Editor’s note: This is the second in a series on three articles in advance of the Brookings Marathon. For more information on a weekend of races May 10-11, go to brookingsmarathon.com

Loyalty is a strong point for River Falls, Wisconsin, runner Steve Schroeder. That partially explains why he has run the Brookings Marathon 12 times and will back in town May 11 to run the Brookings Half Marathon at age 81.

The other reasons for his return are family and an his appreciation for the event.

“I admire what the Prairie Striders have done,” said Schroeder, calling the nation’s third-longest consecutively run marathon “well-organized” and friendly. A veteran of 158 marathons, Schroeder’s list includes major marathons like Twin Cities and Chicago. “To experience the camaraderie and spirit of Prairie Striders and the people there is very special.

“Running through people’s backyards (on the Indian Hills bike trail), that’s a neat part of it. Another nice thing about Brookings, it’s easy for people to follow you. I like the size” of the race.

With about 125 marathoners and 250 half marathoners plus some 25 relay teams, there is a significant increase in traffic in Brookings, but the course remains open to vehicle traffic and the back half of the event does get a little sparse.

Judith Fullenkamp, his sister-in-law from Hartford, will be his course support. It’s a role she taken frequently and also will support Schroeder when he runs the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon in conjunction with Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota, in June. As in years past, he will host a prime rib dinner in Hartford for River Falls runners and South Dakota family members.

“People used to complain they would never be able to run the next day and one guy set a PR,” Schroeder said.

It’s a social thing

This year he will be accompanied by Lisa Thompson of River Falls. But she, like his niece, Vicky Rohl of Bruce, will be running their own race. Schroeder hopes to finish within three hours. But at this point, Schroeder’s goal isn’t time. Schroeder, who is the oldest competitor in the Brookings events, enjoys the social aspect.

“It’s been a social thing for me and very, very positive. As we get older, we’ve got to maintain contacts and running really helps that.”

Though he sold his actuary business in fall 2023, Schroeder still rises to join his running club at 6 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Blessed with good joints

Schroeder ran the Brookings Marathon 12 times between 2002 (age 59) and 2016. He has run the half marathon in 2017-19 and 2022. For much of those marathon years, his times remained consistently in the 4:30 to 4:40 range.

“I started late, so I had plenty of juice left,” jokes Schroeder, who, when he turns 82 on June 30, will have been a runner for exactly half of his life. His only joint injury in those years was some loose meniscus that required snipping a year and a half ago. An MRI was done in advance of the surgery. He discovered what he already knew.

“I’ve got good genetics” and he was happy to find out “I’ve got tons of cartilage down there. It took 40 years to mess them up and I hope to run another 40 years.”

‘I will crawl the damn thing if I have to’

Now that may be pushing things, but Schroeder certainly still has plenty of spirit.

His last marathon was in November at Madison, Wisconsin. His next one will be at Twin Cities in October, which will be his 40th running of that Midwest classic. He started one year after it began. He calls it “the most beautiful urban marathon. I will crawl the damn thing if I have to. It’s my favorite.”

He adds that after missing the 2023 Brookings event, “I’m very pleased to be coming back and I’m planning to keep coming back.”