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First Marathon Story: Chicago 2025 and Finding Family with Team to End AIDS w/ Annie Rasmussen

  • Writer: Taylor Sayles
    Taylor Sayles
  • Feb 23
  • 4 min read

Annie grew up playing basketball, but ultimately chose music over sports as she got older. But movement was always something that was fun for her - it was never a chore. In high school, through a physical education requirement, Annie took a circuit training class and fell in love with the structure. She started running a couple of blocks after school to burn off extra steam, but chronic shin splints ended her running journey. She had no idea what she was doing, and she hated every single minute of it.


Learning to Run

Annie never totally gave up on running. After grad school, she went through a bad breakup and signed up for a 5K. It was then that the marathon bug was planted. She knew she was going to run a marathon one day. Initially, she gave herself five years to build up to it. This was 2017.


Her running goals gradually fell by the wayside as she got more into spin classes. Then, in 2020, the world shut down. Like many others, she bought a Peloton bike during the pandemic, and truly fell in love with movement, and the community that came with it. She learned step-by-step how to become better at bike workouts, and she wondered - was that the problem she'd had with running all along?


She joined a running program on Peloton, and running finally clicked for the first time.


Meant to Run a Marathon

Annie started signing up for races with a new intention now that she was enjoying running for the first time. She ran the Shamrock Shuffle 8K in Chicago and really enjoyed the process. An accident at home, however, led to a pause in running while she recovered from torn ligaments in her ankle.


She returned to running, 30 to 40 pounds lighter, at the Shamrock Shuffle once again, and running was looking and feeling different. She ran her first half marathon in May 2024, and registered for the Chicago Marathon that same year with a charity. She was going to finally run a marathon.


But, life had other plans. She trained virtually, mostly on her own, thinking she didn't need other people to be involved. Seven weeks into her training, she developed bad hip pain that kept getting worse. A 12-mile long run became 10 miles with excruciating pain, and Annie started to wonder if the marathon was going to happen. It turned out to be a bad case of hip bursitis, and her doctor told her she'd no longer be able to run the marathon.


Although part of her knew it was coming, she was devastated, and slipped into the worst depression of her life. Annie had grown to love running and running long distances, and it was all taken away from her.


But Annie was determined. It was her calling to run a marathon. And at a physical therapy session, she signed up for the 2025 Chicago Marathon.


Running for a Cause

Annie joined Team to End AIDS for the 2025 Chicago Marathon, and her training experience changed completely. Instead of solitary miles, Annie joined a community that trained together on the Chicago lakefront, cheering for each other and offering support.


She was scared to announce she was running the marathon again, and knew she was going to have to work harder to raise funds this time around. But the mission was more personal, and she hit her fundraising goal in 72 hours. She heard from so many in her life who were directly impacted by the HIV and AIDS crisis, and she carried those individuals with her during her training.


She trained with a group of dedicated people she never would have met otherwise, and they got through some truly hellish runs in the Chicago summer heat and humidity. It was the best summer of Annie's life.


Covered in glitter, Annie headed to the start line of her first marathon. Making friends with strangers in the corral while finding friends and teammates among the thousands of runners, she started slow and calculated, set on having fun and soaking in the race experience. At mile 24, she still had gas in the tank, and she kicked up the pace 30-50 seconds. She finished the race strong, with an eight-minute negative split.


Lessons Learned

  • Don't be afraid to rest, even if it means starting over.

  • Train smarter, not harder.

  • Treat your training runs like rehearsals.

  • Learn to listen to your body. Check in with yourself.

  • Be true to yourself. Everyone's experience is different.


Want to hear Annie tell the story herself? Listen to the full episode now: Chicago 2025 and Finding Family with Team to End AIDS w/ Annie Rasmussen — available wherever you get your podcasts.


Listen to my most recent mini episode: Introducing The First Marathon Buddy Program



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Follow along with the show:

👣 Personal IG/TikTok: @tay.says / @taysays

🎙️ Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod

📺 YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast


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