Lincoln woman reminisces after completing a local race 50 years in a row

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A Lincoln woman raced in the Buffalo Run on Sunday for the 50th straight year.

Mary Wolfe crossed the finish line in Pioneers Park and marked 250 miles over half a century.

She entered the race for the first time when she was in her 20s, back in 1976. It was the first Buffalo Run held.

“It was pretty cool because you got a pair of shorts,” Wolfe said. “It was a hilly run; it wasn’t my favorite run. After I had done several, they started offering you t-shirts as an award if you beat your time. Well, that was a great incentive, so I just stayed with it. Then soon I held a record.”

This race has been part of her most memorable seasons of life.

“I did have to leave a wedding early to make it one time,” she said. “And I was about five months pregnant a couple of times when I ran it, but I was going to do it!”

Wolfe now has four children and 10 grandchildren.

And as she ran in her 50th-consecutive race, the family she built along the way was there to cheer her on.

“I ran with them while I was pregnant,” she said. “And here they are, and they have their kids with them. It’s amazing.”

Wolfe said she and the race have both changed over the years, but her determination stayed steady. She plans to keep doing the Buffalo Run in the future.