Donald McNelly (2017), internationally renowned runner

Don McNelly, an internationally renowned runner who completed 744 marathons, died Sunday, Feb. 5, 2017, according to the Richard H. Keenan Funeral Home in Fairport, New York. McNelly was 96. According to the funeral home's obituary, McNelly "completed 744 marathons, including all 50 states, all Canadian provinces, and 5 continents including Antarctica. He ran across Panama, completed a relay across the U.S., and ran up the Empire State Building. He holds the world’s record for most marathons of anyone over 80." The obituary noted that when McNelly wasn't running, "he found time to make wine, keep bees, author a book on mead, hunt mushrooms, crash a plane, and get numerous speeding tickets. His exploits were detailed in a published biography."