Featured Club Member: Natalie Passmore

Featured Club Member: Natalie Passmore – Maniac 16145

As a kid, I was never an “athlete.” Sure, I was tall, so naturally, I played basketball because that’s what tall people do, right? Running was punishment in basketball. I hated running. It was dumb! Why in the world would anyone do this for fun?!
Then I grew up.
In 2014, I ran my first half marathon. I was way undertrained, but I finished. I returned in 2015 with slightly better training, but still nothing to get excited about, so I decided to hang up my shoes. My health wasn’t a huge concern. I was eating junk, not paying attention to nutrition, and I gained a good amount of weight.
Fast forward to 2019: I began training with a Couch to 5K program, eating better, and participating in local 5K races. We all know what happened in 2020, but that didn’t stop me from running. At the beginning of 2021, I was having a conversation with my son about running and how awesome it would be if, one day, I ran a marathon. He said, “I know you can do it.” With a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes, I knew I couldn’t let him down, I had to prove him right. If I can do hard things in life, then so can he.
Little did I know the monster this would create.
I somehow found the courage to sign up for my first marathon in 2021, knowing it would be a one-and-done scenario (insert eye roll here). I met my training partner, Jennifer, on a whim at a local 5K virtual t-shirt pickup in 2021 and asked if she’d be interested in running a marathon with me. Hook, line, and sinker. We’ve been training and running races together ever since. If there’s a terrible idea out there involving running, one of us is about to text the other to see if we’re in or out.
I finished my first marathon and loved the experience, hungry for more!
Since then, I’ve completed 15 full marathons (17 if we’re counting virtual ones). I’ve lost nearly 80 lbs and am the healthiest I’ve ever been. Running has become a great passion. In 2024, I became a Marathon Maniac. I’ve been blessed to run two of the six World Majors. By the end of this year, I’ll have two more to add. Then London in 2026, which will leave just one shiny star: Boston. Never in a million years did I think that would be possible but here we are, blessing after blessing.
I wouldn’t be the runner I am without the support of my incredible husband, Glen. He is absolutely wonderful, the best stuff holder and my number one fan.
Marathon Maniacs are a special kind of brave. A little wild. A lot determined. You’re not just running races, you’re rewriting your limits again and again. You know that the finish line isn’t the end, it’s the start of what’s possible.

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