Half and Full Marathons

I was looking back over Route 66 Marathon posts on Route 66 Marathon day because I was a little sad not to be participating this year. Then I came across my post from 2019 where I listed all my half and full marathon times. I've added some more races to the list since then, mostly virtual, so I thought I'd update it with my virtual races included. I've surpassed 20 half-marathons which was a fun, little benchmark. I thought I would also add my 50k to this post in case I ever run another ultra so I can track them here as well. Since I added that, it seemed like I should also add my 25ks so I did that as well. That 1:33 half-marathon time still eludes me. I've now run every time from 1:30-1:38, except for a 1:33. Which is funny because I've run 1:34:13 on a course that was long so technically I've run a 1:33 but no official time in the 1:33s. I was planning to run my first official marathon since November 2018 this spring. I got the flu during my first week of the training cycle which pushed everything back 2 weeks because I was sick for a week and then needed a week to ease back into things. Then a month later I got Covid. Ty told me that was a sign I needed to get a new hobby. I decided it was a sign I needed to not run a marathon this spring, haha! I figured it was best to just scrap the marathon so I wouldn't rush coming back after Covid. Thankfully the version I got is all upper respiratory so it hasn't effected my lungs! Here's my list of all my half-marathons, marathons, ultras, and 25ks.

Running my PR Half-Marathon at the Golden Driller Half Marathon.

Half Marathons:

1:30:41, Golden Driller Half Marathon, 2019
1:31:06, Aquarium Run, 2018
1:31:35, Mighty Mo Half Marathon, 2007
1:31:49, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2016

1:32:32, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2019

1:32:39, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2007

1:32:55, Prairie Fire Half Marathon, 2018

1:34:11, Run for the Ranch Half Marathon, 2007 

1:34:13, Aquarium Run Half Marathon, 2017

1:34:40, Aquarium Run Half Marathon, 2019

1:35:25, Little Rock Half Marathon, 2009
1:35:43, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2015 (8 months after Elise was born)

1:36:49, Virtual Chisholm Trail Half Marathon, 2020

1:36:55, Mythical Half Marathon, 2021
1:36:59, Jenks Half Marathon, 2013 (10 months after Carter was born)

1:37:29, Run OK Virtual Half Marathon, 2020
1:38:05, Prairie Fire Half Marathon, 2013 (9 months after Carter was born)
1:41:08, Prairie Fire Half Marathon, 2015 (7 months after Elise was born)
1:51:40, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2011 (ran the race sick)
1:56:44, Prairie Fire Half Marathon, 2014 (14 weeks pregnant with Elise)
2:01:50, Hospital Hill Half Marathon, 2008 (I ran this one after being sick for over a month and learned to respect the distance!)
2:18:12, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2012 (32 weeks pregnant with Carter)

Totals:
22 half-marathons
2 run while pregnant
4 run less than a year after giving birth

2 Virtual Halves (thanks, Covid!)

Running my fastest trail 25k at War Eagle.

25ks:

2:14:20, War Eagle Trail Running Festival 25k, 2020

2:29:30, Flint and Steel Trail 25k, 2021

2:37:59, Armadillo Ultra Trail 25k, 2018

Ending my marathon drought by running my first marathon in 9 years at the Route 66 Marathon in 2017.

Marathons:

3:25:27, Route 66 Marathon, 2018

3:38:58, Route 66 Marathon, 2017

3:40:05, Route 66 Marathon, 2008
3:43:04, Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, 2009 (The wind was out of control.)

3:46:15, Virtual Boston Marathon, 2020

3:58:04, Route 66 Marathon, 2009 (Ran with a sinus infection and bronchitis.)

Totals: 
6 marathons
2 BQs (Interestingly enough, not my 2 fastest times. Since Boston Qualifying times keep getting faster, I qualified with a 3:40 when I was in my 20's and then didn't qualify with a 3:38 when I was in my 30's!)

1 Virtual Race (thanks, Covid!)

Running during my only ultra marathon.

50k:

4:38:40, Walnut River Gravel Run 50k, 2021

Half and Full Marathons

I haven't updated this in a while and it's the only way I've tracked how many marathons and half marathons I've done so I wanted to get it updated. I'm also pondering running another 50k in 2027, so we'll see what happens! When I went to create an updated post, I found an old one I started in 2024 so I guess I've planned to do this for a while! I am also pondering doing another 50k in 2027. My bone spurs don't do well on paved marathons, but I'm thinking I'd be okay on a gravel or trail marathon. There are some 50k or ultra options that I've had my eye on for a while so I just may make it happen. We will see what happens! 

