Marathon 50 in 50 of the #50in50: VA (10/27/2019)

1. NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon

2. NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas

3. PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon

4. WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon

5. TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis

6. ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity

7. FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon

8. LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon

9. MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon

10. ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon

11. TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon

12. MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon

13. SOUTH CAROLINA 3/2/19: Myrtle Beach marathon @runmbm

14. ARKANSAS 3/3/19: Little Rock marathon @lrmarathon

15. NORTH CAROLINA 3/9/19: Wrightsville Beach marathon @wbmarathon

16. GEORGIA 3/17/19: Publix Atlanta marathon @atlantatrackclub

17. NEW MEXICO 3/21/19: Dust Bowl Series - New Mexico

18. OKLAHOMA 3/22/19: Dust Bowl Series - Oklahoma

19. KANSAS 3/24/19: Chisholm Trail marathon @chisholmtrail44

20. MISSOURI 4/7/19: Go! St Louis marathon @gostlouis

21. KENTUCKY 4/27/19: Kentucky Derby marathon @kyderbyfestival

22. NEW JERSEY 4/28/19: New Jersey marathon @njmarathon

23. OHIO 5/5/19: Flying Pig marathon @runflyingpig

24. NORTH DAKOTA 5/18/19: Fargo marathon @fargo.marathon

25. COLORADO 5/19/19: Denver Colfax marathon @runcolfax

26. VERMONT 5/26/2019: Vermont City marathon @runvermont

27. UTAH 6/1/2019: Utah Valley marathon @runutahvalley

28. DELAWARE 6/18/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series - Bear DE

29. MARYLAND 6/19/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series - Elkton MD

30. ALASKA 6/22/2019: Anchorage Mayor’s marathon @anc_marathon

31. HAWAII 6/30/2019: Kona marathon @konamarathon

32. IOWA 7/11/2019: Mainly marathons - Heartland series - Clinton IA

33. WISCONSIN 7/12/2019: Mainly marathons - Heartland series - Sparta WI

34. MINNESOTA 7/13/2019: Mainly Marathons - Heartland series - St Cloud MN

35. RHODE ISLAND 7/21/2019: Violet State marathon

36. CALIFORNIA 7/28/2019: San Francisco marathon

37. NEBRASKA 8/20/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Chadron, NE

38. WYOMING 8/21/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Sundance, WY

39. SOUTH DAKOTA 8/22/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Belle Fourche, SD

40. IDAHO 8/31/2019: Pocatello marathon - Pocatello, ID

41. OREGON 9/21/2019: Pacific Northwest marathon - Eugene, OR

42. MONTANA 9/22/2019: Foy’s to Blacktrail marathon - Kalispell, MT

43. INDIANA 9/28/2019: Mill Race marathon - Columbus, IN

44. WEST VIRGINIA 9/30/2019: Eastern Panhandle marathon - Martinsburg, WV

45. NEW HAMPSHIRE 10/5/2019: New Hampshire marathon - Bristol, NH

46. MAINE 10/6/2019: Maine marathon - Portland, ME

47. CONNECTICUT 10/12/2019: Hartford marathon - Hartford, CT

48. ILLINOIS 10/13/2019: Chicago marathon - Chicago, IL

49. MICHIGAN 10/20/2019: Detroit Free Press marathon - Detroit, MI

50. VIRGINIA 10/27/2019: Marine Corps marathon - Arlington, VA

We took a bus down to D.C. because we waited a little too long to book Amtrak train tickets. I really taking the train from NYC to D.C. It’s smooth and comfortable and pretty quick. There’s no dealing with traffic.

We settled into our hotel then headed down to the expo to pick up my race bib. I was wearing my new New Balance gear, which I really dig. The Marine Corps Marathon decided to add a 50k ultramarathon option this year. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to run a 50k ultramarathon on my 50th marathon of the 50in50 journey. And I was going to run at least part of the race with the great Dean Karnazes. It just seemed perfect for me to do the 50k.

We met up with my high school and college friend Brian for dinner. We then settled in early for the night because the 50k started really early. The next morning, I took a subway, a bus then I walked to start. It was a really rainy morning and rained most of the race. I got used to it.

I got to the start line about 3 minutes after the start of the ultra, because the signage to the start area was a little tough for me to find. About 5 miles in, I saw Dean and ran with him for a bit and got some video. It was great to finally meet him in person after chatting with him for the past few months, after writing a chapter in his book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Running for Good. We broke away a couple of times and met up again.

I ran a really good race. I was very happy with my time. I livestreamed the last mile or so, and it captured how overwhelmed, happy, and relieved to have accomplished this amazing feat. I can’t believe I was able to pull it off with any big hiccups or roadblocks. The hardest part was the planning and getting to all the places. The running was the easiest part.

The following week I ran the 2019 NYC marathon, and the day before the race we had our 50in50 finale fundraiser brunch.

I got to see the folks from New Balance and Dean again.

Dean was one of our keynote speakers. And so was the incredible Dave Isay of StoryCorps who wrote a touching tribute to Gweneviere when she passed.

And my friend and editor in chief of Women’s Health had a sit down chat with Dr. Bradley Pua of Weill Cornell’s Lung Cancer Screening Program.

And we presented the American Cancer Society with our first foundation grant of $17,000 which was raised by our NYC runners including Gweneviere’s sister Daisymaire, Gwen’s niece Melissa, her friend Alexis, and my sister Leenah.

I’m forever grateful to all the support the foundation has received from generous donors and volunteers, all of Gweneviere’s my friends and family, and sponsor support for the event from Clif Bar, New Balance, YETI, Tifosi, NMG Network, and media support from Runner’s World, Men’s Health, and Women’s Health. It was as much of a mental and emotional journey as it was physical. Many times I would have deeply sad moments in the middle of the races, thinking of Gwen, but I didn’t let those moments slow my progress. The running itself was my healing and my meditation. It was my way of processing my grief and harnessing my energy in a way to actually doing something meaningful to me and to honor Gweneviere. I will continue to do good in Gweneviere’s name through the foundation in the form of grants focused on early detection and education.

