Medal Monday brings many stories of achievement for our members. Here are recent stories from the Marathon Maniacs and Half Fanatics, as told by you, as posted on the Marathon Maniacs/Half Fanatics Facebook pages.
Mark Jacobs (MM15983)– Mesa Marathon has some MAJOR wins:
Awesome real-time tracking; according to two relatives who were tracking me, it updated my position every 10-15 seconds. It did glitch out for 5 miles or so, but was generally superior to just about any other race tracker I’ve experienced.
Free photos. See below – guy on the left is my dad! (Third photo taken by a friendly Maniac at the finish.)
Toilets, GU gels, water, Gatorade, and Biofreeze at EVERY aid station.
Downhill from miles 1-4 and 5.75-19. Only one gradual uphill segment, miles 4-5.75. (19-26 flat.)
Quick little downhill drop right into the finisher’s chute (only about 15 feet, if that, but still more than welcome at the very end of the race).
Center-of-the-road running. In several long segments, traffic used both the left and right side of the road, with runners in the middle, allowing us to use the level area at the top of the angled crown (arch shaping of roads to promote drainage to either side) rather than being stuck on one sloping side. In areas where we didn’t have the center strictly speaking, the area blocked off for runners was often wide enough to make running in the center possible anyway.
Measured using tangents. The race website advertised that it was measured as shortest-possible-distance, running tangents between curves and corners. This removed any question of whether it was “ethical”, as an athlete, to cut well inside of large bends or rounds, even where the majority of participants tended to follow the lane lines around such curves.
Overall not a very scenic course, mostly on wide, straight, fairly dull, suburban asphalt roads. Also, they cancelled the bus transport to the half-marathon start with less than a day’s notice, creating a massive crush of cars trying to get to the half start point and leaving those participants on their own to get back to their vehicles afterwards. I imagine that caused quite some backlash.
Marathon Maniac Family Photos At the Mesa Marathon
Shani Waite(MM15086, DA3483, HF17863) – Marathon#29, and first of the 2025 season completed at the St. Petersburg Distance Classic
Charlotte Corriher, (MM3514), Christelle Douilett, Kerri Haskins(MM1336, DA836,HF8724) and Roy Van Buren
Kerri Haskins- 250 marathons or ultras complete. Valentines Heartbreaker Marathon Greensboro NC. On my birthday 2/8. Finish and 2nd photo includes 1000 marathons total combined for the 4 of us 🙂
Ronita Bland(MM12386, DA2131, HF8514) – 26.2!! This is how I like to run and recover!! ⛱️ 70thMarathon
Keith Olson(MM11347) Got ‘er done! 100th finish at sunny
Mesa Marathon. Thanks to all who supported the journey. (Also my 50th State).
Ilse Werner Berube(MM15780. DA3702, HF18609) – Medal Monday. Late post. Ran the Maui Oceanfront Marathon on January 19. Was a hard hot and hilly course. Finished faster than expected and even ended up with a first place AG 🤪 spent 2 weeks island hoping and exploring. Thanks Mitch for joining me for a trip of a lifetime ❤️Marathon #46 and State 45! Getting closer to the finale!
Maniacs at the Surf City Marathon, Huntington Beach, CA
Eric Tunquist(MM16044) -Perfect weather for the Surf City Marathon in Huntington Beach, California! I saw several Maniacs out there today! My young friend ran his first full marathon today and came in under 3 hours! Ah, to be young and skinny! I’m hoping he’ll be a Maniac someday!
Joline Cox(MM15462) – Absolutely a beautiful perfect day in Greenville, Mississippi. It’s days like this that reminds me why I love running marathons. Mississippi River Marathon #25 done 3rd in my age.
Congratulations to Lynne Kilirnr (MM12242, DA2065, HF13464)! She recently finished the Pacific Island Countries Challenge. The challenge has races in Brunei, Taiwan, Saipan, Guam. and finishes in the Philippines.
Congratulations Lynne!
Lynne Kilirnr (MM12242, DA2065, HF13464).-“Marathon in Bataan, Philippines, is in the books.
I did it! I finished 5 marathons in 5 countries in 2 weeks. Never thought I can pull it off.
Thank you to the pogi race director Jc Santa Teresa for coordinating this pacific island countries challenge.
I highly recommend it if you want to knock out 5 countries.
I met so many wonderful people along the way.
