Wisconsin Endurance Athlete Gets Goats

A 73-year-old Wisconsin man cannot stop running. Cable-area endurance athlete Jim Anderson has been competing in marathons and various other foot races since the late 1970s and has no plans to quit.

He’s run marathons in all 50 states, every province in Canada, as well as every continent besides Antarctica. In addition to all that legwork, he’s competed in 47 Birkebeiner cross-country ski races, several bike races, and some triathlons.

And Anderson isn’t just running for himself. He’s running for goats. Well, sort of.

Ten years ago, a man in the Cable area named George got wind of a group of grandmothers in Zambia who were caring for children whose mothers had died from AIDS. And they needed goats. He set out to raise money to purchase 1,000 of them. A mutual friend put Anderson in touch, who ended up starting a 5k run to help reach that goal. They ended up raising enough money to buy 2,000 goats. George has since died, but the race, George’s Goats for Grammas, continues to raise money for life-saving supplies — and goats — for people in need in Africa.

You’d think that would be enough, but no. Anderson’s running exploits have also led to the publication of three books: “Discovering America One Marathon at a Time” in 2015, “Pedal, Pole & Pant: Canada & Beyond” in 2018, and his most recent title, “This Golden Ager Takes on the World,” which hit shelves in 2024.

Jim Anderson has throttled down some in recent years, running only half marathons now. Which still seems kind of crazy to those of us who get winded walking to the mailbox. Maybe he can provide a few pointers on getting in shape next time he pops into the Drink Wisconsinbly Pub.

If you want to run to raise money for goats and other good stuff in 2026, keep an eye on the Cable Area Chamber of Commerce website for details about the next installment of George’s Goats for Grammas Run/Walk. It’s held the last weekend in April. But be warned, Jim will most likely smoke you.