Marathon feature - Rutten
Highlight on runners coming to Abilene

Leo Rutten, Abilene, finishes 5 minutes ahead of the next male in his 65-69 age bracket at the Surf City Marathon in Huntington Beach, CA., Feb. 1.  Rutten will run in the Eisenhower Marathon April 11 in Abilene.

Abilene resident Leo Rutten plans to run his 111th marathon in Abilene, wearing bib #41 at the Eisenhower Marathon April 11, and at age 65 he hopes to finish the 26.2-mile course in 3 hours and 20 minutes.

“I ran my best race in 13 years at the Little Rock Marathon March 15, taking first in my age bracket by 50 minutes,” Rutten said.  “The effort of marathon race day hurts, with the difficult part being holding pace in the last miles. I offer up the pain of the marathon for the unborn and aborted babies and it helps me finish.”

Rutten describes running as a spiritual experience in which people get used to spending many hours by themselves.

“If you want to excel, it is difficult to find people with enough dedication to train with,” Rutten said. “I have a supportive wife in all my endeavors that makes things work. If I can find a golf course where Jane and I can play golf before and after the marathon, she’ll go along. The moral of the story is you must be prepared to go it alone for a marathon.”

Rutten attributes his running ability to training under tough running conditions.

“Midwestern runners are real competitive in any field,” Rutten said, “probably because we have to deal with winters and wind. By the end of 2008, I logged 48,350 miles of running, 41,101 miles of biking, 1052 miles of swimming and 5,646,623 situps.”

Rutten began running marathons after a friend challenged him in 1977.

“A friend and I were talking and he told me had done a marathon. I thought if he could do a marathon, I could, too, so I dug out my J.C. Penny shoes and threw away my cigarettes and started training,” Rutten said. “I was a three-pack-a-day guy, so that was no small task. I was overweight, smoking cigarettes, drinking too much beer, so my life needed some improvement.”

Rutten followed a pattern of running one mile and walking one.

“I did run 4 miles the first time out and about crippled myself,” Rutten said. “I found the miracle of aspirin.”

Rutten ran his first marathon in 4 hours and 45 minutes in Omaha in September, 1978. He ran daily until 1986 and then began cross training to avoid injuries.

“I had many shin splints, stress fractures and other injuries from running too much,” Rutten said. “I started mixing in cycling with my running and my injuries basically went away. My weekly limit is running 50 miles per week and I rarely go over 40 in three days. Since my early 20s I have worked out with weights.”

Rutten’s average training time is two to two-and-a-half hours daily. Swimming will start soon in his preparation for his triathlon season which lasts from May to November, culminating usually with an Ironman competition.

“My personal best was achieved in the Ironman Distance Event in Oklahoma City this past year, finishing in 12 hours and 7 minutes,” Rutten said. “I ran several sub-three-hour marathons after age 45, the best being 2:56:30 in Lincoln, NE, in 1988. However, as I turn 66 in April, I will need a 3:20:59 marathon to get into the National Rankings.” With Abilene’s course being labeled as very fast by Colorado’s Gannon White, who won the Eisenhower during the past three years, Rutten’s goal may be in sight.

Rutten says that weight control is his hardest challenge.

“I like to race at 122 pounds with body fat under 7 percent, which is difficult to maintain,” Rutten said. “Today I weigh 129, but Ironman training this summer will take off pounds.”

Rutten advises beginning runners to start slowly and build up over time.

“Be patient with your body and it will respond. Running does not injure people, it is people who injure themselves by taking on too many miles before they are ready,” Rutten said. “You have to walk before you run. To run a marathon properly, a year of training is needed. The long run before a marathon is 20 miles. If you can’t muster that, don’t run the marathon.”

Rutten is training to be a Chi Running and Walking instructor, which is a style of running that helps keep participants injury free. He hopes to gain his certificate by mid summer.

“I wish I could tell others what a great feeling it is to be in shape,” Rutten said. “I see many runners who are injured and blame the sport. I’ve been running for more than 31 years with very few injuries. The secret is simple; keep the weight down and do something every day.”

Rutten’s wife teaches at St. Andrews School in Abilene.