Gotta get ready for our celebration dinner tonight…
…My pacific island countries challenge is now complete. 5 countries and 5 marathons in 2 weeks!
Jennifer Clark(HF16743, DA3643, MM15623)-MRM 2025
Half #323 is in the books!
Mississippi River Marathon is tucked away in the Delta town of Greenville MS. The Delta is a section of Mississippi known for cotton and catfish farming. Rich in history and the Blues, the small city hosts one of the best races in the state.
Since its inception, the race has started in Arkansas and finished in Mississippi. The feature attraction was being able to run over the magnificent bridge across the Mississippi River.
The full marathon started in Lake Village while the Half started in the Arkansas side of the Mississippi River bridge… but NOT this year. Major road work on Hwy 82, the main thoroughfare for the bridge, meant the race could not be done the same as in the past and would need a course modification. This was a big problem facing the race directors!
So, what happens when you are given lemons? Make lemonade and that is just what MRM did!
First, they redid the course to run as a loop. Two loops for the Marathon. It started downtown, headed out Hwy 82 for 6 miles then turned in a really nice neighborhood and headed back towards town. Then there was a quick detour into a second neighborhood before exiting to Main Street and returning to finish where the race began.
Aid stations were every mile, sponsored and well staffed! Greenville Police and Washington County Sheriff’s Dept were very visible. One of the coolest aid station was manned by Camp Looking Glass, and organization for people with developmental disabilities. Here David found a kindred spirit with a cowbell.
In the first neighborhood, there was a rogue aid station with an assortment of goodies including great snacks like bacon, cinnamon rolls, sausage balls and bacon bread with candied bacon! I tried them all! Besides water and Gatorade, they also had beer, Mimosas and Bloody Marys. They have been there at Mile 9 for years and you could consider it an official “rogue” stop.
The quick diversion into the second neighborhood yielded a new “rogue“ aid station. Again, great snacks, bananas and your choice of party drinks. They also offered water and Gatorade.
Once you crossed the finish line it was party time with donuts, bananas, pizza, Delta tamales and beer!
The uniqueness of this race was the shirt and medal. Since so much road work was being done, the shirts had a big orange triangle on a black shirt… much like a caution sign. The medal was also shaped as a triangle with the Mississippi River Bridge in the middle. 2025 will more than likely be the only time for this kind of medal and shirt themed around highway construction.
We thoroughly enjoyed this year’s event. Next year, MRM should be back to the original course and we will be back!
Marathon Maniacs/Half Fanatics at the Mississippi River Marathon
Stefanie Holliday (MM14386, HF17442, DA3313) Finished a very technical 50k Ultra trail at the Elephant Mountain Trail Runs in Cave Creek, AZ! I felt like I was never going to stop running in rocks or climbing at 12-15% grade, fell a few times, but she’s done! 32 miles….
After one of the most difficult trail ultras I have run yesterday, I am up and at ‘em heading to pick up grandchildren for the week! Another story to tell them…
🏃🏽♀️🏜️🌵
Next up, Mesa Marathon this Saturday-I see there are a lot of us attending!! Yay! My grandbabies will be at the finish. ❤️
Frank Lombardo(MM16192)– Clearwater Marathon while rocking the Marathon Maniacs Pink Flamingo Tank 🙂 Marathon #23 is in the books
From Kevin Gonzalez- For those of You not yet aware, this past Monday (January 20)our Half Fanatics Community lost a dear Friend.
Heather DuBey (Half Fanatic #6020) of Michigan was taken from us too soon. I had the privilege of knowing Her through our association with the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series. Her personality and charm that she brought to everyone that she met will never be forgotten. Thoughts and Prayers to Heather’s Family and Friends in these tough days ahead.
God Speed Heather, Rest In Peace
In Memoriam (1975-2025) 😢
Karen A Flynn(MM4024, DA158, HF1043), Dan Delino(MM4049, DA161, HF1058) – My 211th lifetime half marathon at the Surf City USA Marathon 02/02/25! Love the quintessential California surfing/beachy vibe of this race, especially in the middle of winter! I felt surprisingly awesome even after having run a full marathon just 2 weeks prior in Bermuda! Great medal, great run, great friends, great day overall!