Half Marathons:

1:30:41, Golden Driller Half Marathon, 2019
1:31:06, Aquarium Run, 2018
1:31:35, Mighty Mo Half Marathon, 2007

1:31:49, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2016

1:32:32, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2019

1:32:39, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2007

1:32:55, Prairie Fire Half Marathon, 2018

1:34:11, Run for the Ranch Half Marathon, 2007 

1:34:13, Aquarium Run Half Marathon, 2017

1:34:40, Aquarium Run Half Marathon, 2019

1:35:25, Little Rock Half Marathon, 2009
1:35:43, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2015 (8 months after Elise was born)

1:35:56, Joplin Memorial Run, 2023

1:36:49, Virtual Chisholm Trail Half Marathon, 2020

1:36:55, Mythical Half Marathon, 2021

1:36:58, Half and Half Paved Half Marathon, 2022 (weekend after a 20 mile long run, that was a 1st)
1:36:59, Jenks Half Marathon, 2013 (10 months after Carter was born)

1:37:29, Run OK Virtual Half Marathon, 2020
1:38:05, Prairie Fire Half Marathon, 2013 (9 months after Carter was born)

1:38:20, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2023

1:39:11, Half and Half Paved Half Marathon, 2023 (the day after a 5k)

1:39:56, Oklahoma City Memorial Half Marathon, 2026
1:41:08, Prairie Fire Half Marathon, 2015 (7 months after Elise was born)

1:43:20, Joplin Memorial Run, 2024 (about a month after the Boston Marathon)

1:43:25, Oklahoma City Memorial Half Marathon, 2025

1:46:23, Rocky Mountain Half Marathon, 2022 (at altitude and I had no issues!)
1:51:40, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2011 (ran the race sick)

1:51:26, Half N Half Trail Half Marathon, 2025
1:56:44, Prairie Fire Half Marathon, 2014 (14 weeks pregnant with Elise)
2:01:50, Hospital Hill Half Marathon, 2008 (I ran this one after being sick for over a month and learned to respect the distance!)
2:18:12, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2012 (32 weeks pregnant with Carter)

Totals:
31 half-marathons
2 run while pregnant
4 run less than a year after giving birth

2 Virtual Halves (thanks, Covid!)

After finishing my most recent half marathon, the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon.

25ks:

2:11:21, Pumpkin Holler 25k, 2022

2:14:20, War Eagle Trail Running Festival 25k, 2020

2:17:09, War Eagle Trail Running Festival 25k, 2022

2:29:30, Flint and Steel Trail 25k, 2021

2:37:59, Armadillo Ultra Trail 25k, 2018

Cresting a hill during my most recent 25k at Pumpkin Holler.

Marathons:

3:25:27, Route 66 Marathon, 2018

3:28:18, Houston Marathon, 2023

3:38:58, Grandma's Marathon, 2023

3:38:58, Route 66 Marathon, 2017

3:40:05, Route 66 Marathon, 2008
3:43:04, Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, 2009 (The wind was out of control.)

3:45:55, Boston Marathon, 2024 (My 1st Star!)

3:46:15, Virtual Boston Marathon, 2020

3:51:20, Chicago Marathon, 2025 (My 2nd Star!)

3:58:04, Route 66 Marathon, 2009 (Ran with a sinus infection and bronchitis.)

Totals: 
10 marathons
3 BQs (Interestingly enough, not my 3 fastest marathons. Since Boston Qualifying times keep getting faster, I qualified with a 3:40 when I was in my 20's and then didn't qualify with a 3:38 when I was in my 30's!)

1 Virtual Race (thanks, Covid!)

After finishing my most recent marathon in Chicago.

