By Sue Stefko
(Appeared in the Glebe Report, October 2024)
To say John Stoddart is ‘into running’ is somewhat of an understatement. John is one of only two people to have completed every single Ottawa marathon since the event started in 1975. So far – and he is quick to point out that he’s not done yet! – John has run in 50 Ottawa marathons.
While he was always into sports, playing football, baseball, hockey, biking and more, John didn’t take up running on as its own sport until he was 30. Always having a competitive streak, he read Dr Kenneth Cooper’s book called ‘Aerobics’, which devised a points system for keeping track of health. Not being one to back down from a challenge, even one he imposed on himself, he started running, racking up the cardiovascular points, and never looking back.
He wasn’t always into distance running – he started with relatively short distances, and used to train by running as fast as he could each training run. In fact, he remembers one of his first training runs ever – he ran from Plymouth Street to Hogsback and back – in dress shoes, perhaps for the extra challenge! Over time, his training techniques have become more sophisticated – alternating between long, slow distance runs to increase his endurance, with interval runs to improve his speed. He attributes his training method to remaining remarkably injury free over his long running career, even though he eschewed common training practices such as incorporating rest days. He in fact went through a period where he ran every single day – a streak he maintained for five whole years.
His commitment to the sport helped him achieve some fantastic times – he ran a personal best (PB) in 1981 of 2:44.36, which averages to an incredible 3:55 minutes per kilometre. However, it’s not just about the PBs for John – it’s the overall experience. This year’s marathon was one of his most memorable. Suffering from sciatic and hamstring issues, John was unable to do much training, only logging a few runs in the months prior to race day. Determined not to give up his streak, he walked the majority of the marathon. He took so much time that the water stations had shut down, and he had run out of water when he came upon a police officer he met earlier in the race. The officer biked alongside him for the rest of the course, ensuring he received water, blocking off intersections, and even arranging an 8 motorcycle police escort to take him through to the finish line – nearly 8 and a half hours after he started. It was certainly a race to remember.
This is so obvious it may not need stating, but if it’s not clear by now, John really isn’t into giving up, although he prefers the word ‘determined’ to ‘stubborn’. In addition to his most recent challenges, in his second marathon, John suffered from a strained achilles tendon. To help reduce the strain on his body, his father drove him to the start line, but John never actually considered not doing the race. Similarly, in 2007, diagnosed with sciatica and in significant pain, he had to run the marathon with the aid of crutches.
The other person who has tied his perfect completion record, Howard Cohen, is 10 years John’s junior, and was John’s physician for nearly 50 years. He’s talked to John about possibly switching to the half marathon, given their respective ages, but John is having none of it.
Running is such an important part of his life that it’s helped determine where John lives. He grew up in the Glebe Annex but moved away when he was 16. No matter where he lived, however, continuing to live near the canal, his favourite training ground, was a significant consideration. When a condominium unit came up at the Lakelander 13 years ago, John walked into the unit and immediately felt at home. Not only did he love the layout, but the building is about 500 metres from the canal. He was sold. In the winter, given inconsistent canal maintenance, John often pivots to running the length of nearby Clemow Ave in the Glebe. The wide sidewalks and beautiful homes make for a pleasant backdrop, and he knows every distance along the way, going back and forth to get his 42 kilometres in.
These days, John again suffers from sciatic pain and has had to tone down his training. He’s doing walking interval training and still cycles, but not surprisingly, has every intention of running the full marathon again in 2025.
John with his medal in recognition of 50 years of completing the Ottawa Marathon – photo by Gabrielle Dallaporta
