71 | Mary Etta Boitano Blanchard

Starting Line 1928 · Sep 10, 2026 · 40m

No one today would recommend that a six-year-old child run a marathon. In fact, most major marathon organizers set a minimum age limit of 18, primarily due to safety, liability, and the physiological strain that extreme distance running puts on growing bones and joints. Back in 1969, however, Mary Etta Boitano Blanchard ran her first marathon at age six–she attempted a marathon at age five but dropped out at Mile 20–finishing in 4:27:32. At age ten, she ran a 3:01:15. By the time she was 12, Mary Etta had completed 50 marathons. At age 5, she was the first female finisher at the iconic Dipsea…