Jul 22, 2024
Articles & Stories
Famous First Marathons
From famous ultramarathoners to the founders of the running revolution, to the ordinary man or woman on the street, everyone who has run a marathon has a story about their first. In her book, "First Marathons", Gail Kislevitz brings together interviews and first marathon stories from dozens of famous marathoners.
By permission of the publisher, we were able to include a few chapters from Gail Kislevitz's book - take a look and enjoy:
Find this book and more at Breakaway Books - run by a way cool guy and another great runner: Garth Battista!
From the Editor
Every marathoner has their first marathon story. If they've run a lot, they might forget the details of other races, but the first marathon lives in their mind - each and every mile. And most find that marathoning is like eating a bag of potato chips - it's nearly impossible to stop after just one.
In this area of MarathonGuide.com, you can read my first marathon story, read the stories of famous runners (above) or of the runners that you've probably seen at your last race (to the right). You can also contribute your own story as we ask you to make an effort to become part of the marathoning and MarathonGuide.com worldwide community. Please contribute to this website in whatever way you can (your stories, your posts, your comments, your efforts), contribute your time or efforts to your local marathon and/or local running club, get involved.
And, most importantly, remember what got you running in the first place and use the marathon to keep you inspired and to become an inspiration to others.
- John Elliott
Your First Marathons
Be it gratifying or grueling, unexpectedly humorous or inspirational and life altering, a runner's first marathon will forever be imprinted in the mind. In this section, runners from across the globe shared their stories of the motivation that first powered them onto a marathon course, the new friendships and self-determination formed over 26.2 miles, and their overwhelming joy in reaching the ultimate goal: the finish line. Some recounted their tale from the starting line to the finish; others summed it up in a short narrative or amusing anecdote. And while each runner's experience is unique, every story conveys the universal pride that comes from accomplishing a first marathon.
Read these wonderful stories from MarathonGuide.com visitors and experience that first marathon once again... and, if you have a first marathon story that you'd like to see here: send it to us.
Latest Stories:
Boston or Son's Birth
Jeff E.
Chicago Marathon
Mistakes, But Lessons Learned at My 1st Marathon
Mark S.
Boulder Backroads Marathon
Hot April Day
Rick Dunbar
2017 Rock & Roll St Jude Nashville Marathon
When Things Got Rough at 26
Brittany S.
2015 Philadelphia Marathon
Boston Marathon 100th Dream
Ramiro Laredo
1995 Tucson Marathon
Running a First Marathon in the Mountains!
Mary Ellen Buechel Holbrook
1988 Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon
San Francisco Marathon
Ali Mazhin
San Francisco Marathon
Lingering Memories
Janusz
Big Island International Marathon
A Boy Became a Man That Day
Jeff R.
1968 Palos Verdes Marathon
The Denis James Sweeney Memorial Marathon
Maggie Sweeney
2009 The Denis James Sweeney Memorial Marathon
My First Chicago Marathon
Christian Mendenhall
2002 Chicago Marathon
The Mind of the Middle-Aged Marathoner
Pat O'Connor
1971 Paavo Nurmi Marathon
Conquering a Marathon
Jessica Macias
2013 Singapore Marathon
Running to Fill the Time
Jeff Baker
2013 Stockholm Marathon
My First Marathon Story
Samantha Fischer
2012 Fargo Marathon
My First Marathon
Jonathan Niemeyer
2012 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
Nothing Can Prepare You for a Marathon
Mary Dedeaux-Swinton
2012 Galveston Mardi Gras Marathon
My First Marathon Story
Jamie Coelho
2011 Rockfest Marathon
Marathon Debut
Jeffrey Eggleston
2010 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
Fighting Cancer One Step at a Time
Pete Van Hamersveld
2009 Long Beach Marathon
Rising To My Full Potential
Leah Abraham
2009 Lincoln National Guard Marathon
Getting to the Finish Line
Kat Nevin
2009 L.A. Marathon
First Marathon
Hannah Den Bleyker
2009 Missoula Marathon
26.2 Miles = Medal
Erica Coulter
2009 Chicago Marathon
The Heat Is On
Garrett Callaway
2009 Country Music Marathon
Going the Distance
Jay Brown
2009 Houston Marathon
My First Marathon Story
Dave Guimond
2008 The Cleveland Marathon
Old Soul, New Shoes
Rachel Allen
2008 California International Marathon
My Story
Crystal Farrare
2008 Under Armour Baltimore Marathon
My First Marine Corps Marathon Experience
Muriel Walker
2008 Marine Corps Marathon
You Are Going to Run a Marathon?
Philip Ham
2008 Lincoln Marathon
My First Marathon Story
Justin Zehnder
2008 Eugene Marathon
The Victory Run
Nette Villarante
2007 The New York City Marathon
My First Marathon, My First Victory!
Tonya Huseman-Janzen
2007 The Omaha Marathon
First Marathon Race Report
Michael Lavdiotis
2007 Paris International Marathon
Seville City Marathon
Gustavo Adolfo Rodríguez Martín
2007 Seville City Marathon
One Fine Day in New York City
Sharon Ekstrom
2005 New York City Marathon
Running My Own Race
Bernadette Powell
2005 California International Marathon
A Cold Day in Alaska, But It Didn’t Matter
Patrick O'Brien
2005 Humpy’s Marathon
My First Marathon, A Family Affair
Cliff Gorman
2005 Grandma's Marathon
The Start Is the Finish
Elizabeth Mahr
2004 Toronto Waterfront Marathon
What better year, than your 50th?
