Larry Malmgren discovered his passion for long-distance running when he thought he needed to get in better shape at 52 years old.
Malmgren’s first goal was to run a 5k in 27 minutes and shortly after achieving that milestone he thought he would try a 10-mile run.
“For some reason that 10-mile run was really tough – I finished all bruised and my feet were sore but I seemed to think after that I could do pretty much anything,” Malmgren, who is now 61, said.
He went on to do a half-marathon and then a marathon and when he realized it was easier to run on trails rather than pavement.
“It’s easier on the body and it’s interesting and such a nice environment,” Malmgren explained. “So I started running with the PG Road Runners.”
He worked his way up - literally, as he began alpine running - from a marathon to a 50 k and then a 50 mile and then he took it to an extreme most runners would not attempt. He first did the Death Race in 2019 and four years later and only 20 minutes slower he did it again.
Malmgren successfully completed the Canadian Death Race in Grand Cache, Alberta in August, which sees runners from all over the world take to the 118 km course that begins and ends on a 4,200-foot plateau, passing over three mountain summits that offers a 17,000 foot elevation change.
What seemed to tickle him the most about the experience was that he inspired another 55+ man to finish the race at a run, not a walk and he heard a bunch of young men talk about him ‘kicking their asses’ with his finish of 19:50:44.
Malmgren placed 52nd out of 286 runners.
To see what alpine running looks like from Malmgren's perspective, check out the Masters in Motion BC video.
