Senior citizen aims to run seven marathons in seven days; Cape is his sixth stop

On Friday morning, while many Southeast Missouri residents will be waking up and getting ready for work, 70-year-old Mike Brooks will be running a marathon on Cape Girardeau’s Cape LaCroix Trail.

It will be his sixth marathon in as many days.

On Saturday, he will get up and run another.

A marathon is 26.2 miles long. Brooks aims to complete seven of them in seven days in an effort to raise $15,000 for Camp Sunshine, a free-of-charge retreat in Maine for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.

“Last year, we hosted nearly 700 families from 42 states and around a dozen countries,” Michael Smith, development director at Camp Sunshine, said.

Brooks ran occasionally during his younger years but began in earnest during the winter of 1994 as a 49-year-old, 235-pound fire chief in Auburn, Maine, with a two-pack-a-day smoking habit.

He began getting into shape by training for a 150-mile bike ride in support of a friend with multiple sclerosis.

After that, he began running to work each day, which was a six-mile commute.

He went slowly at first but eventually picked up stamina and speed.

He kicked his smoking habit and fell in love with the sport of running.

Brooks’ first race was five miles, he said. From there, they got longer. His longest race was 491 miles over 10 days.

“It was run by a spiritual group,” Brooks said, “because you have to be a little nuts to do that.”

Not long after Brooks took up running, he began raising funds for Camp Sunshine.

His first race for the camp was the Badwater Ultramarathon, a 135-mile race across Death Valley, California.

“He raised $25,000 in that race,” Smith said.

Over the years, Brooks has raised nearly $60,000 for the camp.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Brooks had finished his fourth marathon in the seven-race series with a time of about 7 hours and 40 minutes.

With an arthritic knee, a herniated disk in his back and deteriorating heart valves, he’s not as fast as he was, having once qualified for the Boston Marathon with a time of 3:38 when he was in his 50s. But his race schedule still is busy.

“I run 70 races a year,” Brooks said. “Thirty-five of them are marathons or ultramarathons.”

Brooks does not train for his races.

“I do what I like to do, and I don’t like training,” Brooks said.

His recovery efforts between each of the seven marathons are minimal as well. As his brother drives him to the next race, he rubs his legs and drinks some Gatorade.

“There’s a three-hour drive between races, so what can you do?” Brooks said.

But, he said, his body has acclimated to his running habit, and because he doesn’t run very fast, his need for recovery isn’t great.

“I’m not setting any world records,” he said. “I just want to finish, have fun and raise money.”

Brooks is nearing his fundraising goal for this series. Smith said his organization is humbled by Brooks’ ability and his selection of Camp Sunshine as his charity of choice.

But more than the funds, Smith said, he appreciates the awareness Brooks’ efforts bring to the charity.

“I’ll be thrilled if this results in families from the area learning about and being able to attend Camp Sunshine,” Brooks said.

Brooks’ Sevens for Camp Sunshine Challenge is part of the Riverboat Series, hosted by Mainly Marathons, and is sponsored by The Finish Line Youth Foundation.

The series takes place in seven states along the Mississippi River.

The Cape Girardeau leg of the race begins at 6:30 a.m. Friday on the La Croix Trail near the Osage Centre.

According to the Mainly Marathons website, runners will take an out-and-back route five times for a half-marathon and 10 times for a full.

The marathon series will end Saturday in Vienna, Illinois.

bbrown@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

Pertinent address:

1625 N. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau MO

www.campsunshine.com