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.
Claire Gladstone(MM12421)- Here is my #Medalmonday on Thursday😜
Actually ran 30 Miles, but they were gracious enough to give me this gorgeous coin for my collection❤️
If you have ever wanted to try an easy loop course, to see how far you can go, this is a great race! You name it, they have it! Marathon, 50k, 6hr, 12hr, 24hr, 48hr… and on it goes! You can stay all week if you like.
You can bring a tent, car camp, of rent an RV(that gets delivered there!!!)
The community at this race is just awesome. There are bathrooms, food(hot & cold), water/drink station.
I had heard of this race for many years when I was a newbie in the Maniacs. But I always thought it was “beyond” me. That sort of race is for “real runners”. I would hear people talk about it, I’d see the jackets, and I thought, maybe some day….. the truth is, when you are new to this crazy world of running it can be a bit intimidating.
Beyond the marathons, when you start to learn about and then meet people who have- run a 50k😳
Run 24 hours🤯 WAIT- run for 6 DAYS 😱😱😱😱😱 (let alone 3,100 miles) You just can’t believe it! But of course, along the way, as you meet these people and learn of their achievements, it’s because you have dipped your toe in. It’s a subculture that is unfathomable from the outside…. But once your in, seems normal🤩🤪😜
The beautiful thing about Maniacs and beyond to the Ultra world, is the amazing community. I encourage you to try it if you haven’t. And, if you don’t like it, you don’t have to do it again🤣
Amy Ahrens(HF18946)- Denver Colfax half marathon today! I really love this race – there’s a one mile run through the zoo, a run through Denver Fire Station #1, lots of spectators and funny signs, an Elvis sighting, and I even was able to have Communion on the go! The weather was perfect and the traffic was terrible. 🙂
Brenda Folkerts(MM15695, DA3674, HF18086) – Capital City Marathon
I was a bit concerned with my drastic cut back in training this past week but Wow…Extra rest really worked in my favor! I ran my 2nd fastest marathon ever this morning, got a course PR of over 23 minutes and 2nd place in division. Best of all, I had the best time running with so many friends at different points of the race and except for some mild muscle cramping, I feel great! 😀 Thank you Sally Elliott for once again putting on a really fun event for Olympia and the running community. Each year I tell you it’s the best…but I keep saying it! You’ve really done an amazing job! 👏
Sue Stevens(HF8593, DA2452, MM12891) – Ran my fastest half of the year so far at this morning’s Capital City Half Marathon in Olympia. Saw a few friends and enjoyed the run – it’s such a well-organized event with lots of support.
Sandy Gage(MM3905) – Hope I can get out of Reno with this bad weather that rolled in! Marathon 194
Completed. Thank you God for giving me the strength and determination to get to the goal of 200 marathons around the World by November this year ❤️😇🙏
Barbara Rausch(MM14998, DA3430, HF16197) – REVEL Reno Tahoe Half this morning. All REVEL races require a dark o’clock early wake up and a bus ride to the start where we stand or sit around for over an hour until they make announcement, sing the national anthem, and let us walk to the starting area.
This race was a special edition which means that it is run once and most likely will not come back next year. I was surprised at the small turnout. The marathon had 557 participants. The half had 507 and the 10k had 163. This is very small for REVEL standards. Usually, the half and marathon have thousands.
The half started at 5452ft of elevation at Caswell Lane on Mt Rose Highway outside of Reno and finished at the Reno Convention Center. The course had a drop of 1,001ft. We ran through residential areas, had views of farm land, and urban areas. The majority of the elevation drop happened in the first five miles. After that, it was flat and had some inclines. I felt good this morning, but the elevation of Reno kicked my azz. I was spent after about seven miles. I found Elizabeth on course and we walked the last six miles. Today was tough, but I still finished in 02:58:33.
At the finish, we received our medal and a bag of good snacks.
Considering this was an out of state race, there were a lot of friends from California. Despite my 🍑 being handed to me on a silver platter, I still had a fun day.
Side not, the weather got very cold. It was windy and feels like temp dropped from 41 to 36 to 34 to 33. I heard from friends that it started to snow after we left. Luckily, we did not have any issues going over Donner Summit.
Gregory Rouson(HF8068, DA2354, MM12723) – Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon (and Espirit de Corps Challenge #2)…DONE!!! #GoBlue #ForTheFallen #purposefulsteps #wearblueruntoremember #runwiththemarines #MissionAccomplished #HalfFanatics
Brigitte Fasciotto(MM16221)- Vermont City Marathon, State #34, VT ✅️
It was raining and windy for almost the entire race! Even though it is probably the flattest course in VT, it had some hills!!!
Despite the weather, the crowd support was there, and even stayed there for us, back of the pack runners!!! This was really appreciated.
I enjoyed the sections along the lake, the music, and the two beer stops!!!
