several triathlons which consist of swimming, cycling and running.
He said the most difficult marathons were in South Africa, where the terrain is very unforgiving and hard. He went into the Comrades Marathon, one of his significant marathons that took 12 hours to complete. Afterwards he went on a safari and once again went scuba diving.
Completing marathons on six continents is an extraordinary achievement, but for Neufeld the journey is not just about the numbers, it is about the people he meets, the culture he experiences and the personal growth that comes from pushing beyond ones limits.
“Every marathon is a new adventure,” said Neufeld. “Each race teaches me something new about myself and the world.”
Now, with 80-plus marathons behind him, Neufeld hopes to continue as long as possible and maybe reach 100 marathons. This year he will run his 24th QCM, and he wants to make the 25th anniversary next year.
