Meet the three runners planning to run their 30th Austin Marathon in 2022
The inaugural running of the Austin Marathon took place in 1992. Out of the 605 runners who registered for the March 15th event, three have run every 26.2-mile iteration since. Rick Kaven, Douglas Yee, and Steve Boone have seen it all over the years. The “lifers” have encountered countless miles, hot temps, an ice storm, and a runaway deer. Although their times aren’t as fast as they once were, the bond they’ve formed keeps them coming back. COVID postponed the original date set for the 30th annual Ascension Seton Austin Marathon. Because of that, Austin’s return to running on April 25th didn’t feature the marathon distance. We’re ramping things back up for 2022, bringing back the marathon, and extending the celebration for our 30th anniversary. Read about the runners preparing for the 30th Austin Marathon while we keep planning an unforgettable experience for everyone!
Rick Kaven
I’m now 65 years old and I believe running is a sort of fountain of youth. Running found me 30+ years ago because Motorola, the company that I worked for at that time, announced they were sponsoring a marathon. I thought, I’ll try that! And so I did. I so enjoy the fact that Jessie, my wife, and the kids, cheer me on at various locations.
Having my two buddies, Steve Boone and Douglas Yee, as “fellow-lifers” makes every race day that much more memorable. They are great guys! Every year, we all feel a little more pressure to continue the streak. But we thoroughly enjoy the race and are proud to be a part of this three-man 30-year-old team preparing for our 30th Austin Marathon.
Douglas Yee
My first race was a 5K in 1989. I had just moved to Austin for work. It was held in conjunction with the Texas Marathon organized by RunTex, the local running store. After completing my race, I watched the half and full marathoners finishing side by side in the split chute and was so inspired I began training to run the marathon myself.
The company I worked for (Motorola) was the initial sponsor of the inaugural Austin Marathon in 1992. It was a very hot race, but it was memorable. I finished along with many others, including the general manager of Motorola! It has been gratifying to see just how much the race has grown over the years to where it is now the 25th largest marathon in the US. I always look forward to returning to the Live Music Capital of the World and can’t wait to run my 30th Austin Marathon.
Steve Boone
It is hard to believe that this will be my 30th Austin Marathon. More than half of my adult life has included an annual pilgrimage to Austin to participate with friendly, motivated, and inspiring runners. Since 1992, I have adjusted my personal goal from running in the low three-hour range to completing the event before the course closes. It will be an honor once again to have dinner with Douglas Yee and Rick Kaven and discuss our prior 29 finish lines.
In the old days, we competed against each other. Now we celebrate each other’s finish and share the satisfaction of still being able to complete the Austin Marathon. Over the years, we have experienced challenging hills, heat, ice storms, and exhaustion. The exhilaration of finishing one more time and keeping our streak intact bonds us.