I hope now that the timing company correct my results because for now, it shows as DNF!!! I did emailed them.
Post race gathering at the Vermont Pub and Brewery was great!
Eddie Hahn(MM184) – Mixed results. Finished my 343rd lifetime mararathon and 97th sub 4 hours but blew up pacing in head winds most of the second half. Reno Tahoe REVEL Race Series NV.
Tahira Bland(HF18830) – Buffalo Half Marathon: Buffalo, New York – May 24, 2026
Wow, what a weekend! I went from one of my happy places (Northeast Kingdom, Vermont) to….well…Buffalo.
I hadn’t visited that city since 2011. Not going to sugarcoat. Back then it was a complete dump. Looks like the city has made huge strides to improve over the years though. Good for them! I love a good comeback story. 😀
Btw, speaking of underdogs, if you are slower than a 3.5 hour pace, print out a course map or you’ll live to regret it. 😂
3.75 Stars
Club photo for the Fallen Soldiers Memorial Half Marathon May 25th in Great Falls park (Potomac, MD). #HalfFanatics
Alexis Davidson(MM926) -Walked the Ottawa International Marathon on Sunday. 48-51F windchills with 9mph wind and drizzle. Went with two layers on top which was just right when going into the wind. Course was a 26K loop with 2 out/backs and a tour of Gatineau, Quebec. This was followed by a 16K out/back on the Rideau Canal and Dow’s Lake. Strava says 725 ft elevation gain.
I made the mistake of reserving a bus that departed 6:45 after the start. I lined up aggressively and started with the midodepack. Being surrounded with runners instead of joggers inspired me to go fast. The backodepack didn’t catch up to me until around 26K. Splits were 2:35:18 and 5:14:24. A tiny 228 second positive split. Fastest time in a while and I felt strong throughout and on my way to the train station area afterwards. Big shout out to Sanjay Mohanta for his hospitality! No more K marathons until September! #marathonmaniacs
John Shangin(MM15948) – Buffalo Marathon is Completed for New York-U.S. state number 30✅️🏁🏃♂️Really cool city to run through. I saw some pacer friends out there this morning 🌄 Happy Memorial day weekend everyone! #50statesmarathonchallenge #marathonmaniacs #SRCAMBASSADOR #Running #buffalomarathon
Overall Marathon-38
U.S. 🇺🇸State-30
Finish Time-4:05
Rachel Ross(HF6506) – ABWR Run to Remember Half done. Long Beach. Half#562.
Hank OnThe Hill(MM14044, DA3029, HF16561) – The Old Port Shipyard Half Marathon (#243). A bit of city and a bit of gravely Back Cove. 3rd time running this one, that in 2015 was my second ever half marathon!! Great day and Greater Lowell Road Runners Andrew J. Cossar, Stacey Polechio, Karen Albergo Girouard in the house (well because it’s Maine it’s technically my house). A good local race!! Had an amazing run! With many thanks to Barbara Pelletier who did this virtually yesterday and got me a chance to pace and a much needed shake out run.
Patti Randall Krebsbach(HF629, DA99, MM2584) – Paced 2:20 at the inaugural Revel Reno Tahoe Half Marathon this morning. As with all Revel races, we had a 2:30am wake up to catch a bus to the start. It was a cold morning, but an even colder afternoon. 💨🥶❄️
Pascal Radley(MM2051) – Who knew that marathons are finger licking good? The colonel’s 1st marathon, my 526th and also my 25th marathon country.
Tough course, much more trail than I expected, and lots of stairs which were brutal. But all the costumes and beer stops made it fun!
Randy Riley(MM14470, DA3218, HF16432) – 40 years ago I ran the Cleveland Marathon as my first full marathon. I returned today for the half marathon. The race course is an incredible tour of the city and passes many of the landmarks. Overall one of the flattest courses I’ve run. I had PRK surgery on my left eye 3 weeks ago (for the 2nd time) and didn’t think I would be able to run this race. The missed training and knowing I had to take it easy today really played havoc on my pace. I was slower than last months two half’s by 30 minutes. Ironically I still had a 2nd place AG finish but weirdly this race only awards 1st place instead of the traditional 1,2,3. I’ve never seen that in a major race of 4500 runners. I like the tech shirt. The theme is an unspoken take off of Superman since Cleveland is the original home of Superman. This will be one of my go-to race shirts. The medal is very colorful but tiny. Not small – shockingly tiny. There’s a lot of cheering crowd support and a great group of volunteers at the water tables. They were well manned on a scorching hot day – 79 at the finish. From that first marathon I never could have imagined that racing would take me all over the country and provide me with such great experiences, memories and friends. YTD half #7. Lifetime half #263. Half Fanatics Marathon Maniacs. 100 Half Marathons Club #medalmonday
Ietta Parrott(MM15646) – Just completed #caspermarathon as a 5:15 pacer which is marathon number 65 and state number 48! Serious heat waves occurred and not the best navigation system ( I was lost on the course 3 times ) . I am happy to say I completed another state and race and having fun with friends . See you soon at the next race ! #themarathoncontinues🏁 #marathonmaniacs #50statemarathonclub #blackgirlsrun
Debby Cannon(MM15148) – Ogden Marathon #211- the one that almost didn’t happen. I was supposed to board a plane from Fargo to SLC at 2:30 pm on Friday the day before the marathon but that flight got cancelled. So we booked flight on a different airline. Our new flight got delayed and then we were going to be stuck in Minneapolis overnight.
