Among his 56 marathons, Don Cuddy has run in a prison, on his honeymoon and in seven Boston Marathons.

Still, Cuddy doesn’t consider himself a running addict.

The Dublin native and Mattapoisett resident says, “I just do it because I enjoy it. Because I’ve stayed healthy, the numbers just keep piling up, sort of like age.”

In the 80s while stationed with the navy in San Diego, Cali., a commanding officer offered a gift certificate for running shoes to anyone who logged a certain number of miles.

“Being the type who can’t resist getting something for nothing, I decided to take up running,” Cuddy said. “Little did I know I was getting a gift that was more than a $50 gift certificate…it allowed me to participate in this sport that’s become an integral part of my life.”

Cuddy ran several 10K races before taking on a marathon in 1984. On a trip to New England in 1987 he ran his second and soon decided to set his sights on qualifying for the Boston Marathon.

“That was obviously and still is the pinnacle for any runner,” said Cuddy, a former Standard Times journalist.

After failing to qualify in the Marine Corps Marathon in 1991 (“I didn’t manage the race well.”), Cuddy ran in the Chain Gang Marathon inside the walls of the state prison in Bridgewater that was held concurrently with the Boston Marathon that year.

“[The warden] invited runners to come inside and staged a marathon to serve as an example and an inspiration,” said Cuddy.

The cinder track, said Cuddy, included a dogleg around a guard tower, but it was a Boston Athletic Association approved race.

Aside from running a 3:12 time, qualifying him for Boston, Cuddy said one part of the day stood out for him.

“I brought in a gallon of apple cider with me, and that was [interesting] to the prisoners because you could make hooch out of it!” he said.

Cuddy and his wife, Anne, also had an unusual experience running a race on their honeymoon in Italy, which they timed to coincide with a marathon.

Cuddy ran the marathon located in a small medieval town while his wife took on the 15K.

“When I finished the marathon, she was standing at the finish line with a plucked chicken because all of the participants in the 15K got one,” said Cuddy, who got a medal and a check for his participation. “After the race, we walked around the village offering this chicken to anyone who wanted to take it.”

Prizes, especially of the poultry variety, aren’t the reason Cuddy runs, and he isn’t one to set goals. Although at age 60, he recently exceeded his first marathon time by two seconds.

Instead, he said simplicity is the goal. “It’s just putting one foot in front of the other,” said Cuddy.

And while he said he has enjoyed the Boston Marathon, Cuddy prefers smaller races.

“It’s just running, man. I don’t need a band every 200 yards.”