Run Farther & Faster

After Our Newborn Suddenly Died, I Spiraled. Marathon Training Mirrored My Grief and Brought Me Back. They say to put your oxygen mask on before you help anyone else—I couldn’t show up for my family until I could show up for myself and get to a better place.

We have another Cape Town Marathon finisher! Congratulations to Veronica, age 66, who crossed the finish line at the Abbott Age Group World Championships in Cape Town just five weeks after running the Boston Marathon and two months after running the Tokyo Marathon, where she earned her Abbott World Marathon Majors sixth star!

After finishing the Boston Marathon, Veronica decided to work with one of our registered sports dietitians, Claire Shorenstein, to figure out why she wasn’t able to take in as much fuel as her body clearly needed. After working with Claire for just a few weeks, Veronica already felt a difference. With Claire’s help, she was able to figure out a fueling plan that allowed her to take in more carbs without as much difficulty.

In Veronica's words, "Three marathons in three months on three continents! First Tokyo, then Boston and finished up with the Age Group Championships in Cape Town. They were not my fastest marathons, but I finished strong and accomplished my goals in each one. Throw in the NYC Half Marathon and a sprinkling of 5k’s just for added spice. Tokyo’s goal was to get my 6th star. Boston’s goal was to conquer every hill, including Heartbreak Hill , and Cape Town’s goal was to run in the Age Group Championship and earn my 8th star. I couldn’t have done it without the help of Julie and Lisa, who guided me every step of the way. They were the voice on my shoulder telling me I could do it. I finished feeling strong and ready for the next one. Their podcasts taught me many things and were inspiring. Now that I started working with Claire Shorenstein to get my nutrition and GI issues fixed I can’t wait for what comes next.”

The staggering number of harrowing stories served as a brutal wake-up call.

Not many runners are able to turn around from the Boston Marathon and complete another Abbott World Marathon, the Cape Town Marathon just under five weeks later. We would guess even fewer can complete both marathons in almost exactly the same finish time, earning an 8th (provisional) star, but that's what Gayle did this weekend!

Gayle, age 58, is a dedicated, experienced marathoner who we started working with in the fall of 2023 after she experienced severe calf cramping in her marathons. Gayle wanted to be able to complete future marathons, in her 6-star (now 8-star!) World Marathon Major quest, without cramping up. Over the past three years, we've worked with Gayle to fine-tune her training and pacing strategy to avoid what we thought were the triggers for the calf cramps (fatigue), and in the process, helped her successfully complete Tokyo, London, Sydney, Boston, Chicago (where she PRd in 3:28), New York, and, now Cape Town.

Gayle finished the Boston Marathon five weeks ago in 3:31:26. We made sure that Gayle had quality recovery before getting in a few more maintenance runs before Cape Town, balancing recovery with preserving the fitness she built for Boston. Despite the intense travel and jet lag associated with traveling to Cape Town, and the warmer weather on a course with relentless rolling hills, Gayle crossed the finish line in Cape Town in 3:31:41, just 15 seconds slower than her Boston finish. That's what we call consistency!

We are so happy that Gayle has been able to perform to her potential and enjoy her experience on these iconic courses, and think it's pretty cool that she has not only all six (official) World Majors under her belt, but Sydney (now officially the 7th Major) and Cape Town (provisionally an 8th star). Congrats, Gayle!

Grace Sugut, Eliud Kipchoge’s Wife, Runs Her First Marathon She finished the Cape Town Marathon on Sunday—and Eliud was there to greet her with a hug at the finish.

Bay to Breakers, a 12K race in San Francisco, has been around since 1912, moving from the city’s bay side toward Ocean Beach and evolving into one of the country’s strangest, most beloved running traditions.

This year’s race on May 17 included the classic 12K, a 15K option, teams, the famous centipede division, and, of course, salmon.

A group of costumed runners has turned Bay to Breakers into Breakers to Bay for years, dressing as giant salmon and running the course backward, starting near the breakers and running toward the bay—or, in other words, "swimming upstream."

Anne H. age 46, just ran a 48:50 10K at the hilly, hot, and humid Cotton Row Run in Huntsville, Alabama, where she crossed the finish line one minute faster than last year! She also placed third in her age group in a competitive and large field.