I love you Gweneviere. Thank you for the love you shared with me.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S ALBUM

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we released her album so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Buy & listen to the album here. 

Marathon 49 in 50 of the #50in50: MI (10/20/2019)

1. NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon

2. NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas

3. PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon

4. WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon

5. TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis

6. ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity

7. FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon

8. LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon

9. MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon

10. ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon

11. TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon

12. MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon

13. SOUTH CAROLINA 3/2/19: Myrtle Beach marathon @runmbm

14. ARKANSAS 3/3/19: Little Rock marathon @lrmarathon

15. NORTH CAROLINA 3/9/19: Wrightsville Beach marathon @wbmarathon

16. GEORGIA 3/17/19: Publix Atlanta marathon @atlantatrackclub

17. NEW MEXICO 3/21/19: Dust Bowl Series - New Mexico

18. OKLAHOMA 3/22/19: Dust Bowl Series - Oklahoma

19. KANSAS 3/24/19: Chisholm Trail marathon @chisholmtrail44

20. MISSOURI 4/7/19: Go! St Louis marathon @gostlouis

21. KENTUCKY 4/27/19: Kentucky Derby marathon @kyderbyfestival

22. NEW JERSEY 4/28/19: New Jersey marathon @njmarathon

23. OHIO 5/5/19: Flying Pig marathon @runflyingpig

24. NORTH DAKOTA 5/18/19: Fargo marathon @fargo.marathon

25. COLORADO 5/19/19: Denver Colfax marathon @runcolfax

26. VERMONT 5/26/2019: Vermont City marathon @runvermont

27. UTAH 6/1/2019: Utah Valley marathon @runutahvalley

28. DELAWARE 6/18/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series - Bear DE

29. MARYLAND 6/19/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series - Elkton MD

30. ALASKA 6/22/2019: Anchorage Mayor’s marathon @anc_marathon

31. HAWAII 6/30/2019: Kona marathon @konamarathon

32. IOWA 7/11/2019: Mainly marathons - Heartland series - Clinton IA

33. WISCONSIN 7/12/2019: Mainly marathons - Heartland series - Sparta WI

34. MINNESOTA 7/13/2019: Mainly Marathons - Heartland series - St Cloud MN

35. RHODE ISLAND 7/21/2019: Violet State marathon

36. CALIFORNIA 7/28/2019: San Francisco marathon

37. NEBRASKA 8/20/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Chadron, NE

38. WYOMING 8/21/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Sundance, WY

39. SOUTH DAKOTA 8/22/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Belle Fourche, SD

40. IDAHO 8/31/2019: Pocatello marathon - Pocatello, ID

41. OREGON 9/21/2019: Pacific Northwest marathon - Eugene, OR

42. MONTANA 9/22/2019: Foy’s to Blacktrail marathon - Kalispell, MT

43. INDIANA 9/28/2019: Mill Race marathon - Columbus, IN

44. WEST VIRGINIA 9/30/2019: Eastern Panhandle marathon - Martinsburg, WV

45. NEW HAMPSHIRE 10/5/2019: New Hampshire marathon - Bristol, NH

46. MAINE 10/6/2019: Maine marathon - Portland, ME

47. CONNECTICUT 10/12/2019: Hartford marathon - Hartford, CT

48. ILLINOIS 10/13/2019: Chicago marathon - Chicago, IL

49. MICHIGAN 10/20/2019: Detroit Free Press marathon - Detroit, MI

We flew into Detroit and stayed with my friends Krystle and Steve. Gwen sang with Krystle in bands when they lived in San Francisco.

I picked up my bib from the expo, wearing my new New Balance gear that I got from the NB Pizza Contest a few days earlier (that I won against a team of 3 from Barstool Sports!). I customized the bib with ‘For Gwen’.

I got up early and headed to the start. This course is really unique in that runners cross the Canadian border into Windsor over a bridge.

And then back into the U.S. through a tunnel. It’s pretty magical. There’s no other race I’ve run like Detroit.

I saw my friends several times along the route and at the finish line.

We went to go see the Heidelberg Project art installation. It’s pretty wild and a must see if you go to Detroit.

Overall, the Detroit Marathon is one of a kind and should be your top choice if looking for a Michigan marathon.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S ALBUM

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we released her album so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Buy & listen to the album here. 

Marathon 47 & 48 in 50 of the #50in50: CT & IL (10/12-10/13/2019)

1. NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon

2. NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas

3. PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon

4. WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon

5. TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis

6. ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity

7. FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon

8. LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon

9. MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon

10. ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon

11. TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon

12. MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon

13. SOUTH CAROLINA 3/2/19: Myrtle Beach marathon @runmbm

14. ARKANSAS 3/3/19: Little Rock marathon @lrmarathon

15. NORTH CAROLINA 3/9/19: Wrightsville Beach marathon @wbmarathon

16. GEORGIA 3/17/19: Publix Atlanta marathon @atlantatrackclub

17. NEW MEXICO 3/21/19: Dust Bowl Series - New Mexico

18. OKLAHOMA 3/22/19: Dust Bowl Series - Oklahoma

19. KANSAS 3/24/19: Chisholm Trail marathon @chisholmtrail44

20. MISSOURI 4/7/19: Go! St Louis marathon @gostlouis

21. KENTUCKY 4/27/19: Kentucky Derby marathon @kyderbyfestival

22. NEW JERSEY 4/28/19: New Jersey marathon @njmarathon

23. OHIO 5/5/19: Flying Pig marathon @runflyingpig

24. NORTH DAKOTA 5/18/19: Fargo marathon @fargo.marathon

25. COLORADO 5/19/19: Denver Colfax marathon @runcolfax

26. VERMONT 5/26/2019: Vermont City marathon @runvermont

27. UTAH 6/1/2019: Utah Valley marathon @runutahvalley

28. DELAWARE 6/18/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series - Bear DE

29. MARYLAND 6/19/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series - Elkton MD

30. ALASKA 6/22/2019: Anchorage Mayor’s marathon @anc_marathon

31. HAWAII 6/30/2019: Kona marathon @konamarathon

32. IOWA 7/11/2019: Mainly marathons - Heartland series - Clinton IA

33. WISCONSIN 7/12/2019: Mainly marathons - Heartland series - Sparta WI

34. MINNESOTA 7/13/2019: Mainly Marathons - Heartland series - St Cloud MN

35. RHODE ISLAND 7/21/2019: Violet State marathon

36. CALIFORNIA 7/28/2019: San Francisco marathon

37. NEBRASKA 8/20/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Chadron, NE

38. WYOMING 8/21/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Sundance, WY

39. SOUTH DAKOTA 8/22/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Belle Fourche, SD

40. IDAHO 8/31/2019: Pocatello marathon - Pocatello, ID

41. OREGON 9/21/2019: Pacific Northwest marathon - Eugene, OR

42. MONTANA 9/22/2019: Foy’s to Blacktrail marathon - Kalispell, MT

43. INDIANA 9/28/2019: Mill Race marathon - Columbus, IN

44. WEST VIRGINIA 9/30/2019: Eastern Panhandle marathon - Martinsburg, WV

45. NEW HAMPSHIRE 10/5/2019: New Hampshire marathon - Bristol, NH

46. MAINE 10/6/2019: Maine marathon - Portland, ME

47. CONNECTICUT 10/12/2019: Hartford marathon - Hartford, CT

48. ILLINOIS 10/13/2019: Chicago marathon - Chicago, IL

This was one of my most challenging doubleheader weekends in terms of logistics and travel. I took a train up to Hartford on Friday 10/11, got my packet from the expo and checked into my hotel for the night. I got up early the next day and did a couple of interviews before the race with the local media, including one with Patricia Del Rio of WFSB.

I ran a good race, even with some rain towards the end.

The medal is really nice!

I went back to my hotel for a quick minute to clean up then rushed to airport to catch a flight to Chicago so I could meet up with Ferdinand to run the Chicago marathon. The logistics of getting my packet in time are too much to get into, but it was hard! Somehow I made it in time I stayed with my friend Dave, who happens to live just a few blocks from the start line. Ferdinand stayed in a hotel nearby. On the morning of the race, I met up with Ferdinand and a couple of his friends who were also running the marathon (first timers, too). The four of us ran together for the first hour or so. I wasn’t able to keep the pace probably because I ran the Hartford marathon the day before a little harder than I had planned. I really wanted Ferdinand to PR so I told him to run ahead and I would finish a few minutes behind him. I ran a decent race, not a PR, but a race I felt good about. I met Ferdinand at the end and he did in face PR! I was a few minutes off.

These are two outstanding races. The Hartford marathon is a great Northeastern race with a scenic course. And the Chicago marathon has to be in the top list of any serious marathon enthusiast’s races. It is extremely challenging, logistically, to pull off doing both the Hartford and Chicago marathons in the same weekend. If you can do it, go for it!

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S ALBUM

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we released her album so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Buy & listen to the album here. 

