The Boston Marathon is one of the most prestigious marathons around the globe and finishing the 26 miles 385 yards is a feat in itself. Interestingly, aside from regular athletes and casual ambitious runners, the marathon has seen several celebrities and athletes from other domains also participate in the race. It has even seen quite a few NASCAR drivers such as Jimmie Johnson and Danica Patrick run the entire distance. But which other NASCAR driver has accomplished this feat?
Advertisement
Johnson attempted the marathon back in 2019 and managed to finish in 4,183rd place and 646th in the 40-44-year-old men’s division. According to one of his social media posts, he recorded a time of 3:09:07, which is not that bad considering that nearly 30k people run the marathon each year.
That was the most challenging thing I’ve ever done, what an experience! Unofficially 3:09:07 for the #BostonMarathon #Boston2019 pic.twitter.com/1lZBH2aPvn
— Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) April 15, 2019
Not long after the seven-time Cup Series champion, former IndyCar and NASCAR driver Danica Patrick also ran the distance back in 2021. However, she took nearly an hour longer than Johnson. She managed to clock in at 4:01:21, although considering that this was her first marathon ever and also a bucket list item, she did well.
Are there any other drivers that ran the Boston Marathon?
There is another former NASCAR driver who ran the distance in 2022, a year after Patrick. This was none other than Matt Kenseth. It has been a while since Kenseth last raced in the NASCAR Cup Series in a full-time capacity, but he did manage to keep himself fit even after his retirement.
Kenseth managed to cross the line clocking in at 3:01:40 finishing in 3,576th overall and 141st in the 50-54 year old male division. This makes his finish far better than what Johnson was able to accomplish running the same event. Interestingly, when Kenseth was told that he was able to beat the former HMS driver’s time, he jokingly said, “Yeah, he was way younger.”
The Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon and it is an impressive accomplishment for these former drivers to have completed the grueling hours of the event. Thus, making themselves a part of history they and several more will recall and remember for years to come.
