For the directionally challenged, a drive of 26.2 miles is a chore.
Now think about the grind, the drive, the motivation, determination and the will it takes to run the aforementioned 26.2 miles. Better yet, take the amazing feat of running 26.2 miles and multiply it by 50. And try wrapping your head around running one marathon in all 50 states but accomplishing the feat before reaching age 50.
Something, it must be noted, only 2,400 other Americans (according to the All Fifty States Marathon Club), have done. That’s 2,400 out of 348,000,000.
#50B450.
Danny Fleener, PT, MPT, OCS, CMPT, Clinic Manager at Rock Valley Physical Therapy’s Moline, Illinois-based Avenue of the Cities clinic, is one of life’s amazing dudes. He is first-rate and top-notch on all fronts, though he is forever – modestly – poking fun at himself when anyone attempts to pay him a compliment.
On March 28, Fleener, with a gorgeous Nevada sunrise as a likely backdrop, will complete the 2026 REVEL Mt. Charleston Marathon, his 50th marathon in a 50th state, all before birthday No. 50.
Calling the accomplishment impressive would be understating the task.
“Danny has always been a ‘yes man’ when it comes to supporting anything in our running community,’’ Joe Moreno, a Quad-Cities’ running legend and longtime race director of the TBK Bank Quad Cities Marathon, the Firecracker Run and the Freedom Run, said of Fleener.
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s a personal contribution or as a representative for Rock Valley Physical Therapy, you can count on his unwavering support.”
“Danny’s big feat in Vegas will be an incredible and absolutely remarkable accomplishment,’’ added Moreno. “It’s something out of a movie script and he’s the star of the show. I’m so proud of him and truly honored to call him my friend. Danny’s incredible. Who does that? Marathon No. 50, in state No. 50, right before his 50th birthday. Talk about a thought-out plan of intense execution. I’m not surprised as he’s good at what he does. I couldn’t ask for a better physical therapist to help me with all my aches and pains I’ve had over the many years of training. He is the best.’’
Fleener’s marathon journey, which began in December of 2002 with the Tucson (Ariz) Marathon, did not come to fruition without help from home along the way. His wife, Cindy Fleener, a gifted and talented runner in her own rite, has been a tremendous source of assistance, guidance, and inspiration in helping her husband stand at the cusp of history.
“She has completed half marathons in 26 different states,’’ Danny Fleener said, pausing to laud his stepchildren, Brooke, and Noah for all they have done to help him reach his goal. Both were runners in high school, and Brooke has continued competing at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, while Noah has played a valuable role with early morning shakeout runs before school and work.
“Cindy will be the first to tell you she’s not a great trainer, but once the gun goes off, she’s one of the toughest and most competitive people I know. If I had one-eighth of her mental fortitude, I would’ve qualified for the Boston Marathon decades ago; a goal I’m still chasing,’’ Fleener added. “She has been vital to this journey in ways that go far beyond running. She understands what race day feels like — physically and mentally — and she understands what it takes behind the scenes. She’s been my sounding board, my reality check, and often the person managing logistics while I’m focused on training.’’
To reach, compete in and complete 50 marathons in 50 states, one must take a first step to what is considered one of life’s tallest mental and physical tasks. Completing his first marathon nearly a quarter-century ago, Fleener thought it would not lead him to complete – up to this moment – a marathon in every state save for one.
The goal at the start was to simply complete Race No. 1.
“It was rough,’’ Fleener said of that first 26.2-mile saunter (2002), which was followed by the TBK Bank Quad Cities Marathon the following year and the Lincoln (Neb.) Marathon in 2004. It was then Fleener realized there was this amazing, wide-ranging and a far-reaching running community at every marathon stop he made.
“I hadn’t run more than a mile straight since the eighth-grade Presidential Fitness Test,’’ Fleener noted, adding he has started 53 marathons in the last quarter century and completed 50, including two DNFs for a calf injury and one for dehydration. “I didn’t train well and finished pretty beat up that first one. But instead of pushing me away, it made me want to figure it out and do it better.’’
Having a close friend who understands what it takes to complete a marathon and someone deeply attached to the Quad Cities’ running community helped push Fleener.
“One of my co-workers, who was also a friend and a boss at the time, Todd Kersten, ran and talked about it at work regularly,’’ Fleener said of one of Rock Valley Physical Therapy’s cornerstones.