In spite of the 70-degree temperatures, Anne maintained an even effort throughout the hilly course, leaving enough energy in the tank to sprint the final .2 mile with an average pace of 6:45.

Anne is a busy mom who is in the throes of a demanding May schedule that requires her to creatively fit in her training runs. Anne is also dedicated to her strength training, which prepared her for the hilly course on race day.

Anne, who has set a PR in every distance since she started working with us, tries to race regularly, which allows her to work on her mental muscle and racing strategy. As a result, in spite of the sub-par racing conditions, Anne raced courageously and confidently!

In Anne's words, "What a morning! It was 70 degrees and super humid at the start so I just wasn’t sure how it was going to go. But I took your advice and just didn’t even look at my heart rate the entire race. I started conservatively in effort and was shocked to see the first mile as a 7:33. Over a minute faster than last year on a super sticky day and was able to take 3rd in my age group in a super speedy field! Thank you for all of the training over the last year! From the speed work, to the most helpful tips on fueling and hydration, but mostly for showing me that I can do it! I can’t wait to see what happens for next year and my upcoming races.

The day was made even better when my whole family ran the 5k after the 10k. My seven-year-old looked at me about a mile in and said, “Let’s go,” and he finished his first 5k smiling and so very strong! I love the example that training with you all has set for him. He knows that hard work pays off and having them see me get an award is always such a special moment. Moms can do hard things too!"

We are excited to see Anne embrace more hard things as she continues to pursue new goals this summer and beyond. Congratulations to Anne and her son!

All gave some. Some gave all. We remember and honor the brave on this Memorial Day.

Courtney B. ran a 17-minute PR at the Windemere Half Marathon in Spokane, Washington, on Sunday, finishing in 1:50 and placing in her age group! Team work makes the dream work-- Courtney's friend, Megan G., another Run Farther & Faster runner, paced her from start to finish.

Courtney, age 35, started working with us in February, ten months after the birth of her fourth child. Courtney told us that her goal was to challenge herself to hit new goals while also protecting herself from injury. Courtney, who started running a few years ago and ran her very first half marathon in October, balances her training with parenting four children and juggling a demanding career that frequently includes travel.

In spite of many obstacles, Courtney remained consistent throughout her training cycle, which allowed her to build her mileage, perform speed work, which was something that was new to her, and practice fueling during longer runs every 30 minutes.

On race day, Courtney finished 17 minutes faster than her previous half marathon in October! In Courtney's words, "The final mile I tried to push, and that final stretch I emptied the tank and gave it everything I had! I’m really proud of my race - not just the time, but that I chose to stay in the uncomfortable and didn’t back off just because it was hard. I didn’t let my mind win! This was huge for me. My time was 1:50:52 and it was a 17 minute, 38 second PR from my first half marathon last fall. I placed 3rd in my age division.

I’m so grateful for your coaching, and for your encouragement at the very beginning to drop back to a half for spring, saving a full for the fall. I learned so much about my body, my abilities, and approach in this training block, and found so much joy in the process! I know I would have missed so much of that if I had skipped past and pushed straight to a marathon. I’m thankful for your workouts, for your encouragement, your guidance, and your knowledge! Thanks for helping me believe in myself again. I am an athlete! I am a runner! And I am excited about what’s ahead!"

We are so proud of Courtney and so thrilled to be a part of her journey!

The woman who keeps beating men at America’s most punishing running events Fueled by mashed potatoes and moxie, Rachel Entrekin blew past the field at a 250-mile race known for breaking competitors’ will.

Congratulations to Dani M.., who ran the Marine Corps Historic Half and placed second in her 65-69 age group. Dani, who has run this race nine times, ran this hilly course six minutes faster than her previous time in 2024, in spite of the very hot and humid conditions this year!

In Dani’s words, “I ran almost SIX minutes better than in 2024 AND I nailed an age group award (second place) with a time of 2:22:29. I have run this race nine times in person and only one other time did I place—third place. While I thank all the faster old ladies for staying home so I can have an ego boost, I am also super proud of myself. I didn’t think I could run any race faster again— and I proved myself wrong for the second weekend in a row. I was questioning those slow easy runs, but, dang, I feel so GOOD about it all even with all the setbacks. Thank you, Julie and Lisa, for opening my eyes to a new way of training! I’m so excited to keep going.”

Oorah!!!