Stan Feldbusch
2004 Chicago Marathon
Running As A Couple
Sheena and Kevin Denscombe
2004 Honolulu Marathon
A Man Can Change
William Jacobs
2004 Virginia Beach Marathon
Before I Turn Thirty...
John Herrick
2004 Twin Cities Marathon
I Am Still Celebrating It!
Sandra Lam
2004 Toronto Waterfront Marathon
My First Marathon
Karen Varga
2003 Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Bank Marathon
A Memorable Day In Little Rock
Karin Dagenbach
2003 Little Rock Marathon
My First Marathon
Daniel Richard Vaz
2002 Goa Marathon
Dreams
Gary Turpin
2001 St. George Marathon
April in Paris
Christy Dierikx
2001 Paris Marathon
Marathon Accomplished
Elisa Kinder
2001 Rock 'N Roll Marathon
Running Rain or Sun in 2001
Linda Bedwell
2001 LA Marathon
News Flash!
Shirley Wyant
2001 Indianapolis Marathon
My Very First Marathon
Stormie Henley
2001 Dublin Marathon
From Start to Finish
Gerry Murray
2000 Ocean State Marathon
More Than a Way of Life
Steve Miller
2000 Chicago Marathon
My First Marathon
Vivien
1999 Disney World Marathon
Chasing the Runners' High
Ray Charbonneau
1993 Vermont City Marathon
1st Marathon
Paul J. Miniter
1984 Atlantic City Marathon
Running the Marine Corps Marathon
Crystal Ramirez
2013 Marine Corps Marathon
My First Marathon - Chicago
Tes Sobomehin
2012 Chicago Marathon
My First Marathon - Louisville
Chris Chandler
2012 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
Determined to Win!
Les Atkins
2012 Wrightsville Beach Marathon
First Marathon
Mark Parvinen
2011 Missoula Marathon
Memoir of a First-Time Marathoner
Vince Vickers
2011 Marine Corps Marathon
I Did It! My 26.2...A Marathon Mini Memoir
Jordonna Hall
2011 Fox Valley Marathon
Popsicles in the Sun
Lori Mayfield
2010 St. George Marathon
CIM 2010
Paige Dudgeon
2010 California International Marathon
My Marathon Story
Douglas Thomas Wallace
2010 Lewis & Clark Marathon
First Marathon
Joe Roy
2010 Baton Rouge Beach Marathon
Virgin Marathon Attempt
Shew Theng Chang
2010 Penang Bridge International Marathon
Quitting Smokin => NYC Marathon
Leo Andrew Fernandez
2010 NYC Marathon
The Road Less Traveled
George Herbold
2010 Marine Corps Marathon
First Marathon
Edward Plante
2010 NYC Marathon
1st Marathon
Sarah Beutter
2010 Indianapolis Marathon
My First Marathon
Ruth Asher
2009 Tucson Marathon
From 0 to 26.2 in Ten Months
Jeremy Stone
2009 Erie Marathon
First Marathon
Jessica Di Menna
2009 San Francisco Marathon
Conquering the Marathon Beast
Carol Lewis
2009 Long Beach Marathon
My First-Time Marathon Experience
Jeff Wood
2009 The Pittsburgh Marathon
You Only Get One First Marathon, Right?
Bill Edward Bass
2008 Umstead Trail Marathon
My First Marathon!!!
Wei-En Tan
The San Francisco Marathon
Running Blind
Rhonda Copeland
2007 Missoula Marathon
My First Marathon Story
Sarah Hunter
2007 Maine Marathon
Inaugural Georgia Marathon
Martin Dillon
2007 ING Georgia Marathon
Going For It
Karen Werner
2005 Richmond Marathon
"GO FOR IT!"
Thomas Telhiard
2005 Baton Rouge Beach Marathon
Stroke Survivor/Marathon Runner
Robert B Martinez
2005 LA Marathon
One Sunday
Marie Gier
2005 Disney World Marathon
My First Marathon
Mike Lehe
2004 Chicago Marathon
Look Ma, No Hands
Roderick Breem
2004 Long Island Marathon
I'm So Proud
Bobbi Davis
2004 San Antonio Marathon
Loose 94lbs, Run a Marathon
Karl Shifflett
2004 Jacksonville Marathon
One Step At A Time
Cliff D.
2004 Vancouver Marathon
From Fear to Finish Line
RichLarson
2003 Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon
From Chain Smoking Zombie To Running Fanatic
Patrick Cusse
2003 Florida Gulf Beaches Marathon
Climbing the Wall - My First Marathon
David Funderburke
2002 Mercedes Marathon
The Race
Amy Neal
2002 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon
Running the Inaugural Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon
Derle Smith Jr
2001 OKC Memorial Marathon
First Marathon
Chris Hooper
2001 Edmonton Festival Marathon
Finish Line
Dorothy Dolan
2000 Club North Shore Half Marathon
Different Choice
Michelle Benziger
2000 Chicago Marathon
The Power of Two
Richard Carryer
2000 Columbus Marathon
Running with Dad
Jennifer Dotzauer
1999 Chicago Marathon
My First Marathon - "I Cheated"...The Rest is History
Ted Kapsalis
1982 Chicago Marathon