50k:

4:38:40, Walnut River Gravel Run 50k, 2021

Other Random Race I Wanted to Include:

20 miles at 3 Hour Snake Run in 2:53:20, 2024

Half and Full Marathons

In 2017 I wrote a post about my growing love of the half-marathon. In my post I listed all the half and full marathons I've run. I think it's fun to keep a running total. That's something I never did with shorter distances and I have run fewer of these longer races so it was easier to go back and figure out how many I've actually done. It's fun to add to the lists and I really like seeing how my time compares on my overall list when I don't run a PR. It's fun to see that although I didn't run the time I had hoped for, it was my 4th fastest time or whatever it may have been. So I'd like to update my list every now and then. I've had this typed up and ready for a while and I think now is the perfect time to post it since I just got my acceptance email for the Boston Marathon on Wednesday! I'm so excited to prepare my training plan for Boston and to get into the training. Until then, I'm plugging away toward the Tulsa Run 15k and Route 66 Half-Marathon! 

Half Marathons:
1:30:41, Golden Driller Half Marathon, 2019
1:31:06, Aquarium Run, 2018
1:31:35, Mighty Mo Half Marathon, 2007
1:31:49, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2016

1:32:39, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2007

1:32:55, Prairie Fire Half Marathon, 2018

1:34:11, Run for the Ranch Half Marathon, 2007 

1:34:13, Aquarium Run Half Marathon, 2017

1:34:40, Aquarium Run Half Marathon, 2019

1:35:25, Little Rock Half Marathon, 2009
1:35:43, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2015 (8 months after Elise was born)
1:36:59, Jenks Half Marathon, 2013 (10 months after Carter was born)
1:38:05, Prairie Fire Half Marathon, 2013 (9 months after Carter was born)
1:41:08, Prairie Fire Half Marathon, 2015 (7 months after Elise was born)
1:51:40, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2011 (ran the race sick)
1:56:44, Prairie Fire Half Marathon, 2014 (14 weeks pregnant with Elise)
2:01:50, Hospital Hill Half Marathon, 2008 (I ran this one after being sick for over a month and learned to respect the distance!)
2:18:12, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2012 (32 weeks pregnant with Carter)

Totals:
18 half-marathons
2 run while pregnant
4 run less than a year after giving birth

Marathons:

3:25:27, Route 66 Marathon, 2018

3:38:58, Route 66 Marathon, 2017

3:40:05, Route 66 Marathon, 2008
3:43:04, Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, 2009 (The wind was out of control.)

3:58:04, Route 66 Marathon, 2009 (Ran with a sinus infection and bronchitis.)

Totals: 
5 marathons
2 BQs (Interestingly enough, not my 2 fastest times. Since Boston Qualifying times keep getting faster, I qualified with a 3:40 when I was in my 20's and then didn't qualify with a 3:38 when I was in my 30's!)

Half and Full Marathons Plus Some Others

I started getting this post ready before Grandma's and was so sure I'd have another sub-3:30 marathon to add to the list. I was so excited about that, but alas, I did not have a sub-3:30 marathon to add! I'm just thankful I had another marathon to add and that Grandma's didn't end in my first ever DNF. There were multiple half-marathons added. I like keeping track of my longer races because I've run enough half-marathons, I wouldn't be able to keep track otherwise! Carter asked me how many 5ks I've run on our drive home from Grandma's and I had absolutely no idea. I couldn't even give him a ballpark idea.

Finishing my most recent half-marathon, the Joplin Memorial Run.

Half Marathons:

1:30:41, Golden Driller Half Marathon, 2019
1:31:06, Aquarium Run, 2018
1:31:35, Mighty Mo Half Marathon, 2007

1:31:49, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2016

1:32:32, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2019

1:32:39, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2007

1:32:55, Prairie Fire Half Marathon, 2018

1:34:11, Run for the Ranch Half Marathon, 2007 

1:34:13, Aquarium Run Half Marathon, 2017

1:34:40, Aquarium Run Half Marathon, 2019

1:35:25, Little Rock Half Marathon, 2009
1:35:43, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2015 (8 months after Elise was born)

1:35:56, Joplin Memorial Run, 2023

1:36:49, Virtual Chisholm Trail Half Marathon, 2020

1:36:55, Mythical Half Marathon, 2021

1:36:58, Half and Half Paved Half Marathon, 2022 (weekend after a 20 mile long run, that was a 1st)
1:36:59, Jenks Half Marathon, 2013 (10 months after Carter was born)

1:37:29, Run OK Virtual Half Marathon, 2020
1:38:05, Prairie Fire Half Marathon, 2013 (9 months after Carter was born)
1:41:08, Prairie Fire Half Marathon, 2015 (7 months after Elise was born)

