Most people celebrate turning 80 with a party. Clyde Shank celebrated by running his 800th marathon. On Sept. 19, the Plano resident ran marathon No. 799 in Hermiston, Oregon. The next morning, he was back at the starting line for No. 800, finishing the milestone during the Mainly Marathons Northwest Series just before his 80th birthday.
The morning started cool and clear, with temperatures in the upper 40s before warming quickly. Hermiston, known as the Watermelon Capital of the World, wasn’t exactly a hometown crowd for Shank. But there were plenty of fellow runners who understood what the moment meant.
Ask Shank his thoughts on the race and his answer is humble. “Best day ever with lots of fun and friends.”…