MARATHONER JOHN YOUNG INSPIRES OTHERS TO STEP TO THE STARTING LINE

CAPE COD TIMES

Marathoner John Young inspires others to step to the starting line

John Young is way past the point of people telling him what he isn’t capable of doing.

Young was born with achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism. Growing up in Toronto, he was told by doctors that running wasn’t good for his health, specifically his back.

The opposite turned out to be true, as running has helped the 4-foot-4-inch Young beat sleep apnea and lose over 30 pounds, all while inspiring others to overcome challenges and pursue a more active lifestyle.

“This saved my life,” said Young, 53, who lives in Salem and teaches math at Pingree School in South Hamilton.

Young has completed over a dozen marathons, and today’s Hyannis Marathon will be the eighth in his goal to run the equivalent of 12 marathons in 12 months. In April, he hopes to complete his quest where it began 10 months ago — at the Boston Marathon.

Running a marathon takes about 80,000 steps for Young, more than double the number the average person requires. To combat the physical toll, he has run two half-marathons during some months. The farthest he has traveled during the challenge was to a nighttime marathon in Hamilton, Ohio. After Hyannis, he’ll run a half-marathon in Washington, D.C., and another in New Bedford before finishing with Boston.

“He picked Hyannis, and I’m flattered by that,” said Paul Collyer, Hyannis Marathon race director. “He’s a good example of somebody who’s had some challenges and used them to his benefit.”

Hyannis Marathon race weekend began Saturday with a 10-kilometer race. Boston’s Christopher Battoo, from Greater Boston Track Club, won the men’s division in 33 minutes, 20 seconds, while Somerville’s Emma Zimmerman was the top female finisher, crossing in 39:06.

Young said part of his inspiration to run in Hyannis came from Dick and Rick Hoyt, the legendary father-son duo known as Team Hoyt. For decades, Dick pushed his son Rick, born with cerebral palsy, along countless race courses in his wheelchair. In recent years, Rick has been pushed by Bryan Lyons, as the two have competed in Hyannis and the Falmouth Road Race.

Young has completed more than 50 triathlons, but gained national recognition in 2016 when he became the first person with dwarfism to finish an Ironman. Though the 2.4-mile swim was canceled, Young completed the 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run.

He tried it again in 2017 but had to stop around mile 16 of the run. That inspired him to take on this new challenge.

Young has a clothing routine for each race. He’ll wear sleeves under a bright yellow singlet emblazoned with “Achilles International,” an organization that enables people with all types of disabilities to participate in mainstream running events.

He’ll slip on black shorts and then put on his New Balance shoes, usually a women’s size 6.5 wide, and then strap on a fuel belt equipped with CarboPro, Gatorade and some gels.

He doesn’t wear headphones, instead opting to take in the scenery and embrace the cheers from spectators that help propel him forward.

“I prefer to listen to my body and the environment,” Young said.

Young has commonly been referred to as “The Hammer” and has the hashtag #BeTheHammer on his custom-designed bicycle.

In 2013, Young was unable to finish the Boston Marathon because of the terrorist bombings near the finish line. He also was forced to retire from the 2014 race around mile 10 and was taken to the finish line, where his wife, Sue, and son, Owen, who also was born with dwarfism, were waiting.

Tears filled Young’s eyes, but that’s when Owen, 10 at the time, said, “Sometimes you’re the hammer, and sometimes you’re the nail.”

Though he was the proverbial nail that day, those words stuck with Young.

“Although he may not be running quite their pace, he is every bit as much an elite as all the top runners in the race,” said Dave McGillivray, race director of the Boston Marathon and Falmouth Road Race.

Young shares his experiences in schools and at public events. He was invited to speak to runners Saturday night at the pasta dinner at the Resort and Conference Center at Hyannis.

He said his main message is for people to draw inspiration from his decision to make changes for the better later in life, rather than just focusing on a little person running.

“Though I might give somebody the spark to get going,” Young said, “they need more than me.”

For those who don’t meet Young this weekend, you might see him at Fenway Park later this year. Young announced this week that he’s been hired by the Red Sox as an official greeter.

He said getting the job will be fun, and there certainly won’t be anybody to tell him he can’t.