1:46:23, Rocky Mountain Half Marathon, 2022 (at altitude and I had no issues!)
1:51:40, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2011 (ran the race sick)
1:56:44, Prairie Fire Half Marathon, 2014 (14 weeks pregnant with Elise)
2:01:50, Hospital Hill Half Marathon, 2008 (I ran this one after being sick for over a month and learned to respect the distance!)
2:18:12, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2012 (32 weeks pregnant with Carter)

Totals:
25 half-marathons
2 run while pregnant
4 run less than a year after giving birth

2 Virtual Halves (thanks, Covid!)

Cresting a hill during my most recent 25k at Pumpkin Holler.

25ks:

2:11:21, Pumpkin Holler 25k, 2022

2:14:20, War Eagle Trail Running Festival 25k, 2020

2:17:09, War Eagle Trail Running Festival 25k, 2022

2:29:30, Flint and Steel Trail 25k, 2021

2:37:59, Armadillo Ultra Trail 25k, 2018

Finishing my most recent marathon at Grandma's Marathon.

Marathons:

3:25:27, Route 66 Marathon, 2018

3:28:18, Houston Marathon, 2023

3:38:58, Grandma's Marathon, 2023

3:38:58, Route 66 Marathon, 2017

3:40:05, Route 66 Marathon, 2008
3:43:04, Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, 2009 (The wind was out of control.)

3:46:15, Virtual Boston Marathon, 2020

3:58:04, Route 66 Marathon, 2009 (Ran with a sinus infection and bronchitis.)

Totals: 
6 marathons
3 BQs (Interestingly enough, not my 3 fastest marathons. Since Boston Qualifying times keep getting faster, I qualified with a 3:40 when I was in my 20's and then didn't qualify with a 3:38 when I was in my 30's!)

1 Virtual Race (thanks, Covid!)

50k:

4:38:40, Walnut River Gravel Run 50k, 2021

Half-Marathons

The half marathon has slowly become my favorite race. I love the challenge of running hard for so long but I also love the strategy that comes into play when running your best at the distance. I enjoy that you can go out slowly and pick up the pace in the second half. I especially love gutting it out the last few miles of a half. The relatively quick recovery time and lack of hobbled walking is also a plus. Now that I've looked back over some training logs, I'm convinced I need to give the marathon another try. The half may be my favorite race distance but I'm curious if the marathon could vie for that spot if I give it the chance. The main reason why the marathon has left me heartbroken multiple times still stands true: you train for so long for one race and if weather or illness keep you from running the race you trained for, you're just out of luck. You can't just pick up and try again the following week or month like you can with many other race distances. But I still want to give it another go for a couple of reasons. Mainly because I feel like my PR of 3:40:05 in the marathon is the weakest of my PRs and will be the easiest to break. Also because when I looked back over my training sheet I kept from my fastest marathon, my highest mileage week was 38 miles and that was with a 20 mile long run! I really feel like with a respectable number of miles under my belt the marathon is less likely to disappoint. Although I put in enough training to finish a marathon in the past, I really feel like I put in the bare minimum and if I work just a little bit harder I can see much bigger results! I still plan to focus on the half in the fall so I can try to crush my PR but I'm toying with the idea of a winter or spring marathon, most likely I'll be running a full marathon by fall of 2018.

Me, Thomas, and dad taking off at the start of the 2015 Prairie Fire Half Marathon.

Even though the marathon has been the main source of heartbreak for me during my running career, the half marathon is close behind with my performance this spring. This past season I trained really hard to run a half-marathon PR and when it didn't happen, I was immediately curious how my time stacked up to all my other half-marathon times. I've never really kept track of my races other than recording them in my training logs so I didn't have a list of half-marathons I've done and had to go through my training logs as well as look for results online. I threw away all my training logs from before 2011 when Ty and I moved into our house after our wedding so I know I'm probably missing a few that I didn't find when googling results. I wanted to keep a list of my half-marathons for future reference and figured I might as well throw my marathons in there too (just in case I have one to add in the next year or so). Now I need to run a 1:33 half so I have all times from 1:31-1:36 covered! Here are my half-marathon times in order from fastest to slowest.

Running toward the finish of my slowest half marathon, the 2012 Route 66, pregnant with Carter.

