top of page
Search

First Marathon Story: Scarier Than a 50K: A Trail Runner's First Road Marathon w/ Jon Hwang

  • Writer: Taylor Sayles
    Taylor Sayles
  • May 26
  • 3 min read
Ashley Blankenship speaks with host Taylor Sayles about her first marathon journey.

Jon started his career in video games, and looking for an outlet for movement with all of the "crunch work," he began doing HIIT workouts at home. He ran a 5K through work, and this was the first time he had ever done a race or considered running could be another type of workout to explore.


In 2016, he signed up for his first half marathon, and then in 2017, running became his way to get through a rough time as his mother was diagnosed with cancer and a relationship fell apart. It led to him signing up for his first Spartan Race, and trail running became his focus.


He met his wife through Spartan racing, helped her through an injury, and then in 2022, they did a 50K ultramarathon together. It was only after finishing that race that Jon thought about signing up for a marathon.


Deciding to Run His First Marathon

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.


The marathon represented an impossible goal for Jon, the crowning achievement. It seemed terrifying, and he wanted to try and overcome that. He wanted the challenge. He wanted to know if he was capable of it.


He had no true training background, didn't know about fueling or pacing, but he headed out on a 1.5 mile loop around his neighborhood, fueled by Uncrustables and Gatorade.


The Hay is in the Barn

Training on such a short loop took a lot of mental strength, especially on the longer runs (he still remembers that one 15-mile run), and the run where his headphones died just a few miles in. But those tough runs helped grow his confidence and feel like a "real runner."


He peaked at that 15 mile run, but he was almost too tired and exhausted from all the training to be too nervous about it. He eventually realized that was probably due to not fueling properly, and he needed to figure out how to fuel on race day too. But, as he said, "the hay is in the barn."


He ended up staying at hotel just a half-mile from the start line, and bought whatever gels were on sale on Amazon for fueling (he doesn't always believe the "nothing new on race day" rule).


Running His First 26.2

The anxiety in the corral was real. It was still dark when the race began, with cool temperatures even though it was the end of July. The first half of the race featured gorgeous coastal views, and running along the Golden Gate Bridge. But in the second half, there was a little over 1,000 feet of elevation gain in one segment of the race. In a Spartan Race, this was nothing...but on a road race, this was a much more significant incline.


Jon focused on pacing himself, knowing the second half of the race was going to hurt a lot. His muscles felt good, but because it was so chilly, he dealt with another unexpected issue. Around the 13-mile mark, Jon started to feel the chafing. He stopped at every aid station to grab a scoop of Vaseline.


The second half of the race took him through the city, where the community really showed up to support the runners. He was passed by a woman running in flip-flops, and then someone running barefoot. His goal was just to survive and meet the cutoff time.


As he approached the end, the energy ramped up. He pushed a little bit harder. He crossed the finish line, in disbelief that he just finished a marathon.


Lessons Learned

  • Following some kind of training structure is important.

  • Take the training seriously.

  • The marathon is about the training journey more than the race.

  • Running with a club, even once a week, can help with motivation


Want to hear Jon tell the story himself? Listen to the full episode now: Scarier Than a 50K: A Trail Runner's First Road Marathon w/ Jon Hwang— available wherever you get your podcasts.


Listen to my most recent mini episode: How To Not Panic Running In The Summer



Want more stories like this in your inbox? Subscribe to The Rundown newsletter!


Follow along with the show:

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

🎙️ Podcast IG/TikTok: @myfirstmarathonpod

📺 YouTube: @MyFirstMarathonPodcast


Comments

bottom of page