Marathon 45 & 46 of the #50in50: NH & ME (10/5-10/6/2019

1. NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon

2. NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas

3. PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon

4. WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon

5. TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis

6. ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity

7. FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon

8. LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon

9. MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon

10. ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon

11. TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon

12. MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon

13. SOUTH CAROLINA 3/2/19: Myrtle Beach marathon @runmbm

14. ARKANSAS 3/3/19: Little Rock marathon @lrmarathon

15. NORTH CAROLINA 3/9/19: Wrightsville Beach marathon @wbmarathon

16. GEORGIA 3/17/19: Publix Atlanta marathon @atlantatrackclub

17. NEW MEXICO 3/21/19: Dust Bowl Series - New Mexico

18. OKLAHOMA 3/22/19: Dust Bowl Series - Oklahoma

19. KANSAS 3/24/19: Chisholm Trail marathon @chisholmtrail44

20. MISSOURI 4/7/19: Go! St Louis marathon @gostlouis

21. KENTUCKY 4/27/19: Kentucky Derby marathon @kyderbyfestival

22. NEW JERSEY 4/28/19: New Jersey marathon @njmarathon

23. OHIO 5/5/19: Flying Pig marathon @runflyingpig

24. NORTH DAKOTA 5/18/19: Fargo marathon @fargo.marathon

25. COLORADO 5/19/19: Denver Colfax marathon @runcolfax

26. VERMONT 5/26/2019: Vermont City marathon @runvermont

27. UTAH 6/1/2019: Utah Valley marathon @runutahvalley

28. DELAWARE 6/18/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series - Bear DE

29. MARYLAND 6/19/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series - Elkton MD

30. ALASKA 6/22/2019: Anchorage Mayor’s marathon @anc_marathon

31. HAWAII 6/30/2019: Kona marathon @konamarathon

32. IOWA 7/11/2019: Mainly marathons - Heartland series - Clinton IA

33. WISCONSIN 7/12/2019: Mainly marathons - Heartland series - Sparta WI

34. MINNESOTA 7/13/2019: Mainly Marathons - Heartland series - St Cloud MN

35. RHODE ISLAND 7/21/2019: Violet State marathon

36. CALIFORNIA 7/28/2019: San Francisco marathon

37. NEBRASKA 8/20/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Chadron, NE

38. WYOMING 8/21/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Sundance, WY

39. SOUTH DAKOTA 8/22/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Belle Fourche, SD

40. IDAHO 8/31/2019: Pocatello marathon - Pocatello, ID

41. OREGON 9/21/2019: Pacific Northwest marathon - Eugene, OR

42. MONTANA 9/22/2019: Foy’s to Blacktrail marathon - Kalispell, MT

43. INDIANA 9/28/2019: Mill Race marathon - Columbus, IN

44. WEST VIRGINIA 9/30/2019: Eastern Panhandle marathon - Martinsburg, WV

45. NEW HAMPSHIRE 10/5/2019: New Hampshire marathon - Bristol, NH

46. MAINE 10/6/2019: Maine marathon - Portland, ME

We drove up to Portland for the long weekend and checked into the hotel. Ferdinand was going to run both marathons this weekend with me. On early Saturday morning on 10/5, the plan was we would drive from Portland to Bristol, NH to run the New Hampshire marathon then drive back to Portland, spend the night then run the Maine Marathon on Sunday 10/6.

On our first night in Portland, we all ate a bunch of lobster chowder. Portland is a great place to go out to eat.

Ferd and I ran a really good race in New Hampshire. We met a couple of great people that we ran with for a bit. One of them PRed by running with us. We were really happy to share that moment with her. The medals were pretty cool.

We drove back to Portland right after the marathon. Ate more lobster (rolls) and more lobster chowder. We picked up our packets from the expo and went to bed early to be ready for an early start the next day.

We finished in a very decent time considering that we ran 2 hilly marathons back to back. We met a couple of other people who had done the back to back NH and ME marathon that weekend, too.

Two amazing marathons, perfectly timed for a double header weekend. I highly recommend these two scenic marathons. I highly recommend them both and if you do attempt this double header, stay in Portland and eat a bunch of the local food!

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S ALBUM

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we released her album so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Buy & listen to the album here. 

Marathon 43 & 44 of the #50in50: IN & WV (9/28-9/30/2019)

1. NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon

2. NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas

3. PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon

4. WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon

5. TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis

6. ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity

7. FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon

8. LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon

9. MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon

10. ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon

11. TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon

12. MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon

13. SOUTH CAROLINA 3/2/19: Myrtle Beach marathon @runmbm

14. ARKANSAS 3/3/19: Little Rock marathon @lrmarathon

15. NORTH CAROLINA 3/9/19: Wrightsville Beach marathon @wbmarathon

16. GEORGIA 3/17/19: Publix Atlanta marathon @atlantatrackclub

17. NEW MEXICO 3/21/19: Dust Bowl Series - New Mexico

18. OKLAHOMA 3/22/19: Dust Bowl Series - Oklahoma

19. KANSAS 3/24/19: Chisholm Trail marathon @chisholmtrail44

20. MISSOURI 4/7/19: Go! St Louis marathon @gostlouis

21. KENTUCKY 4/27/19: Kentucky Derby marathon @kyderbyfestival

22. NEW JERSEY 4/28/19: New Jersey marathon @njmarathon

23. OHIO 5/5/19: Flying Pig marathon @runflyingpig

24. NORTH DAKOTA 5/18/19: Fargo marathon @fargo.marathon

25. COLORADO 5/19/19: Denver Colfax marathon @runcolfax

26. VERMONT 5/26/2019: Vermont City marathon @runvermont

27. UTAH 6/1/2019: Utah Valley marathon @runutahvalley

28. DELAWARE 6/18/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series - Bear DE

29. MARYLAND 6/19/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series - Elkton MD

30. ALASKA 6/22/2019: Anchorage Mayor’s marathon @anc_marathon

31. HAWAII 6/30/2019: Kona marathon @konamarathon

32. IOWA 7/11/2019: Mainly marathons - Heartland series - Clinton IA

33. WISCONSIN 7/12/2019: Mainly marathons - Heartland series - Sparta WI

34. MINNESOTA 7/13/2019: Mainly Marathons - Heartland series - St Cloud MN

35. RHODE ISLAND 7/21/2019: Violet State marathon

36. CALIFORNIA 7/28/2019: San Francisco marathon

37. NEBRASKA 8/20/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Chadron, NE

38. WYOMING 8/21/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Sundance, WY

39. SOUTH DAKOTA 8/22/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Belle Fourche, SD

40. IDAHO 8/31/2019: Pocatello marathon - Pocatello, ID

41. OREGON 9/21/2019: Pacific Northwest marathon - Eugene, OR

42. MONTANA 9/22/2019: Foy’s to Blacktrail marathon - Kalispell, MT

43. INDIANA 9/28/2019: Mill Race marathon - Columbus, IN

44. WEST VIRGINIA 9/30/2019: Eastern Panhandle marathon - Martinsburg, WV

On Friday evening on 9/27/2019, I took a quick flight out to Indianapolis, IN and then drove to nearby Columbus, IN.

I checked into the hotel. I got really lucky as my hotel was only 2 blocks from the start line and bib pick up. I picked up my bib and went to bed. I got up early the next day, had breakfast in the hotel which was ready early for marathon runners. I ran a good, decent race and was happy with my time. I walked back to the hotel, washed up and went to check out. I discovered that the hotel had a mascot named Miles. He was super friendly and loved pictures.

I ran such a good race that I was in the top 100 finishers and got another nice medal for it.

I flew back to NYC to rest for a day before my next race, the Eastern Panhandle marathon, on Monday 9/30 in Martinsburg, WV. I decided the most efficient way for me to get to there was to rent a car in NYC and drive down early in the morning on Monday, run the race, then drive back the same day right after the race.

The course was very scenic and was a multi-loop race.

It was lightly raining towards the end of the race. There were these really interesting green fruits(?) that looked like brains growing off of trees all along the course.

The medal was pretty cool.

Overall, the both races were great. I highly recommend them if you’re looking for September marathons in IN and WV.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S ALBUM

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we released her album so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Buy & listen to the album here. 