Half Marathons:
1:31:35, Mighty Mo Half Marathon, 2007
1:31:49, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2016
1:32:39, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2007
1:34:11, Run for the Ranch Half Marathon, 2007 
1:34:13, Aquarium Run Half Marathon, 2017
1:35:25, Little Rock Half Marathon, 2009
1:35:43, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2015 (8 months after Elise was born)
1:36:59, Jenks Half Marathon, 2013 (10 months after Carter was born)
1:38:05, Prairie Fire Half Marathon, 2013 (9 months after Carter was born)
1:41:08, Prairie Fire Half Marathon, 2015 (7 months after Elise was born)
1:51:40, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2011 (ran the race sick)
1:56:44, Prairie Fire Half Marathon, 2014 (14 weeks pregnant with Elise)
2:01:50, Hospital Hill Half Marathon, 2008 (I ran this one after being sick for over a month and learned to respect the distance!)
2:18:12, Route 66 Half Marathon, 2012 (32 weeks pregnant with Carter)

Totals:
14 half-marathons
2 run while pregnant
4 run less than a year after giving birth

Marathons:
3:40:05, Route 66 Marathon, 2008
3:43:04, Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, 2009 (The wind was out of control.)
3:58:04, Route 66 Marathon, 2009 (Ran with a sinus infection and bronchitis.)
Obviously it well past time for a marathon PR as well! 

Running the infamous windy 2009 OKC marathon.

Race Day Is Almost Here!

Race weekend is upon us. Normally getting this close to my big goal half marathon or marathon I start to feel some race jitters and nerves. Right now I'm just feeling super excited. I'm sure the nerves will come later but I'm enjoying the calm excitement right now. I know I've put in the work. I know I've worked hard. I have plenty of season PRs behind me to know I am in good shape. I've laid down a 41:49 10k which is an all-time PR, a 1:05:19 15k which was also an all-time PR because I'd never run that distance before, and a 19:45 5k which is the fastest 5k I've run since college. The training is there. I know I'm poised to have a good race. I have tapered, I've avoided injuries and illness, and I'm getting 7 hours of sleep most nights. It is so exciting for me to know I've put myself in a place where I could potentially beat my PR of 8 years in the half marathon. My fastest half marathon time was in my very first half marathon I ever ran. I've come within a minute of that time, but have never beat it. The race was perfect for a fast time with cool temps and a flat course. I feel pretty good about my chances of coming even closer to my PR on Sunday, if not beating it this time.

The Route 66 is an awesome race. The crowd support is amazing, the course showcases some awesome parts of Tulsa, there are thousands of runners every year so I always have people to run with, plus the starting line is about 10 minutes from my house. There are so many pluses for this race and it is one of my favorite half marathons I have ever run. The only downside is the course is challenging. It isn't super hilly but hilly enough that it isn't great for running a PR. I ran a 1:31 in my first half and then a 1:32 just a few months later at the Route 66 when I was in better shape, but the course slowed me down. So although I would love to say I feel confident in running a PR, I don't. I feel confident I can run a strong race and that I will give it my all on race day, I'm just not sure what finishing time that will entail and I'm okay with that. As long as I run as hard as I can, that's really all I can ask for. I feel pretty good about my chances of running a 1:32 and feel like there's a good chance I can run in the 1:31's, but I really don't see a sub-1:30 in the cards for me right now. No matter what happens I am confident that I can run under 1:35 even if I don't have a good race. I ran the 15k at the end of October in 6:58 pace and I would be stoked if I could finish the half marathon at that same pace. We will see what happens!

With the Route 66 being one of the biggest races in Tulsa and the most loved there has been a lot of press on it lately. I follow the race on Facebook so I see all the links and articles posted about the race. I just read this article about the founder of the race. In March he fell off a ladder and sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Reading the story brought back so many memories for me. Memories of fear, brain shunts, cerebral profusion pressure, and intercranial pressure. Reading the story I really felt not just for the family going through this terrifying time, but also for Chris and the long and frustrating journey he has ahead of him. I am so thankful for all the work he has put into making the Route 66 such a fun and amazing race. I am also thankful he survived such a terrible accident and is fighting for recovery. It makes it even more significant that Jeremy will be running the race after his TBI. There will be a lot on my mind when I step up to the starting line on Sunday and Chris will definitely be at the forefront. I will be thinking of him and his family with each step that I take and I am hoping he will be back at it next year for the 12th annual event.

