Ernest Van Leeuwen, 94; oldest man in several L.A. Marathons

Ernest Van Leeuwen, 94, who for the last several years had been the oldest man in the field at the Los Angeles Marathon, died in his sleep Friday at his Encino home, said his wife, Nina. He had a stroke several weeks ago, causing him to miss this year’s race, which would have been his 13th.

Van Leeuwen, who took up distance running in his 50s after reading a magazine article about the health benefits of physical fitness, watched the March 4 race on television. In 2006 he was awarded the L.A. Marathon’s annual courage award.

Van Leeuwen didn’t just compete in marathons, he finished them, often first in the 80-and-over age group, though the turnout is generally low in that category. His best time was 6 hours 6 minutes, and he finished the 2006 race in 9:04:11.

Twice he was named USA Track and Field’s Masters Long Distance Running Outstanding Male Athlete, in 1998 and 2003.

Born Dec. 30, 1912, in Grand Rapids, Mich., Van Leeuwen grew up in Jackson, Wyo., where he enjoyed hiking the Grand Teton range. He earned a degree in electrical engineering from UC Berkeley and worked in the aircraft industry. He ran an audio-video recording business in Hollywood for many years.

He also formed a grass-roots nonprofit organization called Earth Repair Service aimed at educating the public about environmental issues.