Marathon 41 & 42 of the #50in50: OR & MT (9/21-9/22/2019)

1. NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon

2. NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas

3. PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon

4. WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon

5. TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis

6. ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity

7. FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon

8. LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon

9. MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon

10. ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon

11. TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon

12. MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon

13. SOUTH CAROLINA 3/2/19: Myrtle Beach marathon @runmbm

14. ARKANSAS 3/3/19: Little Rock marathon @lrmarathon

15. NORTH CAROLINA 3/9/19: Wrightsville Beach marathon @wbmarathon

16. GEORGIA 3/17/19: Publix Atlanta marathon @atlantatrackclub

17. NEW MEXICO 3/21/19: Dust Bowl Series - New Mexico

18. OKLAHOMA 3/22/19: Dust Bowl Series - Oklahoma

19. KANSAS 3/24/19: Chisholm Trail marathon @chisholmtrail44

20. MISSOURI 4/7/19: Go! St Louis marathon @gostlouis

21. KENTUCKY 4/27/19: Kentucky Derby marathon @kyderbyfestival

22. NEW JERSEY 4/28/19: New Jersey marathon @njmarathon

23. OHIO 5/5/19: Flying Pig marathon @runflyingpig

24. NORTH DAKOTA 5/18/19: Fargo marathon @fargo.marathon

25. COLORADO 5/19/19: Denver Colfax marathon @runcolfax

26. VERMONT 5/26/2019: Vermont City marathon @runvermont

27. UTAH 6/1/2019: Utah Valley marathon @runutahvalley

28. DELAWARE 6/18/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series - Bear DE

29. MARYLAND 6/19/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series - Elkton MD

30. ALASKA 6/22/2019: Anchorage Mayor’s marathon @anc_marathon

31. HAWAII 6/30/2019: Kona marathon @konamarathon

32. IOWA 7/11/2019: Mainly marathons - Heartland series - Clinton IA

33. WISCONSIN 7/12/2019: Mainly marathons - Heartland series - Sparta WI

34. MINNESOTA 7/13/2019: Mainly Marathons - Heartland series - St Cloud MN

35. RHODE ISLAND 7/21/2019: Violet State marathon

36. CALIFORNIA 7/28/2019: San Francisco marathon

37. NEBRASKA 8/20/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Chadron, NE

38. WYOMING 8/21/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Sundance, WY

39. SOUTH DAKOTA 8/22/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Belle Fourche, SD

40. IDAHO 8/31/2019: Pocatello marathon - Pocatello, ID

41. OREGON 9/21/2019: Pacific Northwest marathon - Eugene, OR

42. MONTANA 9/22/2019: Foy’s to Blacktrail marathon - Kalispell, MT

I took off early on Friday and flew into Eugene, Oregon and went straight to pick up my bib for my first of two marathons this weekend - the Pacific Northwest marathon.

I got up the next day and ran a good marathon and headed to the airport.

On my way to my second marathon, I flew through Salt Lake City and got to see Gwen’s parents again for a few hours for lunch.

Once I got into Montana I went straight to the hotel. The next morning I got up very early to get to the race start.

I picked up my bib and a huge can of bear spray which runners were required to carry. We boarded a bus and we were taken to the start.

The race included a 5,000 ft climb. I felt unprepared for the race compared to the other runners. I was dressed like a road marathon runner, and the rest of runners were dressed like rugged trail marathon runners complete with camelbacks, trucker hats and beards. I didn’t carry any food or water on me. I went miles at a time without food or drink, because the course was very mountainous and the aid stations were spread far apart. I saw a lot of what I presume to be bear poop, but didn’t see any bears.

The views were amazing!

I completely underestimated the time it would take to run such a challenging trail marathon. About 3 hours into the marathon, I calculated I wasn’t going to make my flight home, so I called Delta while on the course. Because I had flown so many miles with them on 50 in 50, they were able to reschedule me on another route home. It took me forever to finish the race, but I got through it. My new itinerary took me through Salt Lake City again, so I got to see Gwen’s parents again for the 2nd time in a weekend.

The medal is amazing! It was made by a local artist using wood from the local trees.

Overall, both of these marathons are amazing course and the scenery is just breathtaking. I highly recommend them.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S ALBUM

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just released her album so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Buy & listen to the album here. 

Marathon 40 in 50 of the #50in50: ID (8/31/2019)

• NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon

• NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas

• PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon

• WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon

• TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis

• ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity

• FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon

• LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon

• MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon

• ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon

• TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon

• MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon

• SOUTH CAROLINA 3/2/19: Myrtle Beach marathon @runmbm

• ARKANSAS 3/3/19: Little Rock marathon @lrmarathon

• NORTH CAROLINA 3/9/19: Wrightsville Beach marathon @wbmarathon

• GEORGIA 3/17/19: Publix Atlanta marathon @atlantatrackclub

• NEW MEXICO 3/21/19: Dust Bowl Series - New Mexico

• OKLAHOMA 3/22/19: Dust Bowl Series - Oklahoma

• KANSAS 3/24/19: Chisholm Trail marathon @chisholmtrail44

• MISSOURI 4/7/19: Go! St Louis marathon @gostlouis

• KENTUCKY 4/27/19: Kentucky Derby marathon @kyderbyfestival

• NEW JERSEY 4/28/19: New Jersey marathon @njmarathon

• OHIO 5/5/19: Flying Pig marathon @runflyingpig

• NORTH DAKOTA 5/18/19: Fargo marathon @fargo.marathon

• COLORADO 5/19/19: Denver Colfax marathon @runcolfax

• VERMONT 5/26/2019: Vermont City marathon @runvermont

• UTAH 6/1/2019: Utah Valley marathon @runutahvalley

• DELAWARE 6/18/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series - Bear DE