“Around that same time, I went to visit my dad in Kansas after he retired from the Air Force. “One night we were up late joking and giving each other a hard time. Before I knew it, we had signed up for a marathon (Tucson), and we ran it together. I remember seeing a runner wearing a 50 States Marathon Club shirt and thinking, that’s interesting. At the time, it wasn’t a goal, just something that caught my attention and planted a seed.’’
Fleener’s feat has Kersten standing in awe of his dear friend’s accomplishment, noting the time, effort, and energy it has taken to be standing at history’s doorstep.
“What trait allows a person to take on the challenge of running 50 marathons in 50 states by the age of 50?’’ asked Kersten. “I believe that can best be defined as courage; resolve, strength of character. Or simply stated, grit. Danny is the very definition of true grit.”
“Along the miles of running together there have been many comical moments and learned lessons in life and running. In Wichita, Kansas we learned the expression that “minutes ain’t money, you can’t bank them” from a couple of well-seasoned runners who heard our discussion regarding how many minutes we were ahead of our goal pace early in the marathon. We were running on the river trail in Hampton, IL., near a park on a 20-mile training run when we passed a piece of cake on the sidewalk. Danny said, “If that cake is there on our way back, I will stop and eat it.’’
Ask Danny, what will he do after running 50 marathons in 50 states and he will tell you, “Whatever Cindy wants to do.’’ Grit and wisdom.
From that first marathon, the unique challenge of completing a marathon in 50 states before age 50 grew modestly. Combining the fellowship that comes with any good running community, personal drive and a passion for travel and a drive to compete, Fleener pushed ahead, documenting each landmark run.
“The idea (50 before 50) grew quietly,’’ he said. “I like to travel, and I started choosing races in different states without really announcing it or mapping it out. There was no challenge from anyone else and no big declaration. It was just curiosity, combined with showing up consistently, slowly turning into habit.”
“Milestones crept up on me,’’ Fleener added. “No. 10 was the Detroit Free Press International Marathon in 2007. By then, the idea of running a marathon in every state had been said aloud and felt real. Running was part of my life. No. 25 came at the Wineglass Marathon in New York in 2014, and that one felt different. At that point, it was clear this wasn’t something I did occasionally; it was something I was committed to finishing. With a little quick math, the goal eventually evolved into not just running a marathon in all 50 states but doing it before I turned 50. That’s when it became 50 before 50 (#50B450).’’
Quick to admit he did not start out as a runner and 50 marathons were never part of the athletic picture growing up, Fleener says he played traditional sports, adding that running – in those days – was something he did for team-sport conditioning or if he got in trouble.
“I was never the kid who loved going for a run,’’ he said. “Running entered my life later, after college, when I settled in the Quad Cities and started my career at Rock Valley Physical Therapy. I realized my days had become work, home, repeat. I was talking to patients every day about movement, health, and balance, but I wasn’t living that myself. Running started as a way to take better care of myself and practice what I was preaching.’’
Gifted athletically, though he downplays his abilities, Fleener said it took some time to acclimate himself to all that is running any kind of distance – both physically and mentally. His passion and determination, Fleener, would find out, would be an asset.
“At first, I wasn’t good at it,’’ Fleener said of race running. “That has been a theme in my life. I’ve seldom, if ever, been good at things the first time I tried them. School, basketball, and work; most of it came with struggles early on. Somewhere along the way, I started to believe that grit is a skill, not a personality trait. It’s something you can develop if you’re willing to stay with things long enough, learn from failures, and keep showing up. Running fits that mindset perfectly.”
Admitting to a favorite marathon is tough for Fleener, pointing out that any marathon-type challenge can be grueling, and there are points in every race where there is struggle. To that, different races have meant different things at different points in his life. Some, he says, were meaningful because of the place, others because of the people he shared the run with, and some simply because they went better or worse than expected.
“The most intense stretch was in 2017, when I ran six marathons in six days across six New England states,’’ Fleener said of the grueling task. “Physically, that week was tough, but the hardest part honestly wasn’t running it was the logistics, getting from race to race, in and out of hotels, managing recovery, nutrition, and sleep. But Cindy stepped in and handled the details, and without her, I wouldn’t have finished that week. It reinforced that even individual pursuits are rarely done alone. Without her stepping in, that week and honestly this entire journey, doesn’t happen.’’
Racing in one of the world’s most scenic settings might have been the toughest task Fleener has come across in his quest for 50 marathons in 50 states before age 50. Sadly, paradise is not often so beautiful when running 26.1 miles in the middle of it.
