Mark Harris reaches his goal — a marathon in each of 50 states

Mark Harris with his family on completion of his "final" marathon in Hilo, Hawaii, December 19.

A little more than two years ago, we caught up with Manchester native Mark Harris, as he had just completed his 48th marathon in Taos, New Mexico — and he was on his way to finishing up his goal of 50 marathon in 50 states the following year.

And then, COVID.

Obviously, Mark didn't finish up in 2020.

But in 2021, he got back on track and completed his last two marathons — in Alaska and most recently, Hawaii on December 19.

A 1996 graduate of Manchester High School and the son of Terry and Kathy Harris of Manchester, Mark now lives in Downers Grove, IL, with his wife and their three daughters. Back in 2006, 10 years out of high school, he trained for and ran in the Chicago Marathon. As often happens, he was hooked after that, and got this "crazy idea" to run a marathon in each state. "I love to see out-of-the-way spots and this could be a reason to do it," he decided.

He's seen plenty of out of the way places in the past 15 years — running as many as five or six marathons some years. His best race time was in Des Moines, Iowa, at 4:12. Last month, in Hawaii, he finished at a respectable 4:41, just a little under his "average" time for all races of 4:45.

Of his final race, Mark said, "It was fantastic and beautiful out there. The run started at the top of a volcano in the town of Volcano, and dropped 4,000 feet during the race to finish in Hilo."

His travels have taken Mark, and often his family, to many amazing places; his favorite being Acadia National Park on Mt. Desert Island in Maine. "But there were many that I loved," he says. "Taos, NM, Death Valley, CA, and Duluth, MN."

For now, Mark says he's officially retired from marathons, and instead looks forward to doing 5K races with his family. "The only way I can see un-retiring is if one of my kids wants me to run one with them," he says. My daughter Isla (11) has asked me if I would, and I would have a hard time saying no!"

What lessons has Mark learned from his experiences?

"There have been many lessons imparted to me over these 15 years," he muses. "Patience, perseverance, and fellowship amongst many others. Probably the most important lesson, though, is to take advantage of the opportunities I have been given in life and say 'yes' to new adventures."

What may be the next adventure for Mark Harris? "I was recently turned on by a friend to a canoe race in south Texas that piqued my interest. It is a 260 mile race over 3 days, which only 40% of entrants typically complete."

The canoe race is in June ... stay tuned!

Back at home in Illinois, a celebration awaited.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.