A 71-year-old man with Parkinson’s disease is doing something that most healthy athletes would never attempt.
Larry Grogin is currently running 100 marathons in 100 consecutive days — crossing the United States on foot to prove that a diagnosis doesn’t have to be a death sentence for the life you’ve always lived.
With 78 days already behind him and Los Angeles firmly in his sights, his story is capturing hearts in small Kansas towns, Colorado rail yards, and everywhere in between.
And what he’s saying about Parkinson’s, movement, and the human spirit might just change the way you think about your own limitations.
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One Diagnosis, One Dream, and a Decision That Changed Everything
Grogin was already a seasoned marathoner and Ironman competitor when Parkinson’s entered his life in 2019 — the same year he had originally planned a cross-country run.
The diagnosis forced him to rethink everything. Rather than abandon his ambitions, he adapted, completing long runs at locations across the country in a format his family considered safer.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
But the dream of a true coast-to-coast journey never faded. When the idea of 100 marathons in 100 days finally crystallized, Grogin’s reaction was simple.
It just rolls off the tongue easily.
On his 71st birthday in March, after months of meticulous planning and training, he took his first steps from northern New Jersey — and never looked back.
The Training Secret That Parkinson’s Patients Need to Hear
Grogin’s preparation was far more than just clocking miles. His training regimen combined strength work, swimming, cycling, and running — plus pickleball, which he values not for the cardio but for the mental sharpness and reflexes it demands.
Once the journey began, he discovered something critical about running with Parkinson’s that he believes isn’t widely understood — and it starts before he ever steps outside.
With a normal body, you can warm up in a couple of minutes, but it’s hours for a Parkinson’s patient. Once you understand that, it’s a secret passcode.
Each morning, Grogin spends an extended session on a hotel treadmill — sometimes logging up to a half marathon before he even hits the open road. That mileage counts toward his daily total.
His gait is labored early in the day. By the final mile, it often looks completely normal — something that moves him every single time.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
We’ve been posting on social media the last mile every day and I get emotional when it looks normal.
Blisters, Sunburn, and Hotel Waffles — the Unglamorous Reality
The early days were brutal. Grogin battled relentless blisters, aching muscles, and the kind of sun exposure that comes with running through open American landscapes for hours every day.
Seventy-eight days in, his body has adapted in remarkable ways.
The blisters became calluses, the sunburn became a suntan and the muscles became conditioned.
These days, his loudest complaint isn’t about his legs or his lungs. It’s about breakfast.
If I died and went to purgatory, they’re going to serve me waffles.
For a man running a marathon every single day, it’s a remarkably relatable grievance — and proof that even the most extraordinary humans are still very much human.
The Crowds, the Tears, and a Party for Hundreds
Word travels fast when a 71-year-old with Parkinson’s is running through your town.
Grogin has been greeted with chants of “Run Larry Run” from strangers on quiet Kansas streets and Colorado railroad crews alike. In Dayton, Ohio, hundreds of people threw him a full celebration, honoring him as the guest of the evening.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
Perhaps most powerfully, fellow Parkinson’s patients have started showing up at the most unexpected places to meet him.
I’ve had people meet me on mountaintops and trails and the oddest of places. I think that the message is getting through — that they’re the primary catalyst in their healing and they’re the ones who can make a difference.
That message is the entire point. Grogin is adamant that this journey isn’t a showcase of his own willpower — it’s a rallying cry for everyone who has ever felt defeated by their diagnosis.
This run is not about saying “Larry is so strong and mentally tough.” It’s about people who feel defeated realising that if a 71-year-old can do this, they can do anything.
$250,000, a Foundation, and What the Money Actually Does
Grogin is raising funds for the Davis Phinney Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping Parkinson’s patients live well — not just survive the diagnosis.
He’s already cleared $160,000 and remains confident he’ll hit his $250,000 target before reaching Los Angeles.
The money goes toward practical, life-changing support — including helping patients who’ve lost the ability to drive access gyms and exercise facilities.
It’s such a tough illness and there’s a kind of relief when people feel that they’re not powerless in the face of it. That is gratifying.
His Advice? If People Think You’re Doing Too Much, Keep Going
As a chiropractor and acupuncturist, Grogin has developed his own philosophy on Parkinson’s and movement — one that pushes back against conventional wisdom.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
While many experts advocate for short, explosive exercises like boxing, he credits his long, slow daily runs as a cornerstone of his own wellbeing.
His advice to others living with Parkinson’s is direct and uncompromising.
If people around you don’t think that you’re doing too much, then you’re not doing enough. Movement is medicine and is the best thing in the world for Parkinson’s patients.
Grogin also draws inspiration from Abraham Lincoln, often quoting the former president’s belief in destroying enemies by turning them into friends — a philosophy he’s applied directly to his own diagnosis.
Parkinson’s was never something he could beat. So instead, he made it his running partner.
Up until that point in time, I was able to muscle through life and fight to succeed at things. Parkinson’s taught me a very different lesson of learning how to live with it, not beat it.
With Los Angeles just days away, Grogin admits he can barely imagine a morning without a marathon waiting for him. The finish line is close — but for the thousands of people he’s already inspired, the real journey is just beginning.