As I thought about Chris and what an amazing event he worked so hard to create, I started reminiscing about the race over the years and all it has meant to me. 2006 was the inaugural race and Jeremy ran his first marathon that day. Thomas and I drove out to watch him run and I was hooked. I just had to run a marathon after seeing his race and feeling the excitement and atmosphere of the race. I ran my first half marathon the following summer and followed that up with a half-marathon at the Route 66. Then in 2008 I ran my first full marathon at the Route 66. I've run the race 6 of the past 10 years and Jeremy has run it 8 times. I've run it in good shape, in poor shape, pregnant, and postpartum. The race has been a huge motivator for me in so many ways and has brought me a lot of joy and satisfaction. Just for fun I thought I'd share our race results through the years with a bit of commentary.

• 2006- Jeremy's first marathon, he finished in 3:19:43. I loved watching Jeremy race and couldn't wait for the chance to run the race myself. It was crazy to me that Jeremy was running for long enough we had time to watch him start, go to McDonald's to eat breakfast, watch him at numerous points along the course, and then watch him finish. One of the big memories of this race for me was Jeremy running along around the same pace as a guy who was running in an orange banana hammock. I guess he lost a bet but Jeremy said no one wanted to run with him. Most people would speed up to pass him.

  

  Jeremy running ahead of the banana hammock guy.

  

  Jeremy finishing his first marathon.

• 2007- Jeremy's second marathon, he finished in 3:23:32. Thomas' first half-marathon and my second. He finished in 1:32:08 and I finished in 1:32:39. I remember Thomas passing me around mile 8 while wearing his shirt as a cape. I figured he would die when we hit the hills and I would pass him back but he rocked the hills and kept pulling further away from me. I was pretty excited to finish 5th overall female in such a large and competitive race.
  

• 2008- I ran my first marathon and Jeremy decided to run it with me. It was awesome to have him there with me! When we hit around mile 20 or so Jeremy started having stomach issues and had to use the porta potty. He told me to keep running and he'd try to catch up. He never did and I conquered the last 6.2 miles of hills alone. Back then the marathon course was flat for the first 20 miles and then the last 6 were all up and down hills. It was brutal. I knew from looking at the elevation map that it would be like that so I saved back a bit for the hills and was so thankful I had when the time hit. I finished in 3:40:05, qualifying for Boston. I walked back to see Jeremy finish and really started to worry about him. He ended up finishing in 4:27:31. He had to stop at the restrooms multiple times and had to walk some because his legs started cramping up. Thomas ran the half marathon, finishing in 1:34:40. He was late to the start because he was out watching us in the marathon which back then started before the half. He ended up having to pee on a tree because he didn't have time to go to the porta potties.
  

• 2009- Jeremy and Thomas ran the half-marathon, finishing in 1:37:31 and 1:43:05 respectively. I ran the most miserable race of my life, finishing the marathon in 3:58:04. While training for the marathon my goal was to break 3:40. Then race week came and I was sick. I refused to accept the fact that the marathon wasn't going to happen. I knew I should probably transfer to the half but was determined to run the full. I ended up having to walk in the second half and threw up as I crossed the finish line. I went to the doctor the next day and was diagnosed with bronchitis and a sinus infection. 

• 2010- Jeremy and Thomas ran the half-marathon, finishing in 1:35:55 and 1:54:41. Ty and I were in Topeka for Paul and Amanda's wedding.

• 2011- Jeremy and I ran the half-marathon together. He hadn't really trained and I again got sick the week of the race. Training for a half or full marathon at the end of November as a teacher is rough because you are putting in long runs and compromising your immune system right around the time when sickness starts going around. We finished together in 1:51:40. It was my first time running the race as a Cox rather than a Hurford.

• 2012- I decided just a couple weeks out from the race to do it. I was 32 weeks pregnant on race day and had gotten the okay from my doctor to run it before I signed up. Jeremy and Thomas hadn't trained for it but figured since their hugely pregnant sister was running, they probably should. Jeremy finished in 1:32:10, Thomas finished in 1:47:39, and I finished in 2:19:57 (with a couple restroom stops).

  

  I was large and in charge on race day, lol! Ty was pretty proud he got pictures of me switching to a short-sleeved shirt mid race. My belly was much more impressive bare, that's for sure!