• MARYLAND 6/19/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series - Elkton MD

• ALASKA 6/22/2019: Anchorage Mayor’s marathon @anc_marathon

• HAWAII 6/30/2019: Kona marathon @konamarathon

• IOWA 7/11/2019: Mainly marathons - Heartland series - Clinton IA

• WISCONSIN 7/12/2019: Mainly marathons - Heartland series - Sparta WI

• MINNESOTA 7/13/2019: Mainly Marathons - Heartland series - St Cloud MN

• RHODE ISLAND 7/21/2019: Violet State marathon

• CALIFORNIA 7/28/2019: San Francisco marathon

• NEBRASKA 8/20/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Chadron, NE

• WYOMING 8/21/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Sundance, WY

• SOUTH DAKOTA 8/22/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Belle Fourche, SD

• IDAHO 8/31/2019: Pocatello marathon - Pocatello, ID

I flew into Salt Lake City a couple of days before the marathon and stayed with Gweneviere’s family. It always nice to see and visit them. The next day I drove up to Pocatello, ID to stay the night before the race. They made a nice poster with Gwen and me for the race I race in Provo a few week earlier.

The landscape here reminds me of Wyoming and Nebraska. Big Sky country.

The speed limit was 80 in Idaho and there were plenty of cars going much faster than that!

The Pocatello Marathon gave me bib #50 in honor of our 50 marathons in 50 states campaign. What a really nice gesture.

The race course itself was breathtaking. A lot of incredible landscape. The course was very fast with quite a bit of downhill. Like Utah, the air in Idaho was cool and dry, so you can get dehydrated quickly. Keep that in mind if you run this race. I would love to do this course again.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S ALBUM

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released her album so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Buy & listen to the album here. 

Marathons 37, 38, 39 of the #50in50: NE, WY, SD (8/20-8/22, 2019)

• NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon

• NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas

• PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon

• WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon

• TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis

• ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity

• FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon

• LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon

• MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon

• ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon

• TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon

• MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon

• SOUTH CAROLINA 3/2/19: Myrtle Beach marathon @runmbm

• ARKANSAS 3/3/19: Little Rock marathon @lrmarathon

• NORTH CAROLINA 3/9/19: Wrightsville Beach marathon @wbmarathon

• GEORGIA 3/17/19: Publix Atlanta marathon @atlantatrackclub

• NEW MEXICO 3/21/19: Dust Bowl Series - New Mexico

• OKLAHOMA 3/22/19: Dust Bowl Series - Oklahoma

• KANSAS 3/24/19: Chisholm Trail marathon @chisholmtrail44

• MISSOURI 4/7/19: Go! St Louis marathon @gostlouis

• KENTUCKY 4/27/19: Kentucky Derby marathon @kyderbyfestival

• NEW JERSEY 4/28/19: New Jersey marathon @njmarathon

• OHIO 5/5/19: Flying Pig marathon @runflyingpig

• NORTH DAKOTA 5/18/19: Fargo marathon @fargo.marathon

• COLORADO 5/19/19: Denver Colfax marathon @runcolfax

• VERMONT 5/26/2019: Vermont City marathon @runvermont

• UTAH 6/1/2019: Utah Valley marathon @runutahvalley

• DELAWARE 6/18/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series - Bear DE

• MARYLAND 6/19/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series - Elkton MD

• ALASKA 6/22/2019: Anchorage Mayor’s marathon @anc_marathon

• HAWAII 6/30/2019: Kona marathon @konamarathon

• IOWA 7/11/2019: Mainly marathons - Heartland series - Clinton IA

• WISCONSIN 7/12/2019: Mainly marathons - Heartland series - Sparta WI

• MINNESOTA 7/13/2019: Mainly Marathons - Heartland series - St Cloud MN

• RHODE ISLAND 7/21/2019: Violet State marathon

• CALIFORNIA 7/28/2019: San Francisco marathon

• NEBRASKA 8/20/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Chadron, NE

• WYOMING 8/21/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Sundance, WY

• SOUTH DAKOTA 8/22/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Belle Fourche, SD

Marathon/State # 37 - Center of the Nation series - Chadron, NE

I flew into Rapid City, SD. There was severe weather all over the US and I almost didn’t make it if it wasn’t for Delta’s amazing service on the phone, in the airports and on the planes. Throughout this journey, I’ve had a lot of luck with weather and flights working out. I haven’t had any major transportation issues, but some minor road bumps.

When I was flying from NYC to change planes in Minneapolis, I asked the flight attendant to help me make my connection. Because of flight delays, I looked like I has only only about 10 minutes to make my connection to Rapid City, SD before it took off. I was watching the flight’s progress on flight tracker at my seat. The flight attendant was very helpful. She moved me up a few seats and made an announcement that there were passengers with tight connections. I was able to get off the plane and run across the airport and made my flight!

Marathon/State # 38 - Center of the Nation series - SUNDANCE, WY

I drove back to SD stay near the WY and SD border. The landscape in this part of the country is amazing. I have to come back. I ran a good marathon today and slept really well.

Marathon/State # 39 - Center of the Nation series - BELLE FOURCHE, SD

I woke up feeling good. My legs were rested. I ran a great marathon and heading back to NYC for Gweneviere’s album release party on here birthday a couple of days from now.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S album

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released her album so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Buy & listen to the album here. 

Marathons 37, 38 & 39 (NE, WY, SD)! I'm running number 40 in ID this weekend at #PocatelloMarathon. . . #gmf #50in50 #cancer #raiseawareness #marathon #running #timelapse #cancersucks #forlove #50states #runner

77 Likes, 4 Comments - Yasir Salem (@yasir_salem) on Instagram: "Marathons 37, 38 & 39 (NE, WY, SD)! I'm running number 40 in ID this weekend at..."

Gweneviere’s album release!

