Nancy Rollins -
Running on Full
"Running is my freedom. My whole self is connected, body, mind, and spirit. It is an absolute must for me"
-Nancy Rollins
By Jason Laurenzano | November, 2025
Introduction​
There is so much written about running that I am hard pressed to add anything of value to the subject, particularly since I am not a runner. The benefits of physical fitness, emotional well-being, social engagement, connection to nature, testing one’s physical limits, a slice of solitude and quiet contemplation are well documented. What I hoped to explore is the experience of running that goes beyond the obvious benefits. ​
The drive it takes to be a competitive runner is not something that most people can relate to. Olympians and other world-class runners are well known. Jim Ryun, Kip Keino, Zola Budd, Steve Prefontaine, Mary Decker, Sebastian Coe, Frank Shorter, Gabriela Szabo, Haile Gerbrselassie – the middle and long-distance running legends.​​
Jesse Owens, Wilma Rudolf, Justin Gatlin, Evelyn Ashford, Jim Hines, “Bullet Bob” Hayes, Florence Griffith-Joyner, Tyson Gay, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Usain Bolt, Julien Alfred, Carl Lewis, Gail Devers, Donovan Bailey, Michael Johnson, Maurice Greene. Sprinter world champions all.​
But what about the running “Joes and Janes”? For them is running just a way to get or stay in shape? Is it something more than a mental escape and a slice of solitude? Does running go deeper than that – is it a passion, something that is hard to imagine living without?​
For Nancy Rollins of Evanston, Illinois it certainly does.​
Nancy has run more than a hundred marathons, both in the Unites States and abroad, and she’s still going strong at age 79. I, on the other hand, cherish my small collection of race bibs from a baker’s dozen of 10K fun runs that I enjoyed when in my 30’s (“shout out” to the San Francisco Bay-to-Breakers and the San Francisco Bridge-to-Bridge).​
Nancy is a former world record holder in her age group. Well, that only lasted one week, and she hadn’t learned of it until well after it had been broken! Anyway, around here she is a bit of a running legend.
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Of course, running has long been a very popular activity for young and old. It’s not unusual to see families with children and multiple generations running together in fun runs and fund raisers. That is not Nancy’s story. She was 30 when she took up running. What did come early was a competitive spirit and a self-confidence as an athlete. As a summer camper she excelled as a pitcher in a hybrid softball-baseball program. “I was ten,” she recalls. “I felt confident. I gained a sense of self-worth that I carried with me throughout my life.”
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Yet, Nancy recognized that sports requiring precise coordination (tennis, golf, basketball and softball), were not her thing. But neither was running, or so she thought. “When I was in high school, I watched a track meet. I saw two of the runners vomiting after the race. I thought….’why does anyone run track?’ I left early. Ironic, right?”
At one point she dated a guy who was very into running. She gave running a try as a way of spending more time with him. “He bought me a pair of running shoes. Soon I was more into it than he was.”
How did she go from casual running into competitive racing? She explained: “I once heard an interview of a woman who spoke about racing. I was moved by her passion, so I figured I’d give it a try. My first race was in Chicago, the Charles Stevens 10 K. At the starting line I saw the broad variety of ages and body types among the women and girls. I was touched by the positivity that I was seeing and hearing. It dawned on me that racing can be a form of sisterhood.”
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I asked about the support she received from her parents. “My mom was a bit dismissive; she thought racing was rather odd. Not my dad. I did a 20K run during my first summer in racing. He saw a picture of me running and said ‘you look beautiful’. His pride in me meant so much.”
Of course, humans have been running for as long as early humans have been, well, running. Fast running and endurance running were critical for successful game hunting for food (persistence hunting). It is believed that some hunts on foot covered over 60 miles.
Neanderthal Group Hunting poster by Science Photo Library. This poster can be purchased at https://fineartamerica.com
It is thought that competitive running grew out of religious festivals in Greece, Egypt, Asia, and Africa. One of the earliest recorded running competitions were the Tailteann Games dating back to 1829 BCE. They were to honor the Celtic Goddess of the harvest “Tailtiu”.
For Nancy and her husband Rol, running is at the core of their lifestyle. This adorable couple first met through running. No surprise there! It was at the Boston Marathon in 1982. A mutual acquaintance brought Rol and Nancy into contact just before the start. Nancy’s beauty hit Rol like a thunderbolt. He thought about her while running the race. He doubted that Nancy would be interested in dating him, but when she suggested that they get together back in Chicago for Geno’s stuffed pizza, well, they were off and running! They have been married 42 years.
Nancy and Rol in London
​​The Rollins are active members of the Evanston Running Club. They have several close friendships forged on the basis of a love of running, racing and socializing
Yes, but is it a Passion?
Of course, Nancy’s running lifestyle has physical and emotional benefits. But is it a passion? I asked Rol for his observations. “She is disciplined in her training. She enjoys the sensation of running and exercising and feeling healthy. Racing brings it all together. She strives to do her best, which is usually enough for her to win or come close to winning her age group. But, regardless of where she places in a race, she is always gracious towards other racers, congratulating them and socializing. The camaraderie within the racing community is part of the core of her running and racing life. Those same characteristics I see in her daily life. She is gracious, supportive, friendly and very grateful for her health and her relationships with family and friends.”
Nancy is a woman of faith. Her relationship with her higher power sometimes enters her mind during long distance running. “Sometimes actual prayers come to my mind. I feel blessed to have the health to be able to run. I love the film Chariots of Fire. There is a line in there: ‘I feel God’s pleasure when I run’.”
This display of racing medals hangs inside Nancy’s home under scripture that speaks to her.
She continues after telling me that it is hard to put into words: “Each marathon is its own journey. Thoughts flow in and out of mind. Sometimes calming me and other times agitating me.”
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To me, that sounded spiritual. I asked her for more. “It’s kind of like a Zen meditation. It is my freedom. My whole self is connected, body, mind and spirit. It is an absolute must for me”.
To her great credit, Nancy incorporated her joy of running into her former careers as a psychiatric nurse and, later, a psychotherapist. “With the support of the director of a counseling practice I was in, I began a program that invited clients to run a race together and then process the experience in therapy. It was an immediate success. Clients reported that while running they were able to process more of themselves than previously. We had as many as 30 clients participate over the course of the program. A running club was born out of that. There was frequent sharing about how their lives were impacted or what insights came to them while running and from group sharing. I’m immensely proud of that”.
On a late Wednesday afternoon at the local high school running track, I watched Nancy organize and conduct training sessions for the Evanston Running Club members. Several are in training for the upcoming Bank of America Chicago Marathon. I watch and hear her shouting times and encouraging words at the groups of runners as they pass her. I see how much fun she is having, doing something that she has done twice weekly for many, many years. Her face is full of joy and light.
I spoke with two of the club members. Will Van Dyke, a retired architect (shown above in the red jacket), has self-published two books about his love of running. The book jacket includes this comment by Bill Rodgers, the four-time winner of both the Boston and New York City Marathons: “I think your book is an excellent, funny, descriptive look at the 1st running boom, something new runners will get a kick out of reading!” Another reviewer, Sara Mae Berman (three-time winner of the Boston Marathon - unofficially as women were not allowed to compete): “Your book has captured the joy and personal satisfaction that running brings . . . even as you grow older . . . I especially loved reading about your running with your kids.”
I also met Kate Saccany, another member who was timing runners during that training session. Injuries have interrupted her running and racing for significant stretches of time. She explained that even when not running, remaining involved keeps the passion alive. “I never stopped participating in some way . . . I reshaped it into something I could do. I’m coaching, timing others, encouraging older runners. I volunteer at organized races. There is always something that keeps the passion for running in the blood.”
Nancy the Marathoner
I’ve never considered running a marathon. A 10K or 12K, yes, but 26.2 miles? I’ll drive that. To date, she has finished 102. Mind-boggling. She is in training to run the Tucson Marathon later this autumn.
She’s been in all the “big ones”. Boston, New York, Chicago, Berlin, London, Ottawa. These are all at her personal expense; she has no sponsors (and seeks none). She qualifies for pretty much any marathon anywhere in the world based on her Top 10 finishes in her age group (ages 75-79). “I qualify for Tokyo and Sidney, but frankly I don’t want to travel that far or spend the money to go there.”
According to legend, when the Greeks defeated the Persians in the Battle of Marathon, 490 BC, the Greek soldier Pheidippides ran the distance between Marathon, Greece, and Athens to deliver the news. Once he arrived, he shouted, "Rejoice, we are victorious," and then he promptly died. The distance he ran became the distance of the modern marathon, 26.2 miles (42 km).
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The origins of the Olympic Games and of marathon running are also the subjects of legend. The first recorded games took place in 776 BCE.
Terracotta Panathenaic Prize Amphora; Attributed to the Euphiletos Painter; Circa 530 BCE; On view at the Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 153; Public Domain photograph
The Soldier of Marathon, Luc-Olivier Merson 1869; Pheidippides giving word of victory after the Battle of Marathon; public domain in USA; registered before 1930; reproduction - Marie-Lan Nguyen, France
I asked Nancy if she has admired any world-class female racers: “Well, there was Joan Benoit. She won the first Olympic Women’s Marathon in 1984, the Los Angeles games. And Kathrine Switzer. She was historic in a different way. In 1967 she was the first woman to run the Boston Marathon. Women were not permitted to run it. When race management discovered that she was female (she used her first initial on her race bib) the director literally jumped into the street and tried to pull her off the course. They failed because her boyfriend, who was running with her, knocked the director on his ass and they kept running.”
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Nancy also told me that Roberta “Bobbi” Gibb ran Boston the year before, having snuck into the all-male race to do so. [Note: Keith Shields of New Hampshire Public Radio profiled Ms. Switzer in October of 2012. She described for him how the man grabbed her by the shoulders and tried to rip her number off the front of her sweatshirt. The profile includes some interesting photographs of the incident taken by Walter Iooss. According to Mr. Shields the photos taken of the incident “sparked a revolution not only in women’s running but also in women’s rights.” It can be found at https://www.nhpr.org/post/profile-kathrine-switzer]
Marathon “Tidbits”
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In 1980 it appeared that Rosa Ruiz won the Boston Marathon. Officials soon discovered that she had joined the race near the finish line. They also discovered that she had ridden the subway to the finish line in the 1979 New York City Marathon
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Ethiopian Abebe Bikila ran barefoot when he won the 1960 Rome Summer Olympic marathon race in record time
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The youngest marathoner is Budhia Singh, who completed 48 marathons before his fifth birthday
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Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda ran the 2025 Chicago Marathon in 2 hours, 2 minutes and 23 seconds. The world record by anyone was set by Kelvin Kiptum in 2023. He ran the Chicago Marathon in 2 hours, 35 seconds
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The world’s oldest marathoner is Baba Fauja Singh from India. He was 100 years old when he completed the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Canada in 8 hours, 25 minutes, 16 seconds
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In 1972, the Boston Marathon became the first marathon competition to allow women to enter. Previously, marathons were thought to be too grueling for females
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Nicknamed the “world’s coolest marathon,” the North Pole Marathon is the northernmost marathon
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The most southern marathon is in Antarctica, where the average wind-chill temperature is -4 degrees Fahrenheit
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Dubbed the “Marathon Man,” Belgian runner Stefaan Engles ran the marathon distance every day for a year, 9,569 miles.
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In the late 19th century, running was called “pedestrianism”
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The treadmill was designed for English prisons as a punishment device
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Recreational running became mainstream during the late 1960s. In 1958, the Chicago Tribune announced a strange new fitness fad: jogging
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Runners replace their running shoes every 300–500 miles
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By Karin Lehnardt, Senior Writer, Factretriever.com
Published January 26, 2018Updated March 31, 2025
See “References” below
Interesting Running Facts INFOGRAPHICRunning Infographic
I was curious to learn about the female marathoners in her age group. She mentioned two. American Jeannie Rice recently set a world record in the 75-79 age group. She has had the highest “VO2 max” ever recorded for a woman her age. Nancy says Jeannie is the fastest runner she knows. They became good friends. (Note: VO2 Max” or “maximum oxygen consumption – is a standard measure of oxygen use during intense exercise).
Then there is Vera Nystad, a Norwegian who is nearly always at or near the top of the leader board in the age 75-79 age category. The last marathon that they were all entered in was Boston in 2023. If you asked any of them who won the race they would likely just smile.
Not having had the experience, I was curious if Nancy had ever experienced “defeat snatched from the jaws of victory”. It so happens that she had. Twice. Once at a 10K she was passed two seconds from the finishing tape. At a half-marathon she was passed by the winner close to the tape. Nancy manages to keep it in perspective: “Of course I wasn’t happy about that, but it is part of racing. Sportsmanship is a big part of the racing. I congratulated her. I want to always do my best, but you can’t always win. It is very satisfying just to be able to race.”
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Her best times in a marathon were both at Chicago. “I can sleep in my own bed, train better, eat better.” Her personal best was 3:02. She was in her mid-40’s.
As mentioned above, Nancy once held the world record for a sanctioned marathon in her age group (60). “I ran that in 3:31. I didn’t know that it was a record until I was notified by the sanctioning organization. The laugh was on me because by the time I was notified of my world record it had already been broken!”
Nancy has adjusted her physical approach to long distance running to accommodate the changes in her body. She has adjusted her pace. She is more meticulous than ever when it comes to preparing her body, doing floor exercises and balance exercises. That routine was born out of her recovery from a bad fall while training, causing tears to a rotator cuff and biceps. She also adjusted her mental approach and her expectations. She will always try to run as fast as realistically possible but she is less focused on time results than she once was, let’s say, in her 30s, 40s and 50s. Now she is grateful for simply being able to train and run races.
