Tom Pontac, a Legacy Runner who had participated in every Long Beach Marathon since it started in 1982, died earlier this month — just hours before his 90th birthday.
Pontac was a fitness wonder. He ran in more than 400 marathons worldwide, many with his wife, Jeanne Haislett. He started the Leisure Leggers running/walking club at Leisure World. He ran a virtual half-mile last year to continue his astounding streak as an original Long Beach Marathon Legacy Runner. Up until the last few months, he was active, including walking 5K races — and coming in first place in his age group.
And he did all this while struggling with Parkinson’s disease for the last 13 years and surviving cancer three times.
“His motto was, ‘adapt and overcome,’ something he did daily,” Haislett said. “He passed away peacefully, hours shy of his 90th birthday.”
Pontac died on April 6.
In a video from a few years ago, he talked about his approach to his health issues.
“You can do anything you want,” Pontac said. “You’re not defined by your disease. You’re defined by what you do about it.”
Tom Pontac, one of the few remaining Long Beach Marathon Legacy Runners, passed on April 6 just shy of his 90th birthday. (Photo courtesy of Jeanne Haislett)
Tom Pontac, showing some finisher medals, ran in over 400 marathons in his lifetime. (Photo courtesy of Jeanne Haislett)
Tom Pontac and his wife, Jeanne Haislett, participated in many marathon events together in both Europe and North America. (Photo courtesy of Jeanne Haislett)
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Tom Pontac, one of the few remaining Long Beach Marathon Legacy Runners, passed on April 6 just shy of his 90th birthday. (Photo courtesy of Jeanne Haislett)
A celebration of his life will take place during a 5K walk with the Leisure Leggers Running Club on May 2, his wife said.
Participating in that walk will be George Wallims and John Sumpter, two current members of the Long Beach Legacy Runners group.
“Tom was a very good friend,” said Wallims, who lives in Huntington Beach. “I helped him cross the finish line the times he had a bad back. He also was a mentor who encouraged me to continue when I was down. He was inspirational. There’s a special bond between us all united by the Long Beach Marathon.”
Sumpter, a former Poly High School golf coach who has also run in every Long Beach Marathon since 1982, said the number of Legacy Runners is dwindling. There were 14 Legacy Runners in 2024, he said, but that number has been reduced to five because of health issues and deaths.
Pontac was born in Glendale in 1936 and raised there.
“His father told him that everyone was put on this Earth to help others, something that was ingrained in his actions,” Haislett said. “Tom willed his body to the UC Irvine Willed Body program. He couldn’t pass a person in need on the street, so he always had an energy bar and $20 to give them.”
She called her husband an extraordinary man.
After his first career as an interior designer and commercial furniture salesman, he attended Cal State Long Beach at the age of 60 and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a certificate in gerontology at 64.
“His love for knowledge resulted in his taking over 270 college courses until he ‘dropped out’ at age 77,” she said. “He had a second career for 10 years at CSULB as a community liaison between the university and Leisure World.”
As a poet, he was the author of “Movies in a Minute,” 100 movies condensed into poetry.
Haislett said she and Pontac got married after she answered a personal ad he had placed in the Orange County Register for a date. The ad read: “Poetic. Athletic. Still believes in love.”
“We were married for 30 years,” she said. “He used to say that he was glad he ‘found me’ at the age of 60 (I was 50),” she said. “Tom was the love of my life. We spent 30 years traveling the world and completing marathons and ultramarathons. He was my coach and running partner, and together we completed 400-plus races, including in Paris, Italy, Ireland, Canada, New York, San Diego, Los Angeles and Long Beach.”
In addition to his passion for running and learning, Pontac was also a loving grandfather to Ben, Cole, Luke and Fabian, Haislett said.
Pontac also lived by several other mottos, his wife said, including “it’s never too late to be what you might have been” and “old age isn’t for sissies.”
Pontac’s neurologist said he was “an amazing man, an adjective that he loved and lived up to,” according to Haislett.
She said her favorite nickname for him was “Ultra Tom.”
The remaining Legacy Runners, meanwhile, will run in Pontac’s honor at this year’s Long Beach Marathon on Oct. 11, Sumpter said.