I was ready to accept defeat, but when Cathi has her sights set on something she goes for it! We wouldn’t take no for an answer so we rented a car and drove 4 hours with traffic to Minneapolis. Our eta was 7:30 but the plane was supposed to leave at 8 pm. I thought there was no way- but our final flight got delayed 40 min! So we made it!!!! I’ve never been so happy for a delayed flight. We flew off at 9 pm home at midnight. I got around 2.5 hours of sleep and then woke up and power walked this race. I had such a blast seeing and meeting new friends. I was with Dan and my new friend Jon for 14 “glorious” miles. At the end I was thinking no one would be there but some of my friends from boot camp were there. A sea of strangers held out their hands and high fived me in the last .10. I’ve never been celebrated that much before by a crowd! To top it off, my friend Keely who ran the half, greeted me after waiting around a good 4 hours for me to finish! I was so happy our crazy adventure home worked out. It was worth every second of the race day.
Maricris Lu(MM12438, DA2188, HF10592) – Half marathon #137.
2026 Laguna Hills Half Marathon.
Thank you, Beast Pacing and Vanessa for this opportunity!
Blessed and truly grateful for another finish, this time as one of Beast Pacer’s Course Sweeper. Thank you to Terry Adams and Jacky for the amazing time!
We got home early this morning from SF. The drive on Memorial Day for 16 hrs was quite the experience!
Happy to see a lot of runner friends today! A fantastic lunch after the race with my sweet running sis Aracely and brother Scott made this day special. Congratulations to all who crossed that finish line! 🎉🎈🎊❤️
Lynne Kilirnr(MM12242, DA2065, HF13464) – Cape Town Marathon is in the books! ✅🏅🌍
What a journey it has been.
After the Boston Marathon, my right knee became so painful that I could barely walk. A week later, I had a PRP injection because I was limping constantly. Going up and down stairs was difficult, and I couldn’t run, jog, or even use the elliptical. Training completely stopped.
One week before the Cape Town Marathon, I received a cortisone shot. My knee was still hurting, and my preparation consisted of only two one-hour sessions on a stationary bike. That was it.
But I knew I had to make it to the finish line. Cape Town was my final continent and the last race needed to complete marathons on all 7 continents.
I was worried. My knee had swollen badly after the Abu Dhabi Marathon in December, and I feared the same thing would happen again.
Then something changed.
Two days before the race, the pain eased enough for me to walk more than a mile without stopping. I even tested my legs with a short jog. It gave me hope.
Race day was a battle.
At mile 22, severe toe cramps hit. I stretched and kept moving. They came back at mile 24. I took two salt tablets and honestly wasn’t sure I would make it. I had to stop several times and was terrified of missing the 3:30 p.m. cutoff.
There were tears. There was doubt.
But there was also determination.
At 3:19 p.m., I crossed the finish line.
I made it. 🎉
I didn’t even stop for medal photos because I was afraid the cramps would return and leave me unable to get to the shuttle bus. I rushed back to the hotel, took a quick shower, and headed to the awards ceremony at Grand Beach Restaurant for the 7 Continents finishers.
And I made that too.
Looking back, the road to this moment was long and exhausting. Antarctica on March 19, Boston on April 20, and Cape Town on May 24—three major races in just over two months. There were countless prayers, positive thoughts, and moments when I wondered if I’d have to come back and try again another year.
Today, I am simply grateful.
Relieved. Emotional. Proud.
Completing marathons on all 7 continents took far more than physical endurance. It required patience, faith, resilience, and a tremendous amount of mental strength.
Mission accomplished. 🌎🏃♀️❤️
Charlotte Corriher(MM3514) – YAY ITS MARATHON DAY !!!
Dam Yeti in Abingdon VA
For the 5th time.
My costume is a tribute to the workers with Kiewit Construction who are helping rebuild the Va Creeper Trail.
Even ran into a few on the course.
