Sylmar Resident • Jim Davis • LA Marathon

Sylmar Resident Jim Davis Maintains his LA Marathon Legacy

Article Credit: by Gabriel Arizon, San Fernando Valley Sun/El Sol

March 20, 2024

Among the thousands at this year’s Los Angeles Marathon, 83-year-old Jim Davis showed up determined to continue a legacy he’s maintained since the event began in 1986.

Davis is a legacy runner – an unofficial club of runners who have participated in the LA Marathon every year – and he’s shown no signs of stopping anytime soon. The Sylmar resident completed the race, adding his 39th medal to his collection. It’s quite an accomplishment, especially since Davis faced a physical setback, but he pushed forward.

A few weeks ago, Davis suffered from a heel injury he feared would prevent him from participating in the Marathon. Although such fears did not come to pass, he still had to make sure he didn’t push himself too hard or he’d make his injury worse.

“I was an hour [slower] than the time last year,” Davis said. “I’m trying not to be frustrated by that, but to be joyful that I did finish. That is the main thing.”

Davis’ time this year was 8:18; last year’s was 7:26. He ranked around 12,700 for men and 20,000 overall.

But, through that setback, he found keeping a slower pace brought a silver lining. Starting around 2016, Davis had trouble maintaining his balance when running the Marathon so he would attempt to grab onto a sturdy object, such as a metal pole, to steady himself. But what would happen instead is that his body kept moving forward, which would result in him either running in circles or into the object and falling over. With a slower pace this year, Davis didn’t suffer from any such problems.

Despite some health issues over the years, including getting both knees replaced, Davis is determined to participate in the LA Marathon for as long as he can. He expresses gratitude for the attention he’s received being a legacy runner and for the people who have congratulated him on his achievements.

On the back of the shirt that Davis wore during the Marathon is a badge that identifies him as a legacy runner – people clapped and cheered for “Legacy James” or “Legacy Jim.”

“One of the things that keeps the legacy going is the challenge of staying a legacy [runner],” said Davis. “I’m looking forward to next year. I’m going to add some different approaches to my training. I want to add more jogging to my workouts so when I’m on the course I can jog. That’s something that didn’t happen this year.

“As long as I can move, I will do the Marathon,” he continued. “Finishing is what I wanted to do, so I’m excited about it.”

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Article Credit: by Gabriel Arizon, San Fernando Valley Sun/El Sol

March 20, 2024