John Naslund is a unicorn in the marathon world. He is a charter member of not one, but two iconic Minnesota marathons, meaning he has run every single Grandma’s Marathon and every single Twin Cities Marathon. That is 50 Grandma’s Marathons and 43 Twin Cities Marathons, a streak built not from one big goal at the beginning, but from decades of showing up.

John started running in 1973, and in many ways, he has been training for a marathon ever since. Now 76, newly retired, and recovering from a torn meniscus, John is still preparing for the next starting line. He hobbled through Grandma’s Marathon in June 2026 and is signed up to run Twin Cities Marathon on October 4, 2026, determined to finish even if the miles look different than they once did.

In this episode, host Sally Hed Dahlquist visits John in person at his home in Bloomington, Minnesota, to talk about running, aging, persistence, family, career, and what it means to keep moving when your body no longer responds the way it did in your 20s, 30s, or 40s.

From a 2:28 marathon personal best to six-and-a-half-hour finishes, from opening Minnesota’s first specialty running store with Gary Bjorklund to running Western States, Boston, New York, Marine Corps, Grandma’s, Twin Cities, and more, John’s story is a rare look at a lifetime in motion.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How John became a charter member of both Grandma’s Marathon and Twin Cities Marathon
• Why his marathon streak started before it ever became a goal
• What he remembers from early Boston Marathons and the elite runners of that era
• How he and Gary Bjorklund opened Minnesota’s first specialty running store
• Why soft tissue injuries, shoe changes, and recovery become part of the long-term running process
• How John has adjusted his expectations through each decade of life
• Why running in your 70s requires more attention, patience, walking, and recovery
• How he uses heart rate, energy management, and flexibility to keep finishing marathons
• Why races are still social events, even after hundreds of miles and decades of experience
• What he has learned from fellow runners, older athletes, and marathon legends
• How family has become part of his marathon story

Whether you are chasing a personal best, walking your way to the finish, adjusting to a new decade, or trying to stay healthy enough to keep doing what you love, John’s story is a reminder that longevity is its own kind of greatness. The pace may change. The plan may change. The body may change. But there is still meaning in showing up, moving forward, and finding a way to finish.

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