At 67, marathon runner Jennifer Schubert-Akin is always told how inspiring she is for running at her age. 

But she does not believe age should ever deter someone from chasing the joys of life. 

“Don’t think about your age as a limit on what you should be able to do, go do what you enjoy,” Schubert-Akin said. “If you have a big goal… just do it. Do things that have meaning to your life and be fearless about it.” 

The 129th Boston Marathon ran through eastern Massachusetts on Monday and for the 31st consecutive year, Schubert-Akin was among the sea of runners who traveled from 128 countries to race. 

Her total distance in Boston Marathons alone stretches over 812 miles — about the distance from Steamboat Springs to Calgary, Alberta in Canada, as the crow flies. 

Schubert-Akin first stepped up to the Boston Marathon start line in 1995 — the same year she and her husband, Rick Akin, moved to Steamboat Springs. 

“Back then there were only about 9,500 runners. Now they have 9,500 volunteers and 32,000 runners,” she said. 

While the world renowned marathon’s popularity has changed over the last three decades, Schubert-Akin’s message at each race remains the same. 

Schubert-Akin started “Jennifer’s Run to Defeat MS,” which raises funds for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. In the mid-1980s, Schubert-Akin’s sister was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of 25. In 2023, her niece was also diagnosed with the disease, making things even more personal to her. 

According to the National MS Society, MS is “an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body.” Raising money for MS research is what inspired Schubert-Akin to run in ’95, but the fight did not stop there. 

Her time in 1995 was quick enough to qualify again for the ’96 race, and it was rinse and repeat from there. What began as a one-year challenge turned into a 31-year adventure of running and raising money for multiple sclerosis research every April at the Boston Marathon. 

To date, Schubert-Akin’s campaign has raised close to $250,000, including $25,000 this year. 

“It all goes 100% to the National MS Society,” she said. “I very closely watch how they spend their money and they do a lot of good with research, supporting people with MS and they’ve been helpful to my sister with buying a scooter. They’re very responsive when people with MS and their families really need something.”

Prior to this year’s race, Schubert-Akin faced complications of her own with lower spine problems leading up to the run. Spine surgery in late-February sidelined her training. She did not officially decide to run Boston until about three weeks ahead of the race. 

Taking a conservative running pace on Monday, Schubert-Akin took in her surroundings. The highlights were running through crowds of cheering students at Wellesley College and Boston College; racing past Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox; and crossing the finish line on a bluebird day. 

Schubert-Akin said running the race each year helps with knowing where to save energy on the course. She highlighted the hills in Newton, Massachusetts, between miles 16 and 21, as a place where most runners get fatigued. 

It was a mostly painless run for Schubert-Akin who said her calves began to cramp in the final two miles. 

Runners who are part of the Quarter Century Club (25 years running the Boston Marathon) no longer have to hit a qualifying time. They simply have to continue running and reach the finish line each year. 

Though Schubert-Akin has been a proud member of the Quarter Century Club for six races, she still makes a point to strive for a qualifying time. This year, she needed to run a 4 hour, 35 minute time or better to qualify. She did it in 4:31.26, surprising even herself.

Regardless of how she qualified, one thing is for sure — Schubert-Akin will be back in Boston next April, celebrating Patriots’ Day and running America’s oldest platinum-level marathon for the 32nd time.