Happy birthday Gweneviere. We’re throwing you the best album release party.

Thank you to everyone who played a part in the recording & release of her album & making her dream come true. 

Buy & listen to the album here: smarturl.it/GweneviereMann

❤️ Yasir

Marathon 36 in 50 of the #50in50: CA

36 of 50 states in the #50in50 done:

• NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon

• NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas

• PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon

• WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon

• TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis

• ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity

• FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon

• LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon

• MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon

• ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon

• TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon

• MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon

• SOUTH CAROLINA 3/2/19: Myrtle Beach marathon @runmbm

• ARKANSAS 3/3/19: Little Rock marathon @lrmarathon

• NORTH CAROLINA 3/9/19: Wrightsville Beach marathon @wbmarathon

• GEORGIA 3/17/19: Publix Atlanta marathon @atlantatrackclub

• NEW MEXICO 3/21/19: Dust Bowl Series - New Mexico

• OKLAHOMA 3/22/19: Dust Bowl Series - Oklahoma

• KANSAS 3/24/19: Chisholm Trail marathon @chisholmtrail44

• MISSOURI 4/7/19: Go! St Louis marathon @gostlouis

• KENTUCKY 4/27/19: Kentucky Derby marathon @kyderbyfestival

• NEW JERSEY 4/28/19: New Jersey marathon @njmarathon

• OHIO 5/5/19: Flying Pig marathon @runflyingpig

• NORTH DAKOTA 5/18/19: Fargo marathon @fargo.marathon

• COLORADO 5/19/19: Denver Colfax marathon @runcolfax

• VERMONT 5/26/2019: Vermont City marathon @runvermont

• UTAH 6/1/2019: Utah Valley marathon @runutahvalley

• DELAWARE 6/18/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series - Bear DE

• MARYLAND 6/19/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series - Elkton MD

• ALASKA 6/22/2019: Anchorage Mayor’s marathon @anc_marathon

• HAWAII 6/30/2019: Kona marathon @konamarathon

• IOWA 7/11/2019: Mainly marathons - Heartland series - Clinton IA

• WISCONSIN 7/12/2019: Mainly marathons - Heartland series -Sparta WI

• MINNESOTA 7/13/2019: Mainly Marathons - Heartland series - St Cloud MN

• RHODE ISLAND 7/21/2019: Violet State marathon

• CALIFORNIA 7/28/2019: San Francisco marathon

Ferdinand and I met up in California to run the San Francisco marathon. San Francisco is Gweneviere’s hometown and she has many family members and friends who live there I stayed with one of Gweneviere’s sisters, Daisymarie. Daisymarie and her daughter Melissa ran the San Francisco half marathon and they are both running the NYC marathon as well.

We went down to the expo to pick up our bibs.

It was huge. Definitely one of the bigger expos I’ve been to this year.

We took a bunch of pics.

I hung out with some friends around tow, had lunch and stuff.

On race day, Daisymarie dropped me off and then went to her start with Melissa. The half marathon has a different start and starts later. What’s interesting about the SF half marathon is that there are actually 2 halfs with 2 different courses!

As Ferd and I were lining up at the start, I spotted another one of Gweneviere’s nieces, Sarah, right next to us. I didn’t know she was running, and it was a pleasant surprise.

The course is incredibly scenic and hilly in some parts, as you would expect out for San Francisco. We ran into Melissa’s husband and police officer, Nick, on the Golden Gate Bridge patrolling it. I have him a big hug and then kept running. Ferd and I were running great race, heading for a sub 4. But around mile 22, I felt nauseous and dry heaved on the side of the road. I knew that that meant I was mildly dehydrated. It through me off for the remaining 4 miles and we had to slow down. Just around that time, Sarah caught up with us. She was also having some issues, with her knees/legs. She almost dropped out of the race before she ran into us. We kept each other going and we were able to finish with a decent time of 4:16!

Here’s a snapshot of our run:

Here’s Sarah, Ferd and me:

Here’s us with Daisymarie and Melissa:

After heading back to Daisymarie’s to shower and get a quick rest, we headed out to meet up friends and family for brunch. I got to see some more of Gwen’s family. It was great to see everyone.

If you’re looking for a great, scenic and beautiful California marathon, check out this marathon!

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S SONG

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

I ❤️ you Gwen.

Yasir

Marathon 35 in 50 of the #50in50: RI

35 of 50 states in the #50in50 done:

• NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon

• NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas

• PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon

• WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon

• TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis

• ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity

• FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon

• LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon

• MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon

• ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon

• TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon

• MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon

• SOUTH CAROLINA 3/2/19: Myrtle Beach marathon @runmbm

• ARKANSAS 3/3/19: Little Rock marathon @lrmarathon

• NORTH CAROLINA 3/9/19: Wrightsville Beach marathon @wbmarathon

• GEORGIA 3/17/19: Publix Atlanta marathon @atlantatrackclub

• NEW MEXICO 3/21/19: Dust Bowl Series - New Mexico

• OKLAHOMA 3/22/19: Dust Bowl Series - Oklahoma

• KANSAS 3/24/19: Chisholm Trail marathon @chisholmtrail44

• MISSOURI 4/7/19: Go! St Louis marathon @gostlouis

• KENTUCKY 4/27/19: Kentucky Derby marathon @kyderbyfestival

• NEW JERSEY 4/28/19: New Jersey marathon @njmarathon

• OHIO 5/5/19: Flying Pig marathon @runflyingpig

• NORTH DAKOTA 5/18/19: Fargo marathon @fargo.marathon

• COLORADO 5/19/19: Denver Colfax marathon @runcolfax

• VERMONT 5/26/2019: Vermont City marathon @runvermont

• UTAH 6/1/2019: Utah Valley marathon @runutahvalley

• DELAWARE 6/18/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series - Bear DE

• MARYLAND 6/19/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series - Elkton MD

