KINGMAN, Ariz. — Most people slow down after a Parkinson’s diagnosis. Dr. Larry Grogin decided to run — 2,620 miles, to be exact.
The 71‑year‑old chiropractor, acupuncturist, and lifelong endurance athlete is in the middle of an extraordinary cross‑country effort: completing 100 marathons in 100 days to raise awareness and support for people living with Parkinson’s disease. His run began March 24 at the Indian Trail Club in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, and will conclude July 1 in Los Angeles.
Featured photo: Dr. Larry Grogin, 71, takes a break in old‑town Kingman during his 100‑marathons‑in‑100‑days cross‑country pass through Mohave County to raise awareness for Parkinson’s disease. The trek began March 24 at the Indian Trail Club in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, and will conclude July 1 in Los Angeles. More information and donation links are available at pf.org/runlarryrun. Photo by Allen Scott.
Grogin, who has completed more than 300 marathons and 30 Ironman triathlons, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2019. Instead of stepping back, he doubled down on his belief that movement is medicine — a message he now carries across the country with every mile.
Twenty-five years in the past a Parkinson’s diagnosis brought a doctor’s recommendation to rest and take it easy. However, after even mild physical exercise of a Parkinson’s sufferer, observation noted mobility and flexibility seemed to improve.
Now, with extensive research, notes Jenna Deidel, Vice President of Programs for the Davis Phinney Foundation, “With more strenuous exercise, the brain seems to be finding new pathways around those blocked by the disease. Although much more is to be learned about the brain and Parkinson, there’s been documentation of slowed progression of the disease.”
This current cross-country effort by Dr. Grogin, in a partnership between Strides for Humanity, the philanthropic organization he founded in 2014, and the Davis Phinney Foundation, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping people with Parkinson’s live well through exercise, education, and community programs.
“Parkinson’s affects nearly one million Americans, and that number keeps growing,” Grogin said in announcing the run. “If I can show even one person that movement brings hope, then every step is worth it.”
Grogin is no stranger to extreme endurance challenges for charity. In 2014, he ran 224 miles from Franklin Lakes to Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to support Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Camp. He has completed a 100‑mile run in a single day for Cancer Cares and, in 2019, logged a 1,200‑mile journey to benefit Oasis, a shelter for women and children in Paterson, New Jersey.
Funds raised during his current 100‑day run will directly support the Davis Phinney Foundation’s programs for people living with Parkinson’s. Daily updates on his progress are being shared on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok under the hashtag #RunLarryRun.
More information and donation links are available at dpf.org/runlarryrun.
