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Sophie joined the First Marathon Buddy Community prior to completing her first marathon in May 2026! She shares her favorite things about running and advice for fellow first-time marathoners.

Abia was so inspired by an incredible runner who beat breast cancer at the New York City Marathon that she entered the lottery the next year and won a spot. What followed was a first marathon experience fueled by community and ignoring the imposter syndrome in her own mind to become a marathoner.

Sara signed up for her first marathon almost by accident and found herself fundraising and training for her first 26.2 unexpectedly. Through life disruptions and an imperfect training plan, Sara made it through her first marathon.

Over the last couple of months, my life has been in a whirlwind. I've been consistently running for years, and since then, I have never taken an extensive period or time off of running. This was the first time in a long time that running came to a screeching halt for me. And when you're forced to start over, it can be hard to come back.

Julie ran her first marathon in Philadelphia, healing trauma from school sports and learning to make it through the hardest moments to cross the finish line.

Rachel didn't grow up running. She remembers the first time she enjoyed running was a class in her senior year of high school, which required her to complete a mile. The competitive side of her kicked in, and she trained super hard to run that mile. She was the fastest in the class, and it inspired a future competitor.

Gina never thought she'd be a runner. In 2016, she got it in her mind that she wanted to run a half marathon, and she was truly hooked. After two kids and a long return to running, Gina signed up to run her first marathon at the Eugene Marathon.

Aimee recently joined the marathoner club after running the Eugene Marathon earlier this year! She is one of the first-time marathoners who joined the First Marathon Buddy Program.

Jude described herself as a "late bloomer" who got into running at 38. Through injury and an almost accidental registration, she ran her first marathon in Melbourne, Australia.

Mikaela found ultrrunning while healing in some of the darkest times of her life. Along the way she found peace, strength, and the confidence to keep going.

Maggie always had a competitive spirit. Originally a gynmast and sprinter, Maggie decided to run the 2025 Chicago Marathon to celebrate her 30th birthday.

Alyssa came to running after college. After running a half marathon, she signed up to run the Space Coast marathon. While the day didn't go the way she hoped, she saw it through a few weeks later, and crossed the finish line of her first marathon.

Kristine is one of the incredible mentors guiding first-time marathoners through their journey in the First Marathon Buddy Program.

Keneshia found a love for running on the hot roads of Arizona. She finished her first marathon at the Every Woman's Marathon, supported by a community of runners behind her.

If you're training for a fall marathon, your training is beginning the next few weeks, and you are getting ready to train through the hardest time of the year to train...the summer. Here are some tips to support your summer running goals.

Jon found the marathon much more intimidating than the Spartan Races he had been doing. There was no pace pressure on the trails. Everyone was sharing snacks and making friends. But he signed up for the San Francisco Marathon anyway. He wanted to prove he was capable of it.

Ashley was never a runner, but fell in love with the sport during a stressful divorce. She set off on the country roads with $10 shoes and a Fitbit, and her running journey began.

Sometimes taking the pressure of is the answer. When life is "life-ing," when stress is getting to you, big running goals and PRs can feel like one more thing on your plate you just can't manage. But a relaxed mindset and fresh legs can make an invaluable difference, especially after multiple training cycles where burnout might be starting to creep in.

Always a runner, Carly struggled with unexplained illness and surgeries before finding her way to her first marathon on the anniversary of a major surgery.

Meet Jill, one of the incredible first-time marathoners in the First Marathon Buddy Program. Jill just ran her first marathon in April 2026!