‘The Joggler’ takes Manhattan
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
Is there any other sport besides running marathons where winning isn't a goal?
We have a special place in our NewsCut heart for people who run 26 miles with nothing but the intention to have a blast along the way.
Fans of the Twin Cities Marathon may have recognized this guy when he ran past them last month.
He's a "joggler" and he juggles deflated footballs while running.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
He runs more than two-dozen marathons a year and this weekend he stopped the show at the New York City Marathon.
He's Barry Goldmeier, 51, a government statistician from Maryland.
"For me, it's just a goofy hobby," Goldmeier told the Baltimore Sun in a profile last year. "But I've been doing this for so long, I don't know what I'd do without it."
Typically, I'll start a race last, so I have my space. Sometimes I'll stop if someone wants to take a picture. Or I'll stop just to see where I'm going. If there are walkers in front of me, I'll quit juggling, run around them and then start up again.
"I can see peripherally but I've fallen before, mostly because a (traffic) cone was there and I was looking up. Once, in a December race, I hurt my wrist and bruised my ribs. I was dressed as Santa that day."
He says he tries to start each marathon last so he has his space.
Last month, he finished the Twin Cities Marathon in 5:48:31, finishing in 8,311th place out of 8,543 runners.
