Run Farther & Faster

Nine Run Farther & Faster runners ran the TCS Sydney Marathon on Sunday, and we are so thrilled to share their stories.

First up is Mia W. We started working with Mia, age 52, in December 2025. A seasoned marathoner and triathlete, Mia was frustrated with her performance at the 2025 Berlin Marathon and decided to work with us to better structure her marathon training to balance the demands of her schedule as a commercial airline pilot with the demands of marathon training.

Between December and August, Mia gradually built her mileage and worked on running her easy runs easier, honoring her recovery, particularly after travel, and jumping into races occasionally to assess her progress. By July, Mia had run three half marathons, all of which she finished in under two hours, which demonstrated her fitness and consistency.

Mia's training was not perfect. she experienced calf pain that caused her to miss some long runs and key workouts in June and July. Rather than worry about losing fitness, she focused on her recovery and what she could do--she cross trained. Mia remained positive throughout her injury, which was relatively minor, and focused on her future workouts, rather than dwell on her missed past workouts. Nonetheless, after running a half marathon on July 26th in 1:59--just one month before Sydney-Mia said, "I’m definitely worried about Sydney, the 1/2 was tough today, and can’t imagine doing a full right now."

On race day, Mia did not allow her worry to hold her back. She ran a strong race and finished in 4:17, which was 78 minutes FASTER than her finish time at the Berlin Marathon in 2025! In Mia's words, "I’m super happy! It was a tough course and the first marathon I’ve done where the last 10K wasn’t a complete disaster."

We are so thrilled for Mia who overcame obstacles and self-doubt to achieve her goal.

Like so many of us this summer, Caitlin has been marathon training in sweltering heat and humidity and feeling slower than ever, in spite of running higher mileage than ever. Just two weeks ago, Caitlin understandably lamented that she felt disappointed by her training paces. We reassured Caitlin that high volume easy running in heat and humidity will serve her well when she arrives at the marathon start line healthy and tapered.

In the meantime, Caitlin signed up for a tune-up race, the Dulles 10K, to assess her progress in a race setting. Two weeks after feeling “slow”’and disappointed, Caitlin ran a 10K PR! In Caitlin’s words, “Absolutely THRILLED how this race went! The Dulles 10K was such a unique experience getting to run on an actual runway! Never thought I’d be able to hold sub-9 min miles for 6.2 miles, but I did and am so proud of myself. This summer has been so hot and humid, but goes to show that you don’t lose fitness going slower for weather and to trust the process. Feeling so confident now heading into the NYC Marathon in a few weeks!”

Never trust those negative thoughts during the summer slog! Congratulations to Caitlin!

While grief has no finish line, there’s comfort in moving through the pain with others.

How these people used exercise to cope with unbearable grief Scientists are beginning to study the ways that exercise can help bereaved people navigate loss.

How these people used exercise to cope with unbearable grief Scientists are beginning to study the ways that exercise can help bereaved people navigate loss.

Wise words for every runner. Rest in Power, Dolly.

Jenny is a champion, as are the many people who stepped in to save her life. So many lessons here, one of which is that CPR saves lives. If you are thinking about getting certified (or updating your CPR certification), do it in honor of Jenny!

The day Olympic medalist Jenny Simpson’s heart stopped (Gift Article) The Rio bronze winner and 1,500 record holder collapsed after a mile run. That it happened near an AED and medical professionals saved her.

Ten years ago, the average marathon cost $86.

Times have changed, and the confluence of social media, technological advances, the growing popularity of running and inflation has meant a major jump in both what you have to spend on a marathon (the registration fees, getting yourself there, a decent pair of shoes), and what you could spend on a marathon ($300 shoes, a magic cooling headband, a massage gun).

We talked to coaches, financial planners, and race directors to figure out what running 26.2 miles really costs in 2026—and where you can save.