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How it started with Bob Fickel

Bob Fickel is a well-known runner in Australia, and he has run over 300 marathons. His first marathon was the Sydney Marathon in 1981 when he ran a respectable 3.45. A bit about Bobby Bobby Fickel, founder of the Australian 100 marathon club, was born January 3, 1952. In 1990 he ran the Westfield Sydney to Melbourne Ultramarathon which he knocked over in 8 days averaging over 100km a day. Bobby crewed for Cliff Young in the 1989 Sydney to Melbourne. Bob’s incredible race streaks include running Canberra Marathon 40 times and becoming the first Griffin Legend. He has run Sydney's City 2 Surf 44 times (since 1980) with his PB in 1994 of 52:31. To finish Six Foot Track Marathon 30 times (not counting the one he missed the cut off by 4 seconds) is one of his proudest accomplishments. He is one of 6 Blue Line Legends having run every Sydney marathon since the 2000 Olympics. Bob has volunteered to the running community over the past 40 years, including being President of Southside Masters for 20 years. His first marathon was in Sydney in 1981. The love of his life (apart from running) is his wife Annie who said “I do" on November 18, 1995.

History of the Australian 100 Marathon Club

In the 1990’s Bob with a few others were running marathons regularly. In 1992 both Graham Kerruish (previous Australia marathon record holder on 312 and now sadly deceased) and Big Chris Stephenson ran their 100th marathon at the Cities (Blacktown) Marathon. About that time Bob felt there was a need for a place where the names of the Australian runners who had run 100 or more official marathons should be recorded.

In about 1996 Bob started to ask runners for a list of the marathons they had run and started to complied a list that was originally about 22 runners. 

The first runner to complete 100 official marathons was Jim Crawford in 1981.  His first marathon was the Victorian Marathon Championships run in 1957 and his last and 130th marathon was the Melbourne marathon in 1989.  A great marathon running career of 32 years.

Jim ran some great times with his PB of 2.31.35 in 1969 in the Victorian Marathon championship.

More than half of Jim’s marathons were under 3 hours. Bob Fickel is compiling a register of such runners. If you are such a person and would like to join join the 100 marathon Club – Australia

100th Marathon

In 1998 at the New Balance Canberra Marathon, Bob ran his 100th marathon.

Bob then asked a friend to set up a web site for the list. That website was the ‘go to site if your running marathons.

However in about 2015 there were major issues with the person who was controlling the input of results and as a result that web site started to record many running results that were not intended in the original site set u by Bob and recorded marathons that did not meet the Clubs criteria for an official marathon.

This website and the list of runners who have completed over 100 marathons re-establishes the vision of that original website ‘Australian 100 Marathon Club’ created by Bob. Bob’s original website was modest and had a simple single aim. In 2026 Bon ran his 40th Canberra marathon and is the first runner to do so. Huge congratulations Bob.

There are many people in the world who have 100 marathons or more. They have formed clubs in their particular countries. In Australia we also have a number of marathon runners who have accomplished the feat of having run 100 marathons or more.

Bob Fickel is compiling a register of such runners. If you are such a person and would like to join the 100 MARATHON CLUB – AUSTRALIA.

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