73-year-old runner to carry American flag in Fox Cities Marathon

NEENAH, Wis. (WBAY) - Crews are setting up for the annual Fox Cities Marathon this weekend, which draws runners from across the country. 73-year-old Dean Peterson from Appleton is planning to run his 164th marathon this Sunday.

If you’re standing on the sidelines, you’ll notice him right away donning an American flag on his shoulder. He says one of the many reasons he does it is to honor his many family members who are military veterans.

“I carry the flag when I’m sucking wind at mile 24, trying to get across the line. I think about those guys,” said Peterson.

Peterson began running marathons at age forty-nine. Since then, he has completed a marathon in every US state and Washington D.C. He says he’s ready to cross yet another finish line this weekend in his hometown.

“There’s people out here cheering for you. It’s amazing. We have an event that nobody else can believe this small town puts on,” said Peterson.

The events this weekend also include a half marathon, relay marathon, 10k, 5k, and kid’s events.

“When you see people cheering for you and you don’t know who they are, that’s what sets us apart from so many other running events,” said Julie Johnson, the race director. “Especially when we have people from out of town and out of state.”

Thursday is the final day to register for Sunday’s races.

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