Karen Johnson Derrick(MM12489, DA3640, HF18426) – Today, I finished the Deadwood Mickelson Trail marathon, a scenic point-to-point race that was on a former railroad line from Rochford to Deadwood. The elevation and heat were significant factors, with the course being uphill for the first half and downhill for the second half. Reaching an elevation high point of 6225 feet, and I also felt the heat. This event marked my fifth marathon in South Dakota, and despite initial hesitation, the investment prompted me to participate. The upcoming Hatfield McCoy marathon will likely present similar challenges.
I did finally get to meet and visit with Gina F! We have many mutual running acquaintances.
Deo Jerome(MM22) – June 7
Griffith Park Trail Marathon Relay
Los Angeles, CA
Ran the 3rd leg
Steve Walters (MM338, DA9, HF21) – At the Bristow 6 Hour Race I hammered out 36+ miles which was good for 3rd place overall and 2nd place male. This is my 9th time running this event. Over the years I’ve run 565.39 miles at this race. This was marathon/ultra #595 and my 230th ultra.
Sivabalan Pandian(MM13150) – Dear well wishers .
PATNITOP ULTRA AT HIMALAYA MOUNTAIN ( INDIA’S MOST BEAUTIFUL HILL RUN AT JAMMU & KASHMIR) – SUCCESSFULLY FINISHED 50 KM RAN ON 31 MAY 2026 .
It was memorable hill run but equally tough for me as a last male finisher @ age 67+ as usual – like SWEEPER.
In 50 K , only 80 runners finished ( 69 Male and 11 female ) .
Happy to write – RUNNING WHERE EARTH MEETS THE SKY – That is the beauty of this Patnitop Ultra .
Happy to touch 1010 marathons ( Full and Ultra ) and the list is attached in the following link .
https://docs.google.com/…/1ZUhXInCoWf5Tu7OPpZZb…/edit…
Happy to do 6 Ultra marathons in less than 3 months in India and they are as follows .
1) 24 Hours TUFFMAN’S STADIUM run at Delhi on 7& 8 March and covered the distance of 111.38 KM
2) 30 miler – 48 KM in Western Ghat Ultra marathons on 22 March at Pune with finish time of 8:38:15
3) 12 Hours Stadium Run at Bhopal on 29 March with finish time of 59.2 KM
4) 50 KM at DUSK AND DAWN marathon at PADUPIDRI BEACH on 5 April with finish time of 9:51:51
5 ) 50 KM at Mukteshwar Ultra Marathon at Himalaya on 12 April with finish time of 10:00:00 hours
6 ) Patnitop Ultra – 50 KM on 31 May again at Himalya with finish time of 9:06:19.
It is true now , India is best country to do long run since it has mountain, sea , valley , good roads and trails with supporting weather all around year .
I am planning to run 26 ULTRA MARATHONS IN 26 CONSECUTIVE DAYS IN THIS YEAR OF (20) 26 naming as 26³ series in India . Hope some runners may accompany me in this feature series of 26³ .
Happy Running
Sandi Googs(HF9218) – What should have been my birthday half marathon is finally in the books with the completion of the Carmel Half Marathon. Probably one of the best feeling races I’ve had in a really long time. Now time to relax and recover until the next one…. because there’s always a next one 😉 #LifetimeHalf190 #cpdrunclub #HF9218 #50statehalfmarathonclub #100halfmarathonsclub #columbusbamrs #teamrwbcolumbus #runjunkees #mitwolfpack #MRTTColumbus
Jun Ulama(HF12617) – Bi State Challenge Day 1 in New Jersey done! The race kicked my butt and just glad to make it through! Travel woes, lack of sleep, hot weather (and some other trivial excuses!😅) took a toll on my rickety legs. Lol! Hopefully I won’t be whining as much on day 2 and just enjoy the race in New York!🤙🏽
New Jersey marathon no. 5 ✅
State no. 36 for round 5 ✅
Monthly marathon streak no. 47 ✅
Lifetime marathon/ultra no. 317 ✅
Ryan Slight(HF337, DA68, MM904) – Hot and humid in the 70s for my sixth Hospital Hill Half Marathon this morning in Kansas City, Missouri (89th half marathon). Easily the slowest of the six, but happy to finish in 1:55:02. Tried to keep up with a woman in the 1:45 pace group early on because she was really cute, but I had to slow down in the heat. Good veggie burrito at the post-race party.
Kerri Haskins(MM1336, DA836, HF8724) – 111 Half Marathon- Margarita Half- Greenland NH. Good race, although several cars tried to get through the roads with many running. Hot and hilly which made for a slow time. Oh ya and 85 race miles week before 🙂
Michelle Migneault Cox(HF17353) – Saturday I completed my 140th half marathon at Hospital Hill in KC! It was hot and so hilly, but I made it! #medalmonday #50stateshalfmarathonclub #100halfmarathonsclub #halffanatics #procompressionambassador
Photo and Post Credit Marathon Maniacs/Half Fanatics; Facebook Pages, Instagram Pages, threads pages and the individual members listed above.
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