“Kauai (Hawaii) stands out; marathon No. 49 (state 48) was beautiful, but brutally hot and humid with extreme climbs and descents,’’ Fleener shared. “It was humbling and a reminder that no matter how much experience you have, the conditions and course always get a vote.”
“On the other end of the spectrum, some of the most inspirational races were smaller, quieter ones,’’ he added. “The ones where you’re reminded of why people run in the first place. You’re not lost in a crowd, and you feel more connected to the course, the volunteers, and the other runners. Those races tend to stick with me just as much as the big ones. If there’s a common thread, it’s that every race taught me something different. Some taught me about physical limits, others about mental toughness, and some about gratitude. Taken together, they’ve shaped not just how I run, but how I approach challenges in general.’’
With respect to where this unique journey has taken him, Fleener says there is something special about home and the TBK Bank Quad Cities Marathon.
It is a September staple for thousands.
“Absolutely it holds a special place for me,’’ he said. “I moved (to the Quad Cities) for work, but it became home through running. Before that, I didn’t feel particularly rooted. Running gave me a way to connect; to people, to the community, and to the places I was living. Through races, group runs, and relationships built around the running community.”
“The Quad Cities is also where my running and professional life overlap,’’ Fleener continued. “At Rock Valley, I get to treat a lot of fellow runners, and that shared understanding matters. We like to say runners treating runners and “Rock Your Run” but it’s more than a slogan; it’s about knowing firsthand what training, setbacks and race day feel like. That connection to the community is a big part of why this place (the Quad Cities) means so much to me. The (TBK Bank) Quad Cities Marathon has always felt like family to me. It’s been part of my journey from early on, and it represents everything I value about running, community, consistency, and shared experience. If I had thought far enough ahead, I would have chosen it as the final race, because of how much it means to me.’’
As for the final race of the challenge before him, Fleener says the Revel Mt. Charleston Marathon outside Las Vegas stood out for a variety of reasons. The course mirrors his first marathon in some ways; starting in the mountains and finishing down in the desert which he believes makes it a full circle moment.
“The Las Vegas location also made sense because it’s easy to get to,’’ Fleener said. “I wanted a place where anyone who has been along for the ride motivated me, encouraged me, supported me, or simply put up with “Taper Danny” could come together and celebrate what really feels like our accomplishment, not just mine.”
“There was also the timing,’’ Fleener added. “Once I complete the race, I’ll turn 50 in about a week later. It almost feels like it was planned from day one, even though it absolutely wasn’t. It just worked out in a way that made the finish feel meaningful without trying to force it.’’
Fleener chuckles when describing how his first marathon came to pass but says having his dad run it with him meant more than he understood at the time. Having Cindy Fleener, his father, other family and a host of friends sharing No. 50 with him, will be the perfect way to close the loop.
“This was never something I did alone, even though the miles are run individually,’’ Fleener shared. “Sharing that final moment with the people who helped make it possible is what I’m most looking forward to. Over the years, different friends have joined at races, followed along from afar, or simply checked in. Knowing that people are invested; whether they’re on the course, at the finish line, or just sending a text has mattered more than I ever expected.
Though Feener will close this chapter – running 50 marathons in 50 states before age 50 – running will remain an integral part of his life. Having Rock Valley Physical Therapy be an important piece of the running landscape in every community it calls home, adds a positive component to that.
“One of the reasons this journey never felt overwhelming is because of the people I’ve been surrounded by, at work and in the running community,’’ Fleener said. “Rock Valley has always had a strong connection to runners, and that connection is real. It’s lived, not just talked about.”
Once the task before him is complete, Fleener says he will take a deep breath, reflect, smile, and think about all it took to reach that point. Though accomplishing the monumental task of 50 marathons in 50 states before age 50 is unique, challenging and beyond difficult, Fleener says there is no need to replace it with a bigger or louder challenge.
“This was a long arc, and I want to appreciate it before rushing into the next thing,’’ he said. “Running will always be part of my life, but I don’t feel like I have anything left to prove through it. I’m more interested now in longevity, running well, staying healthy, and continuing to enjoy the process. If that includes future marathons, it’s great. If it looks different for a while, that’s okay too. There was never a master plan here; just a willingness to keep showing up and see where it led. I still believe in leaning into hard things, not because they guarantee an outcome, but because they shape who you are along the way. If this journey has taught me anything, it’s that the most meaningful goals aren’t always about the finish line. They’re about who you become while you’re chasing them and being open to whatever comes next.’’
(#50B450) and Danny Fleener.
Simply amazing.
By: Johnny Marx, Rock Valley Storyteller