Runner picks up more than just a garbage time during marathon

The average time to run a marathon typically ranges anywhere from three to four hours.

Keegan Hartery finished his in just over six hours, a time which would be disappointing to many, but there was a unique twist to his run.

Hartery collected garbage in a wheelbarrow along Saskatoon trails and streets while running, dumping the collected waste into the back of his pickup truck as he completed the marathon.

Keegan Hartery ran a marathon distance across Saskatoon while picking up garbage. (Facebook)

He said many people in Saskatoon use the trails, but very few pitch in to maintain them.

“I just found that I should do my part and try and keep the trails clean,” Hartery said.

His distance was tracked on an app he uses for running. It ultimately took six and a half hours for him to travel the 42-kilometre distance, with four and a half hours spent running while the remainder of the time was dedicated to his clean-up efforts.

Running with a wheelbarrow isn’t easy, however, and Hartery said he had to make adjustments to how he ran.

“When you’re running, you’re swinging your arms back and forth; it helps with breathing a little bit. So the first hour was kind of rough, but then after that I just got used to it and it was OK,” Hartery said.

The biggest surprise to him was difficulty of running while maintaining his grip on the wheelbarrow, and then dealing with it once it got heavier.

Hartery also just made up his route on the go. He said he didn’t plan anything beforehand, and just followed the garbage.

“I focused mainly on the core of Saskatoon and the inner city. That’s just where the most garbage was. The trails aren’t as bad as some other areas, so I did kind of a mix of both,” he said.

Despite extending a marathon by almost an extra two hours, the distance wasn’t the hardest part. He said the trickiest part was bending over and actually picking up the garbage.

Some of the notable items Hartery picked up during his run were two large carpets, a pair of shoes with a rusty razor inside each, and about 300 plastic cups.

Hartery says he’s run seven or eight marathons in his life, including the Banff Marathon. He also plans the Beaver Flat 50 later this summer, but noted most of his runs have been unofficial.

He said his unique marathon wasn’t about getting recognition. Hartery said he just wants to leave a positive impact.

“Something I’ve always worried about is just going through life never giving back and just taking from the community. So if everybody can do a little bit to give back, it would make a huge difference,” Hartery said.

He said there are no plans for another “garbage marathon” just yet, but Hartery said he hopes to help inspire people to do their own version of his run or help pick up garbage if they can.