APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) - One of the best marathon runners in his age group lives right here in Appleton and he's gearing up for a world championship race in just over a week.

"We always say the first goal is to finish and run the best you can, but what's most important is having fun," said Al Schmidt.

Schmidt, who is 72-years-old, will run the AbbottWMM MTT Age Group World Championships on Nov. 2. The race gets contested within the New York City marathon and participants need to hit a qualifying time to take part in the championship. Schmidt is in the 70-74 age group.

Schmidt said he has been running his entire life and that's it's something that truly brings him joy. He said he loves being outside, pushing his limits, and competing. He also said he loves the camaraderie and has made so

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