Richard Busa (born October 30, 1929) is an amateur

runner Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. Running is a type of gait characterized by an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is ...

from

Marlborough, Massachusetts Marlborough is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 41,793 at the 2020 census. Marlborough became a prosperous industrial town in the 19th century and made the transition to high technology industry in the ...

who has run in over 70

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

s and 61

ultra marathon An ultramarathon, also called ultra distance or ultra running, is any footrace longer than the traditional marathon length of . Various distances are raced competitively, from the shortest common ultramarathon of to over . 50k and 100k are bot ...

s. He ran th
Vermont 100
which is 100 miles nonstop, at age 72, becoming the oldest person to complete the race.Wolfe, Andrew
"78-year-old has completed many races and is still going"
''Nashua Telegraph'', 27 October 2007.

Biography

Busa attended Boston University. He was 53 years of age when he ran his first marathon. He also dropped out of his first race in 1948. Busa pitched for a Minor League Baseball team in Texas in 1950, then served in the U.S. Army for three years during the Korean War; for his service he was decorated with the

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against an e ...

. In addition to marathons, Busa has raced in over 60 snowshoe races. He is a local celebrity in Massachusetts. A 10- or 5.3-mile race named after him, the Busa Bushwhack Trail Race,Busa Bushwhack information
Greater Framingham Running Club website. Retrieved 17 January 2012. has been held annually at Callahan State Park in Framingham since 2003.

References

Living people 1929 births American male marathon runners People from Marlborough, Massachusetts Sportspeople from Middlesex County, Massachusetts American masters athletes Recipients of the Silver Star Boston University alumni 20th-century American sportsmen {{US-longdistance-athletics-bio-stub