For Johan van Litsenburg, the ASML Marathon Eindhoven is a very special one. He hopes to reach the finish of a marathon for the hundredth time on Sunday. If it were up to the 72-year-old runner from Duizel, there would be many more. “The marathon is a magical distance for me.”
He has a medal from all the marathons he completed. Johan van Litsenburg proudly shows his collection. Every marathon has its own story: his first in Apeldoorn in 1983, the New York marathon that made the most impression, or the 42.195 kilometers through the beautiful nature of the French Alps.
The marathon remains a special challenge for him, regardless of which country or location he starts in. “It’s a distance that not everyone can run. I don’t know if you have to be a little crazy to participate — most people think so. I don’t know better than to run those kilometers every year. When you’ve completed it, it gives you a wonderful feeling.”
In 2019 he had completed 79 marathons and the desire arose to reach 100. “The 80 was a nice goal, but I quickly thought of 100. To reach that number, I couldn’t spread it over twenty years. Who knows how long I can still run. That’s why I decided to plan seven or eight marathons a year.”
“I’m going to try to walk as long as I can.”
He calls the hundredth marathon a magical number. In any case, Van Litsenburg has a thing for numbers. “The Amsterdam marathon was the sixtieth I ran, and that was on my sixtieth birthday. My 25th marathon was in Apeldoorn, which was then held for the 25th time. I think the hundredth is a very nice number, but that doesn’t mean I’m stopping. I’m going to try to run as long as possible.”
It is not without reason that the milestone is in Eindhoven: the city where he was born, lived for about 25 years and where he knows many people. He has already run the Eindhoven Marathon eighteen times and enjoys the sport and the many spectators along the course every time.
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The Brabander may be 72 years old, but he is physically fit and has a lot of energy. He is also doing well mentally, and that is necessary, because a marathon certainly does not always go smoothly. If the body protests for a moment, he walks a bit to gain enough strength to continue walking. “The most important thing is that I always believe that I can reach the finish line. If you have that and don’t doubt, you can achieve it. It always gives me a very proud feeling.”
Live at Omroep Brabant
The ASML Marathon Eindhoven starts on Saturday with walking tours and running competitions for youth. The quarter, half and full marathon will be held on Sunday. This sporty Sunday, October 12, can be followed live from 9:45 AM to 3:15 PM via Brabant+, television and the Omroep Brabant website and app. From 5:45 PM to 6:30 PM you can see the highlights on TV and they are repeated every hour throughout the evening.
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