• 2013- We ran the Jenks half-marathon instead. I can't remember what we had going on race day, but something conflicted so we picked a different fall half-marathon. I ended up being so glad as the weather was terrible that year with icy roads and miserably cold temps. All my friends who ran it said it was awful.

• 2014- I was pregnant with Elise and decided to just run one half-marathon earlier in the season to make it easier on my body. We all ran the Prairie Fire half-marathon in early October instead. Mom, dad, and I all volunteered at a water stop during the race and it was an awesome experience. Seeing it from the other side made me appreciate the hard work volunteers put in to make the race possible.

• 2015- This was Ty and dad's first time running the race! They changed the course this year so it started and finished at different locations. Instead of just the last portion of the race being hilly, the hills were more spread out within the race. Jeremy finished in 1:34:17, I finished in 1:35:43, Thomas finished in 1:57:00, Dad finished in 1:57:12, and Ty finished in a PR of 2:08:03!

• 2016- I'm excited to see what this year has in store for us! I'm hoping for a PR or at least a post-baby PR! Sub-1:35 here I come! No matter what happens I know it will be easier than 2012!

Our Race History at Route 66

I was going back through drafts and found this one I wrote shortly after the Route 66 half in 2019 and never posted. With Boston approaching, I thought this would be a fun time to post about our history at the Route 66 Marathon.

In 2016 I was so excited for the Route 66 Half Marathon, I went back and did a little recap post of all our races at Route 66 over the years. I enjoy going back and looking at it before we run the Route 66 race each year to be reminded of all the fun we've had. I thought since we've run the race 4 more times since I wrote the post originally, I should probably go ahead and write an updated post. There's just something magical about the Route 66 race for me. They've changed the course a few times over the years but I always have a great time! I've only had one bad experience at the race but that was my fault for running the full marathon while having bronchitis and a sinus infection, it had nothing to do with the race itself! I think part of it is it's being our hometown race, I just always have such a blast!

• 2006- Jeremy's first marathon, he finished in 3:19:43. I loved watching Jeremy race and couldn't wait for the chance to run the race myself. It was crazy to me that Jeremy was running for long enough we had time to watch him start, go to McDonald's to eat breakfast, watch him at numerous points along the course, and then watch him finish. One of the big memories of this race for me was Jeremy running around the same pace as a guy who was running in an orange banana hammock. I guess he lost a bet but Jeremy said no one wanted to run with him. Most people would speed up to pass him.

  

  Jeremy running ahead of the banana hammock guy.

  

  Jeremy finishing his first marathon.

• 2007- Jeremy's second marathon, he finished in 3:23:32. Thomas' first half-marathon and my second. He finished in 1:32:08 and I finished in 1:32:39. I remember Thomas passing me around mile 8 while wearing his shirt as a cape. I figured he would die when we hit the hills and I would pass him back but he rocked the hills and kept pulling further away from me. I was pretty excited to finish 5th overall female in such a large and competitive race.
  

• 2008- I ran my first marathon and Jeremy decided to run it with me. It was awesome to have him there with me! When we hit around mile 20 or so Jeremy started having stomach issues and had to use the porta potty. He told me to keep running and he'd try to catch up. He never did and I conquered the last 6.2 miles of hills alone. Back then the marathon course was flat for the first 20 miles and then the last 6 were all up and down hills. It was brutal. I knew from looking at the elevation map that it would be like that so I saved back a bit for the hills and was so thankful I had when the time hit. I finished in 3:40:05, qualifying for Boston. I walked back to see Jeremy finish and really started to worry about him. He ended up finishing in 4:27:31. He had to stop at the restrooms multiple times and had to walk some because his legs started cramping up. Thomas ran the half marathon, finishing in 1:34:40. He was late to the start because he was out watching us in the marathon which back then started before the half. He ended up having to pee on a tree because he didn't have time to go to the porta potties.
  

• 2009- Jeremy and Thomas ran the half-marathon, finishing in 1:37:31 and 1:43:05 respectively. I ran the most miserable race of my life, finishing the marathon in 3:58:04. While training for the marathon my goal was to break 3:40. Then race week came and I was sick. I refused to accept the fact that the marathon wasn't going to happen. I knew I should probably transfer to the half but was determined to run the full. I ended up having to walk in the second half and threw up as I crossed the finish line. I went to the doctor the next day and was diagnosed with bronchitis and a sinus infection. 