Tricia Davis(HF18538), Aubrey Davis(HF18587)– It’s #MedalMonday! And, It’s my first opportunity to celebrate this day since I tore my meniscus at the Missoula Half Marathon last June. After 7 months of physical therapy, I’m finally back and able to race again. My husband Aubrey Davis and I completed the Mesa Half Marathon in Arizona on Saturday and it was great seeing so many of you again. My knee is fine but I’ve got some more work to do on my strength and energy. This was state #29! Next up is the Greenville Swamp Rabbit Half Marathon in South Carolina on February 22nd. Prayers appreciated. #HF18538 #HF18587
Jennifer Clark(HF16743, DA3643, MM15623)-Race Review
Railway Marathon and Half
Fultondale, Alabama
February 8, 2025
My original race plans for the weekend fell through and I was lucky enough to find this race near Birmingham, Alabama. It was within easy driving distance and they offered packet pickup (shirt and bib) the morning of the race.
The Railway Marathon and Half is in its second year. The race offers a variety of distances…50k, marathon, half marathon, 10k, 5k, and 1 mile, all with a 6 hour time limit. It begins and finishes in the Black Creek Park and runs on the Five Mile Greenway trail system, a rail to trail formerly part of the Birmingham Mineral Railroad. After we left the park, the race was totally in the woods.
The surface of the trail is crushed gravel except for a 1/4 mile paved connector. It is very well maintained with no holes, wash outs, ruts, or roots. It is very flat with only two small hills. Almost the whole route was covered by the shade of the trees.
Aid stations were every couple miles and had water, Gatorade and Gu gels. The volunteers were awesome! Most had porta-potties though one did not because it was not close to a road. There were a couple times where the course crossed a public road and police were there to stop traffic.
The only thing I did not like was there were no mile markers. Each distance had a turn around and those were marked plainly.
The after-party had plenty of pizza, fruit and snacks and soft drinks. The Announcer/DJ was fun and dressed with a black and sparkling gold jacket (50s style)… announcing each finisher as they crossed the finish line. He would note people with birthdays and interesting facts like a former Fultondale Peach Queen running her first Half Marathon!
If you’re looking for a course for a PR this is the race for you because it is flat and fast. And if you are a half marathon walker or back of the packer this is the race for you because of its generous time limit.
I look forward to doing the Railway Half Marathon again.
Judy Laufman(HF17502) – Medal Monday – a great weekend in Seattle, Orca Racing’s “My Better Half” half marathon (state #43/LTHM #68) featured a beautiful course around Seward Park. A post-race oatmeal bar was a yummy treat on a cold Sunday morning! #halffanatics #LLS #teamintraining #everymileisagift #GJND #medalmonday
Scott Pearson(HF18577)-I finished my 21st state and 60 half overall today at the Mesa Half marathon. This has been such a great weekend due to all the people I have been able to get together with. The race itself was frankly a little boring as it just took us on streets through the suburbs. I was very thankful for the bus from the 50 state half marathon club. Traffic to get to the start line was probably the worst I have ever seen. But the bus scooted right in and we arrived with plenty of time to spare.
Amy Sea(HF18410, DA3652, MM15648) – Today was Half #164 repeat state Mesa Half in Arizona where it was so great to see so many of you. Overall this was a solid race. Some things were excellent about it. It was very flat, the weather was nice though a bit hot at the end, the actual race was well produced, there is a super long time limit for the half (6.5 hours), and the medal/ shirt were nice. However there were some real issues with traffic getting into the race. I was frustrated the race started 15 minutes late as I would have liked to run more when it was cooler. I also thought the course was a bit boring especially compared to the other Half I did in AZ (Saguaro Half). While this wasn’t a bad race, I would recommend Saguaro more for AZ as long as you don’t mind a bit of a challenge.
Gavin Anderson(HF14007)-Mississippi River Marathon ran this half marathon with bagpipes 🥰
Robert Manon(HF3646, DA431, MM6700) Medal Monday.
So those of you that know me well enough, know that I love running the West Coast Disneyland races (I just hate the prices). I have run all their half marathons since the inaugural year. They took a hiatus a while back but returned last year. Well this year the race was scheduled on the same day as Surf City, which is also one of the races I love running every year. So my only options were to pick one, or do something stupid and try to run both. Well I chose stupid because I am a Maniac and Fanatic! Haha.
