Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho ... you name the state, Newtown’s own Bruce Goulart has run in it — completing his quest to race in a marathon in all 50 by finishing the 26.2-mile Mainly Marathons Heartland Series course in Fulton, Ill. on July 15.

Goulart, 75, has run in intense heat with temperatures over 100 degrees with humidity — the July 15 race featured 91-degree heat, nothing to sneeze at. There has been snow and rain. There have been injuries. But through it all there has been a desire to complete this quest.

And now Goulart is ... not done. There will be no kicking back, putting his racing feet up and admiring the massive collections of medals and certificates he has accrued. No breaks for this running die-hard.

“I’m not stopping,” he said.

This accomplishment certainly marks an incredible milestone but it is, in the eyes of Goulart, just a chapter in his book of running. He has completed more than 350 marathons, over 3,500 races — be them 5Ks, 10ks, half marathons, or full marathons. As exhausting as this may seem, there is more work to be done. A member of Run 169 Towns Society, Goulart still has a handful of races to go in order to complete the task of running a race in every single Connecticut town/city.

Goulart started running about 37 years ago, in 1988, at the age of 38. He got into marathon running in the Northeast and one thing led to another. Next thing Goulart knew he had run ten marathons. Why stop at ten? And if you can complete a marathon in some of the states why not run one in every state?

That has been his mentality.

There have been some challenges, naturally, along the way. Goulart needed to run a three hour and 20 minute marathon to qualify for the Boston race years ago. He had completed four marathons each in a time of 3:21 and appealed to Boston Marathon organizers to let him compete in their race given he was on the cusp multiple times. He was turned away. With one last opportunity to qualify in a particular year, Goulart persevered, running a 3:19 in Albany, N.Y., in the snow. He was in — and on his way.

Another tough test came when Goulart ran five marathons in as many days, culminating with races in Colorado and Wyoming. He limped his way to an eight- or nine-hour 26.2k race finish and, the next day, battled through injury to complete the Wyoming run. Goulart said his injury went away as the race unfolded. It was worth it to him to push through it rather than have to go back to Wyoming some other time.

Goulart has averaged 100 races per year, traveling and often running both days of each weekend to make this feat with his feet possible.

“I have to travel a bit sometimes but I don’t mind,” Goulart said.

During the 2019-2020 pandemic Goulart’s race-running options were limited and he managed “only” 50 or 60. In 2023 he laced up for 169 races to make up for lost course time and maintain his pace, one that might cause a blister on your foot just thinking about it.

“To run a marathon, it’s a pretty huge deal,” Goulart recognizes. “No matter how many times you do it, it really doesn’t get easier. It’s 26.2 miles of ugly, grueling, tough stuff.”

Goulart says he sometimes has to fight off tears when completing a marathon. “I get emotional. It’s an incredible feat — it’s an incredible thing to do,” he acknowledges.

Goulart used to run start to finish no problem. These days there is some walking to get through it, but Goulart still runs his share of miles in each marathon. The most recent 26.2-mile course took Goulart six hours and 43 minutes but he completed it — and plans to do more.

He and wife Jan Brown-Goulart travel together for most of his race adventures. The trip to Alaska doubled as a vacation and marathon excursion.

“It’s a great way to see the country,” Brown-Goulart said.

This husband and wife team is quite the athletic duo. Brown-Goulart has completed a handful of marathons herself. They play pickleball together and are certified instructors for the game. They have played softball and basketball throughout the years. Both have earned medals at Connecticut Masters Games and other competitions in and out of Connecticut. He continues to work, running not only in races but running Goulart Construction. Brown-Goulart was The Bee’s Sportsman of the Year in 2021.

As impressive as Goulart’s long list of running accomplishments is, he is often amazed by the efforts of others he comes across. For example, another runner managed all 50 states in a single year. The logistics alone are pretty remarkable on that one, Goulart points out. But you do not see too many people running a marathon in every state regardless of time period.

For Goulart, there is lots of running and quite the commitment in between races. For the past ten years, he has been part of a running group in town. Every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 5:30 am these enthusiasts meet at Bagel Delight and take off for three- to five-mile runs throughout town, including Dickinson Park and Fairfield Hills.

For Goulart those are some of the steps he takes for a healthy lifestyle and they have helped prepare him for his missions of running throughout the state and country.

Among Goulart’s more than 3,500 races are runs ranging from one to 80 miles. His 350 marathons include more than 20 New York City runs. There have been many mud races including the Spartan obstacle course race. He once ran 11 one-mile races in a single day and completed five 5K races along with fellow Newtown runner Bill Begg in one day. There have been multiple triathlons, including The Survival of the Shawangunks. Goulart has completed the Empire State Building Run-Up. In addition to the Tuesday-Thursday running group, Goulart has gone to CrossFit three mornings each week for the past 12 years. Brown-Goulart noted that, all told, he had run over 26,000 miles.

“He’s a running machine,” she said.

Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.