• 2010- Jeremy and Thomas ran the half-marathon, finishing in 1:35:55 and 1:54:41. Ty and I were in Topeka for Paul and Amanda's wedding.

• 2011- Jeremy and I ran the half-marathon together. He hadn't really trained and I again got sick the week of the race. Training for a half or full marathon at the end of November as a teacher is rough because you are putting in long runs and compromising your immune system right around the time when sickness starts going around. We finished together in 1:51:40. It was my first time running the race as a Cox rather than a Hurford.

• 2012- I decided just a couple weeks out from the race to do it. I was 32 weeks pregnant on race day and had gotten the okay from my doctor to run it before I signed up. Jeremy and Thomas hadn't trained for it but figured since their hugely pregnant sister was running, they probably should. Jeremy finished in 1:32:10, Thomas finished in 1:47:39, and I finished in 2:19:57 (with a couple restroom stops).

  

  I was large and in charge on race day, lol! Ty was pretty proud he got pictures of me switching to a short-sleeved shirt mid race. My belly was much more impressive bare, that's for sure!

• 2013- We ran the Jenks half-marathon instead. I can't remember what we had going on race day, but something conflicted so we picked a different fall half-marathon. I ended up being so glad as the weather was terrible that year with icy roads and miserably cold temps. All my friends who ran it said it was awful.

• 2014- I was pregnant with Elise and decided to just run one half-marathon earlier in the season to make it easier on my body. We all ran the Prairie Fire half-marathon in early October instead. Mom, dad, and I all volunteered at a water stop during the race and it was an awesome experience. Seeing it from the other side made me appreciate the hard work volunteers put in to make the race possible.

• 2015- This was Ty and dad's first time running the race! They changed the course this year so it started and finished at different locations. Instead of just the last portion of the race being hilly, the hills were more spread out within the race, but there were also more of them! Jeremy finished in 1:34:17, I finished in 1:35:43, Thomas finished in 1:57:00, Dad finished in 1:57:12, and Ty finished in a PR of 2:08:03!
  

• 2016- I finished the half-marathon just shy of a PR, finishing in 1:31:49. I was bummed to miss a PR by 14 seconds, but pumped to have nearly beat my PR on a challenging course! Jeremy ran the race less than a year after his accident which left him with a fractured skull, femur, and pelvis along with a traumatic brain injury. He finished in an amazing 1:41:23, totally unbelievable! Ty finished in 2:50:43 after suffering stomach issues and spending a significant amount of time in and out of porta potties along the course.
  

• 2017- Jeremy moved up to the marathon for the first time since his accident. He finished in 4:20:19. I had intended to run the marathon with him but it didn't work out and I surprised myself by pulling out a PR and running my first sub-3:40 with minimal training. I finished in 3:38:58! Thomas ran the half and finished in 1:43:32.
  

• 2018- Jeremy and I were both back for the marathon. My goal was to run a PR but I really wanted to qualify for Boston and I hoped to be enough under the standard to actually get into the race because I had hopes of running Boston in 2020. I was able to do just that by breaking my PR by 13 minutes, finishing in 3:25:27! Jeremy outdid me by beating his time from last year by 35 minutes, finishing in 3:45:13! Thomas finished the half marathon in 1:37:11, beating his goal of breaking 1:40! Ty ran a huge half-marathon PR finishing in 1:58:12! It was a big day for our family.
  

• 2019- I decided to run the half since I would be running the Boston Marathon in the spring. I prefer running one marathon a year rather than one a season so bumping down to the half for this year just made sense. Thomas decided to run the full as his last ever marathon which he declared before the race, but stated even more surely afterward. Jeremy was also in the marathon and Ty ran a drinking challenge half which he and Thomas came up with the night before. Our cousin, Ian, travelled from Nashville to run the half and experience the race with us. I finished the half in 1:32:32. Ian ran it in 1:33:44. Ty took 14 shots during the race and finished in 2:26:27. Jeremy once again killed the marathon, knocking 8 minutes off his time from last year and finishing in 3:37:12. Thomas had a really rough last 10k and was forced to walk up all the hills due to severe cramping. He finished in a valiant 4:20:43.