Meet Gary

MEET LEGACY RUNNER: Gary Nettekoven

Persistence, Family, and the Finish Line: A Legacy Runner’s Journey

Gary was never supposed to be a runner. At 5’7” and less than 120 pounds, he was a wrestler—a scrappy, ridiculously tough kid from a farm just north of Appleton. He only took up cross country in high school to stay in shape for the mat, joining mid-season after a dare. But Gary had an obsessive edge.

He once missed the school bus and chose to run home carrying his books – 12 miles. To prepare for wrestling, Gary would join the training runs of the Seymour High School cross country team, staying right on the heels of the top runners. While many Lawrence University students enjoyed the college experience, Gary was driven to be the best athlete he could be, frequently working out at Alexander Gym, lifting weights that far exceeded much larger football linemen while also doing 3,500 push-ups and 600 sit-ups every night.

“Everything to me is a contest,” said Gary, who earned mostly straight A’s in the classroom. “I’m definitely a better wrestler (than a runner), strong and quick. I’m just a dumb farm kid that’s used to hard work.” 

That relentless drive and mental toughness was forged while working on the family farm, daily chores that were a family responsibility ahead of studies. At LU, Gary juggled working the 165-acre Town of Center farm while studying biology and creating detailed botanical art that stunned his professors.

Running eventually took over his life. Gary figures that he won perhaps a third of all the 5K and 10K races he entered. While training, he rarely ran more than 12 to 15 miles a week, yet he went on to complete over 50 marathons, boasting a personal record of 2:51. “I’m really fast for a middle-distance guy. A marathon is really just a stamina thing.”

In shorter local races, he made a name for himself as “the guy with the baby stroller,” pushing one of his three kids at an amazingly fast pace. While in college, he survived a serious crash while in a bike race around Lake Winnebago. He was hit by a car driven by a teenager, throwing him well over 100 feet. He recovered pretty quickly, which he attributes to his physical conditioning and his farm-kid toughness. To Gary, suffering through a 26.2-mile marathon was easy compared to long days working on the farm or, during winter, clearing 25 inches of snow on eight hours of sleep over five days.

More than a Medal

The 1995 Fox Cities Marathon gave him more than medals; it gave him his life’s centerpiece. At the finish line, he met his future wife after both won event prizes. Together, he and Laura, whom he describes as a superior and exceptional runner, raised three high-achieving kids who inherited ample portions of their work ethic and competitive nature. “When people say, ‘Gary, you’re good at something,’ that doesn’t mean much to me,” Gary said. “When somebody says my kids are amazing—that’s what matters. I just want to be the best form of myself.”

For a few years, he coached high school runners at St. Mary’s Central High School, which he called “probably the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.”