So in order for it to work, I need to run a slow 10K on Saturday to rest the legs. Of course I didn’t do that on Saturday so it was time for plan B. With Disneyland beginning at 5 am and Surf City beginning at 7:15 on Sunday, and it being about a 30 minute drive from Anaheim to Huntington Beach, I figure I would need to run a sub 1:50 to make the start. The reason I thought that is because the Surf City Half Marathon has many corrals and it can take over half an hour for the last participants to cross the start line. So I took a few pics with my friends at the Disneyland race and waited for the start. As I started the race I kept looking at my watch every mile and ran a solid steady pace. The weather was cool at Disneyland although a bit humid for my taste. When I crossed the finish line I got an unofficial time of 1:49:24. So the 1st part of the mission was complete. I had no time to waste and I grabbed my Medals, I took a pic and ran out of the Disney lot to head to my ride. The original plan was to get an Uber. Instead my son Tyler waited for me at the Anaheim Gardenwalk. I should have left my Garmin on but it felt like it was like 2 miles getting to my car. From there he did his best to get me to the race on time. He was running the half as well and I would have felt bad if he missed the race. Karen my GF was already at the hotel across from the race. I called her to let her know we were on our way. She suggested we park at that hotel and just use the room key as proof that we are staying there. That was an excellent decision. We parked, stopped at the restroom and made into the last corral being sent off.
From there Tyler stuck with me. I really couldn’t get my legs going. My muscles were stiff. Along the way, I saw many friends and took some selfies with them. By the 9th mile, I started taking many walk breaks. I apologized to my kiddo but he said it was okay. It was a struggle but we crossed the finish line with an unofficial time of 2:24.
It was a very challenging and fun day but I don’t know if I ever want to do something like this again. I’ve done the Disneyland to Las Vegas half before, but there is so many hours in between that that was pretty simple for the most part.
Thanks to my son and Karen for helping me on this challenge.
603rd and 604th lifetime half marathons completed.
Congrats to everyone who ran.
E Del Favero(HF16046, DA3782, MM11479), Deborah Del Favero (HF18611, DA3782, 16104) – Miami Marathon and Half – Medal Monday!
Our son Greg joined us for this awesome race!
This was my 14 overall Miami / tenth year streak race.
Always fun going back to our home town and running where I served as a Firefighter/ Paramedic for 28 years.
Congratulations to Brenda Bonnie (HF14979) for reaching the Half Fanatics Uranus Level at the Louisiana Marathon! She achieved this milestone by completing 6 half marathons in 6 consecutive calendar months, with her final race on January 19, 2025. Congratulations, Brenda!
To learn more about the Half Fanatics Level criteria and how to level up, click the link below:
Half Fanatics at the Winter Dragon 21K
Gina Forestieri(HF18136, DA388, MM16172) – Full marathon 10, 9th state! Def not a pr but considering how crappy I’ve felt and undertrained im ok with 4:54. Wow sunny and warm glad i wore shorts and tank top #mesamarathon
Disney Maniacs at Disneyland Dumbo Challenge ❤️
Brenda Folkerts(HF18068, DA3674, MM15696) – January 2025
Key West Half Marathon
Mile 2
Natalie Uyeno(HF17314, DA3505, MM15186) – Updated map as of 1/24/2025: My 50 States Half Marathon was completed at Day 2 of the Mainly Marathons Aloha Marathon Series in Kapa’a (Kaua’i), Hawaii! ✅🏃🏻♀️🥳
This journey began with my 1st half marathon (the Holiday Half Marathon in Pomona, CA) on 12/10/2017. I only added 1 state (IL) in 2018 and 6 states in 2019 (LA, OR, WA, UT, NV & OK).
I didn’t get serious about this endeavor until 2020 when most races got cancelled in California due to the pandemic. I added 10 new states in 2020 (AR, MS, ID, WY, KS, IA, MN, WI, AZ & TX); 6 new states in 2021 (MI, OH, MI, IN, AK & NE); 4 new states in 2022 (CO, SD, ND, MT); 13 new states in 2023 (AL, DE, MD, PA, NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA, VT, NH, ME & NM); 8 new states + DC in 2024 (FL, GA, SC, NC, TN, WV, KY & VA + DC); and my final state (HI) in 2025.
Huge thanks to MainlyMarathons for helping me to knock out several states quickly and efficiently! After getting diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer in 2021 I had more of a sense of urgency to complete this quest. I’m so blessed for the many friends who supported and encouraged me through this journey! I couldn’t have done this without your support! 🤗 All glory to God for giving me the strength and endurance to complete this bucket list item! ❤️🙏 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. – Philippians 4:13
Photo and Post Credit Marathon Maniacs/Half Fanatics Facebook Pages and the individual members listed above.
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