Tamerra Buckhanan begins her days with a run.
“Living in Flossmoor is one of the things that’s kept me running because it’s so beautiful and peaceful and it’s easy to get up in the morning and run around the neighborhood,” she said. She and her husband, Raymond, moved to Flossmoor in 1999.
Tamerra Buckhanan on her outstanding finish at the
Hidden Gem Half-Marathon where Buckhanan finished first
in the 80+ women’s category. (Provided photo)
Sometimes she’s training for a special event, but oftentimes she’s out just because running is part of her routine. Foul weather doesn’t mean a break. Buckhanan says she’s got the equipment and clothing she needs to keep running.
Buckhanan, 81, has run more than 20 marathons. Her latest accomplishment was being the fastest woman finisher in the 80+ age bracket at the Hidden Gem Half Marathon in Flossmoor on Sept. 6. She considered the race part of her training regimen for the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 12.
Buckhanan and a friend decided in 1979 that they’d start running. Their intention was to lose 10 pounds. They were living in Chicago near Lake Michigan “and we’d run three blocks, take a break and then run three blocks home,” she recalls. “We kept increasing our mileage. Somebody told us if we could run 10 miles a day, we could eat whatever we wanted, and that was motivation.”
Buckhanan owned a temporary staffing business. To fit this new activity into her schedule, running was done in the early morning hours and on the weekends. The two friends worked up their endurance and distance over the next 10 years. Then, in 1989, a friend suggested to them that they run the Chicago Marathon.
“Everybody thought it was a joke, but (my friend) came up with a training plan from a local trainer and we trained for it. We finished it,” Buckhanan said. “At the time I didn’t have any plans to run another marathon, and I didn’t run another one for a couple of years. Then every couple of years I ran one, and I’ve been running them consistently. In recent years, I’ve been running at least one a year.”
In the world of running, top runners set a goal to earn the Abbott World Marathon Majors 6 Star Medal. It is awarded to runners who complete the six original world marathon major races: Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York City and Tokyo. Buckhanan is hoping to earn her 6 Star Medal in 2026.
In the Chicago and NYC marathons, Buckhanan placed first in the 80+ category, and in London she was second in that age bracket. She’s also competed in Berlin and will be in the Tokyo Marathon on March 1. She hopes to compete in Boston in 2026 to complete the 6 Star Medal challenge.
She’s also competed in marathons in Honolulu, Las Vegas, Houston, the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. and Madison, Wisconsin.
Buckhanan said finishing and placing in races where thousands run the 26.2 miles gives her a good feeling “knowing I can still compete.” Sometimes runners have to give up the sport because of stresses on their bodies, but Buckhanan said she remains healthy. She got through a bout with stomach cancer in 2016.
She is part of the Chicago Area Runners Association and trains with the Yankee Runners Club on the weekends for long runs. She also runs with the H-F Runners Club, Black Girls Run (SoHo) and the Black Chicago Runners.
Buckhanan’s received emails and comments from others saying she’s a true inspiration for them. She knows it’s “because of my age.” She’s inspired her nephew, Randall Gray of Flossmoor, to start running. She ran the Hidden Gem for the sixth time and Gray did his first run. He will run his first Chicago Marathon as his aunt runs her 13th.
Buckhanan said the Hidden Gem is gaining a reputation in the Chicagoland area. She calls it “the best half, and I’ve run a number of them.” She especially enjoys running through the Homewood-Flossmoor High School campus as the Vikings Marching Band plays and the students are out cheering. She also enjoys the Braeburn/Brassie area with its big, old trees and the themed program residents use to entertain runners.
For Buckhanan, “the most important thing about running: Over the years I have met so many people and made so many friends in the running community. These relationships have truly enriched my life.”
