Myrtle Miller, 90, has been running in the Missoula Half Marathon every year it has been held since she was 77. That makes it 11 races so far, with nothing, not even death itself, stopping her from running more. Nothing includes three shoulder surgeries, a back fracture, plantar fasciitis, and, yes, even being pronounced clinically dead.
Miller’s heart stopped for four minutes after a pulmonary embolism in late 2021. After her run-in with death, Miller says she was ready to get back into racing form. After a rehabilitation program, she finished the half marathon with her son Brian in tow.
Miller isn’t the only nonagenarian that loves running the race with family—the marathon is also a way for Dollie Kelly, also 90, to get some miles in with the rest of her family.
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The pair, who say they love hiking together, decided to walk the half marathon last year to honor the memory of loved ones that recently passed away. This year, they’ve done it again, with the whole family.
“There were 11 of us that walked together and to sort of celebrate my doing it,” Kelly told KPAX. The family, arms linked, all crossed the finish line together.
“Oh, it was just out of this world,” Kelly said. “I mean, I promised myself I wouldn’t cry because I’m a real crybaby, and I think I made it.”
After the race, Kelly stood with the rest of her family in triumph, including daughter Leslie Murphy, who participated with her mother in last year’s race. “It was so funny, I kinda pushed her a lot,” Murphy told 406 Sports after last year’s marathon. “My mom is an amazing woman—very strong and very loving. She’s just incredible.”
The two 90-year-old pals say they owe their race successes to a healthy diet, positive attitude, and dedication to walking daily. In 2016 Miller, in an interview with Missoula Marathon organizers, said she also credits stretching and daily meditation with keeping her going. “It keeps me flexible,” she told the official website.
Contributing Writer
Laura Ratliff is a New York City-based writer, editor, and runner. Laura’s writing expertise spans numerous topics, ranging from travel and food and drink to reported pieces covering political and human rights issues. She has previously worked at Architectural Digest, Bloomberg News, and Condé Nast Traveler and was most recently the senior editorial director at TripSavvy. Like many of us, Laura was bitten by the running bug later in life, after years of claiming to “hate running.” Her favorite marathon is Big Sur.
