| | Published May 1st, 2019
| Orinda resident completes her 33rd consecutive Boston Marathon
| | | By Jon Kingdon |  | | Pre Marathon: David, Gavin, Eric, Patty and Mailee |
There are not a lot of things that you can really rely on these days. The sun still rises in the east and sets in the west. The New England Patriots continue to dominate in the NFL, the Oakland Raiders remain a team in flux and Orinda resident Patty Hung has for the 33rd consecutive year run the Boston Marathon.
At the age of 73, Hung completed the race in 5:10:19, averaging 11:51 per mile, finishing 5:43 faster than she did last year. Despite being the women with the longest consecutive streak in running the race, there was no official acknowledgement by the race officials but there was among her fellow racers. There is a group that celebrates the runners that have run the race at least 25 straight times, says Hung: "It's called the Quarter Century Club that is sort of a family. A lot of this group gets together for the pre-race dinner and they highlight the runners with the most consecutive races. However, I usually miss it to spend time with my family that lives back there."
Despite all of the rain these past few months, it did not stop Hung from her usual three-month training period. In fact, she thought it was going to be great preparation for the rain that was predicted for the race. Last year, it was very cold and wet and Hung was well prepared for those conditions, but as it turned out, she was over-prepared this year: "There was a huge rain storm before the race but the sun came out just as the race started and it got really warm. I had to take off my jacket and wrap it around my waist until the 13th mile where I met my children Eric, David and their half-sister Mailee and I was able to give them the jacket. It began to rain the last three miles and after it being so hot, the rain was glorious. In New England, if you don't know what the weather will be like, just wait a minute and then you'll know."
Under the tutelage of her boyfriend, Don Mixon, Hung does make some adjustments to age: "As I get older, it's more of a challenge psychology and mentally. I always check in with my son David who lives in Minnesota where he is training for the Rochester Marathon in May. When you're older, you're more prone to getting sick or injured, but through the past 33 years, I have been injury free for the most part and that's the amazing part. The challenge to staying healthy is on top of me."
Besides the race, it's family that keeps bringing Hung back to Boston: "I stay with my cousins Jack and Nancy. Their daughter Hannah ran part of the race with me and I met up with her at the end of the race, along with Jack, Nancy, their son Drew and his fiance Annie. They were just a few of the relatives that were there for me."
It's reaching the 13th mile that Hung most anticipates: "At that point, I meet up with all of my family and it's just so exciting. Prior to the bombing, my son Eric would begin to run with me from that point, but since then you can't even walk in the race without being registered."
Hung has already committed to running at least two more marathons: "I still enjoy it. I'm already looking forward to next year and hope to improve my time again. I will be more attentive to my clothing. When I run my 35th marathon (2021), my sons Eric and David will be running with me." |
 | | Patty Hung and her cousin Hannah Photos provided | | | | | | | | | | | |
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA