THE BEST
OF YOUR LIFE
She hit her stride—and has been running ever since
Staying on Track
As Betty Holston Smith runs laps
around the Rockville High School
track in suburban Maryland, she
turns a few heads. After all, how
many superfit 70-year-olds do you
see zipping past runners almost 50
years younger? But the regular joggers here recognize Smith as the
local powerhouse who has finished
marathons on all seven continents
(yes, including Antarctica) and run
eight ultramarathons, five of them
24 hours long, in the past four years.
These grueling races can be 100
miles long, but the lifestyle consultant and grandmother takes only
bathroom breaks. “I don’t sit down
or put my feet up,” she swears.
Such determination is vintage
Smith, who grew up a skinny-legged
tomboy with five siblings and with
parents “who told us, ‘Don’t do
anything unless you can do your
very best.’ ” At 29, however, she was
a physical wreck: “I weighed 200
pounds. I was smoking.” When her
three-year-old asked her to play tag
one day, Smith realized not only that
she couldn’t run but that “I might
not be around to see my daughter
grow up.” This motivated her to start
walking, then walking and running.
The running quickly grew into a
passion, and she hasn’t
slowed down since:
“It’s been my life for
the past 40 years.”
“minimal shoes,” meaning huarache-
like sandals or even bare feet (“I
feel like a cheetah when I run bare-
foot”). It also involves a vegan diet,
regular meditation, and serious tai
chi. She credits her extraordinary
stamina in part to Chi Running, a
technique that focuses on the mind-
body connection and incorporates
the principles of Chinese martial
arts. She claims to gather strength
as the miles accrue, and to finish
without pain or sprain. Sounding a
bit amazed herself, she says, “I just
don’t have the need for recovery.”
This New Year’s Eve, Smith plans
to compete in her first 48-hour
ultramarathon. It means endlessly
repeated laps around a track, but
Smith can’t wait. Without a trace
of doubt, she declares, “I know I
can do it.” —Christina Ianzito
Smith’s training
routine now includes
CHRIS CRISMAN
To learn more about Smith’s technique, see Chi Running: A Revolutionary
Approach to Effortless, Injury-Free Running by Danny Dreyer. ChiRunning
.com (866-327-7867) lists certified Chi Running instructors and Chi
Running workshops around the country. For a calendar of upcoming
races visit MarathonGuide.com or UltraRunning.com. —C.I.