She last ran the Chicago Marathon in 2023, coming in second behind Jeannie Rice. She ran it at 4:05, ten days before her 77th birthday and her fastest time in two years by at least 15 minutes. “I was overjoyed. The satisfaction of performing well, and hanging out in the tent with fellow competitors who I adore, a cup of hot coffee in hand, chatting about the race. It was absolute heaven on earth.”
Steven Dahlman - MarinaCityOnline.com; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en
Courtesy of Peter Tsai/Chicago Tribune 10-12-2025
It was one of three marathons she ran that year, Boston and Berlin being the others. She has fond memories of the Boston Marathon: “It’s an honor because you have to qualify based on prior race times in other marathons. It is a beautiful course run by a top-notch organization” Her last race there was in 2023, ten years after the terrorist bombing. Nancy finished third (75-79 age group) behind Jeannie Rice and Vera Nystad. [Note: At Berlin, in 2023, Nancy finished second behind Nystad (Rice did not race).]
Running the World
The Rollins’ love of running and racing, and particularly Nancy’s deep passion, has led them to multiple major cities. “Rol and I enjoy traveling. It has been such fun combining the love of travel with running the marathons. We’ve been very fortunate.”
At the Brandenburg Gate (Berlin)
Nancy Rollins, Hall of Famer
Nancy was inducted along with 31 others into the Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA) Hall of Fame inaugural class (2005). Age category winners of CARA circuit races are given five points for a 1st place finish, three points for second place and one point for third place. Thirty points gets you inducted. I recently looked at the website. It lists Nancy as having earned 159 points. The points earned by the other listed inductees, male and female, reflect that next highest total being 113 points. She was unaware of this when I mentioned it, once again her modesty is in the forefront. Her reaction was to express her appreciation for what CARA does in support of runners and racing in the Chicago area.
Nancy’s involvement in running, racing and the racing fellowship brings her joy. She strives to do her best when racing. While she hopes to win her age group in any race, what matters most is her involvement. Her life in general is enhanced as a result of this passion. The joy spills over into her life in general and, in combination with her family and friends and her faith, it explains her positive outlook and attitude about living life.
It has been inspiring learning about Nancy Rollin’s journey. Not only is she an amazing runner but she has a soul of pure gold. Thank you, Nancy for sharing your story. Maybe it will inspire some readers to lace up the running shoes. It remains walking shoes for me!
Other Runners Explain “Why”
Running makes me feel empowered and resilient.
• The “runner’s high” really exists. The physiological and psychological sensations carry over into my daily life.
Running is the only time that I disconnect.
• E-mail, texts, social media - My run is the one hour a day when I am fully disconnected
Running is my therapist.
• Running allows me to put all my “problems” into perspective. Overwhelming matters seem manageable after a good run. Running helps me disregard insecurities and fears.
Running allows me to enjoy my food.
• Food actually tastes much better on the days that I run. Running makes me ravenous; it reminds me that food is fuel.
Running is when I am most aware of my physical body.
• I’m feeling air on my skin, the breath going in and out of my lungs, my muscles contracting, my heart beating in my chest. It is when I am most aware that yes, today, I am alive; I am living.
References
Alger, Kieren. "The History of the Running Shoe." Zappos. Accessed: March 31, 2025.
Aschwanden, Christie. "The Big 7 Body Breakdowns." Runner's World, February 3, 2011. Accessed: December 27, 2017.
Brooks, Amanda. "What’s Different for Men vs Women Running?" Run to the Finish (blog). Accessed: December 27, 2017.
"Dennis Kimetto." Runner's World. Accessed: December 27, 2017.
Edwards, Phil. "When Running for Exercise was for Weirdos." Vox. August 9, 2015. Accessed: December 28, 2017.
Green, Anna. "The Speedy History of Recreational Running." Mental Floss. May 22, 2016. Accessed: December 28, 2017.
Mahanty, Debarata. "From Fame to Oblivion: The Story of Marathon Runner Budhia Singh." Hindustantimes. July 9, 2021. Accessed: March 31, 2025.
Singh, Manpreet K. "At Almost 106 Years Old Fauja Singh Reveals the Secret of His Youthfulness." SBS. March 30, 2017. Accessed: December 27, 2017.
Tanenbaum, Sharon. "26.2 Fun Facts about Marathons." Everyday Health. Updated October 10, 2011. Accessed: December 27, 2017.
"The Real Story." Katherine Switzer Marathon Woman. Accessed: March 31, 2025
Author's note: Due diligence was exercised to determine the identities of the creators of the images used that I did not myself create. I invite contact relevant to incorporating the credits.