Spokane Valley Gunhild Swanson runs 100,000th mile at 81 years old

In the past 50 years, Gunhild Swanson has run 100,000 miles.

If she ran those miles along the Earth’s equator, Swanson would have circled the globe more than four times.

The 81-year-old Spokane Valley runner has documented every mile she has run since 1978. On Saturday morning she officially crossed the 100,000th mile upon finishing the Partners in Pain 5k in Spokane.

“Starting in January of ’78 it has been 48 years, six weeks and three days to achieve 100,000 logged miles. And that means the world to me,” Swanson said ahead of the Saturday morning race.

“One hundred thousand miles validates my existence because running is my life,” she added. “It gives me pleasure. It gives me peace. When I’m out on a trail, I can’t wipe the smile off my face.”

That smile on her face was evident as Swanson crossed the finish line with a 36-minute, 52-second time. That is the fastest 5k the octogenarian has run in a while.

“I’m properly trashed,” she said while laughing and catching her breath.

Racing next to her was her son, Christopher Morlan, who has been at her side at every step of her 50-year running journey. They ran their first marathon together in 1980 when he was 13 years old. In 2015, Swanson’s son and grandson were both her pacers for a 100-mile ultramarathon.

“It was only fitting that I would ask him to be my partner today at yet another milestone. He has been there with me always,” she said.

Morlan has a lot of miles under his feet, too. In his youth he competed in the Olympic marathon trials and now coaches Rogers High School’s track team. But Morlan has no illusion he could catch up to his mother.

“I know I’m way behind. I got lots of miles in the ’90s when I was running marathons, but I’m pretty sure I’ll never get to 100,000 miles. Not in a hope or a dream,” he said. “My mother really is just extraordinary. I don’t know of anyone else who has reached this milestone.”

Swanson has no plans to slow down.

“I have a new hip. I have had knee surgeries. I’ve had suffered through injuries and rehab. But every time I have come back because running is what I am meant to do,” she said.