Pastor Credits God For 50-Mile Run

The Maryland resident didn’t discover ultras until he was 52 years old.

 

Baptist pastor  Allen Youngbar will be toeing the line at this weekend’s JFK 50 Mile ultramarathon in Washington, Country Marathon. This year’s race will be Youngbar’s eighth. The 59-year-old resident of Boonsboro, Maryland credits a higher power for his ability to complete the grueling distance.

“God has made me good at this for some odd reason,” Youngbar said. “Maybe some day I will understand.”

The JFK 50 Mile is America’s oldest ultramarathon. The endurance event takes participants from Boonsboro to Williamsport along paved roads, the Appalachian Trail and the C&O Canal towpath.

Youngbar said he has been running since he was 30 years old, when he read about the value of aerobic exercise. He said he ran five miles about three times a week and remained consistent with that workout until he was in his late 40s. 

He then decided to give ultramarathons a shot.

Youngbar’s training for most of the year entails seven-to-nine-mile runs three times a week. As the JFK 50 Mile approaches, he doubles the length of his runs.

“I’m just an amateur. I don’t run with other people. I don’t read books about this. I just go out and run,” Youngbar said.

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