‘I’ll run until I can’t run anymore’: Calgary senior’s biggest passion is marathons

Calgary senior Tapan Chakrebarty has run 37 major marathons and dozens more regular marathons.

Calgary senior Tapan Chakrabarty has run 37 major marathons and dozens more regular marathons.

Chakrabarty, 76, just got back from running marathons in Boston and London – marathon number 71 and 72.

He says people are often surprised that he’s still participating in long-distance foot races.

“Most of them don’t believe I’m 76,” he said.

Heart disease runs in Chakrabarty’s family

Chakrabarty was 50 when he participated in his first Marathon in Vancouver in 2000.

He’s been running them ever since.

One of the big reasons Chakrabarty got into the sport was for his health.

He says he was concerned because heart disease runs in his family.

“In my family, I have two immediate family members – my mother and my little brother – and both died from strokes.”

Had to stop running for a bit

In 2022, Chakrabarty was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a common genetic heart disease where the heart muscle becomes abnormally thick, making it harder to pump blood.

He couldn’t run for six months while he was recovering.

Chakrabarty says the rehabilitation didn’t take as long as expected because he was so fit.

He also has Type 2 diabetes.

Chakrabarty says he’s grateful to be able to run.

“To run is to be alive.

“Because of my issues -- not only do I have an arterial blockage, which 90 per cent is stented, here’s another one that is 40 per cent, but they wouldn’t stent it,” he said.

“If I don’t run, I would not survive.”

Six Star Medal

In the marathon world, you receive the prestigious Abbott World Marathon Majors Six Star Medal for running all six of the following marathons: Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York.

Chakrabarty says he’s in rare company -- because he has five Six Star medals.

“Abbott sent me another email confirming that I am the oldest to have earned five Six Star Medals,” he said. “Do you know how many [people] have earned five? Only five in the whole world.”

Keep on running

Chakrabarty says he is halfway through getting his sixth Six Star medal, and he’s not planning on putting away his running shoes anytime soon.

“I’ll run until I can’t run anymore.”