• ALASKA 6/22/2019: Anchorage Mayor’s marathon @anc_marathon

• HAWAII 6/30/2019: Kona marathon @konamarathon

• IOWA 7/11/2019: Mainly marathons - Heartland series - Clinton IA

• WISCONSIN 7/12/2019: Mainly marathons - Heartland series -Sparta WI

• MINNESOTA 7/13/2019: Mainly Marathons - Heartland series - St Cloud MN

• RHODE ISLAND 7/21/2019: Violet State Marathon

Ferdinand and I ran the Violet State marathon in Woonsocket, RI. It’s an out and back marathon alongside the Woonsocket River. We did 12 out and backs. The race offered an earlier start for runners who wanted to stay out of the extreme heat they were expecting on race day. We decided to do the early start at 5am. By 8am it was scorching hot. This was actually the hottest race either of us had done. It was hotter than even Hawaii!

We had a slow pace for the race because of it. Here are our finish times and metrics:

Here’s us at the finish.

Here’s a closeup of the medal:

Overall a good race and I’d recommend it for anyone looking for a small race in Rhode Island.

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S SONG

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

I ❤️ you Gwen.

Yasir

Marathons 33 and 34 in 50 of the #50in50: WI and MN

34 of 50 states in the #50in50 done:

• NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon

• NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas

• PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon

• WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon

• TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis

• ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity

• FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon

• LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon

• MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon

• ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon

• TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon

• MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon

• SOUTH CAROLINA 3/2/19: Myrtle Beach marathon @runmbm

• ARKANSAS 3/3/19: Little Rock marathon @lrmarathon

• NORTH CAROLINA 3/9/19: Wrightsville Beach marathon @wbmarathon

• GEORGIA 3/17/19: Publix Atlanta marathon @atlantatrackclub

• NEW MEXICO 3/21/19: Dust Bowl Series - New Mexico

• OKLAHOMA 3/22/19: Dust Bowl Series - Oklahoma

• KANSAS 3/24/19: Chisholm Trail marathon @chisholmtrail44

• MISSOURI 4/7/19: Go! St Louis marathon @gostlouis

• KENTUCKY 4/27/19: Kentucky Derby marathon @kyderbyfestival

• NEW JERSEY 4/28/19: New Jersey marathon @njmarathon

• OHIO 5/5/19: Flying Pig marathon @runflyingpig

• NORTH DAKOTA 5/18/19: Fargo marathon @fargo.marathon

• COLORADO 5/19/19: Denver Colfax marathon @runcolfax

• VERMONT 5/26/2019: Vermont City marathon @runvermont

• UTAH 6/1/2019: Utah Valley marathon @runutahvalley

• DELAWARE 6/18/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series - Bear DE

• MARYLAND 6/19/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series - Elkton MD

• ALASKA 6/22/2019: Anchorage Mayor’s marathon @anc_marathon

• HAWAII 6/30/2019: Kona marathon @konamarathon

• IOWA 7/11/2019: Mainly marathons - Heartland series - Clinton IA

• WISCONSIN 7/12/2019: Mainly marathons - Heartland series -Sparta WI

• MINNESOTA 7/13/2019: Mainly Marathons - Heartland series - St Cloud MN

Marathon # 33 Wisconsin

On 7/11, immediately after I ran the first of my 3 consecutive marathons in the Heartland series in Clinton IA, I drove several hours to Wisconsin to rest up for the next one in Sparta.

The marathon took place in Evans-Bosshard Park which is filled with mentions of Sparta being the bicycle capital of the U.S. The course was a multi-loop with several winding twists and hard turns and a few small bridges over a creek.

My legs were a little tired from the marathon the other day. I might have pushed myself a little hard. I purposely took this race much slower to save my legs for Minnesota’s race the following day. I also find that multi-loop courses with hard turnarounds are hard for me to get a good time because I lose a bit of momentum every time I make those hard turnarounds.

I ran with Nick Nicholson again for a few of the last miles. It’s so great to see familiar faces on the marathon circuit over and over again.

I finished in 6hr. Here’s the medal to add to the Heartland series:

After the race, because I was in Wisconsin I wanted to get some cheese! So I stopped into a general store and bought a pack of squeaky cheese curds. They had a huge selection. I asked the store clerk which one I should buy. She showed me the bag she was eating and I bought the same one, lol. I then started driving to Minnesota.

Marathon # 34 Minnesota

On my way to St Cloud for the following day’s race, I stopped in Minneapolis to have dinner with Claire and Jacob, a couple who found out about the foundation through my friend Kevin, aka the LA Beast on YouTube. After dinner I made it to St Cloud. My friend and fellow marathoner who I first met at the St Jude marathon on Memphis, met me at the race and we hung out for a bit before I had to head out to the airport.

The race was a straight out and back of 12 loops. It was mentally worn out the morning of the St Cloud race, mainly due to getting up so early every day, but I rallied and was able to finish with a decent time.

I completed the 3 state series and got a 3 part linked medal!

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S SONG

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

I ❤️ you Gwen.

Yasir

Marathon 32 in 50 of the #50in50: Iowa

32 of 50 states in the #50in50 done:

• NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon

• NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas

• PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon

• WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon

• TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis

• ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity

• FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon

• LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon

• MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon

• ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon

• TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon

• MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon

• SOUTH CAROLINA 3/2/19: Myrtle Beach marathon @runmbm

• ARKANSAS 3/3/19: Little Rock marathon @lrmarathon

• NORTH CAROLINA 3/9/19: Wrightsville Beach marathon @wbmarathon

• GEORGIA 3/17/19: Publix Atlanta marathon @atlantatrackclub

• NEW MEXICO 3/21/19: Dust Bowl Series - New Mexico

• OKLAHOMA 3/22/19: Dust Bowl Series - Oklahoma

• KANSAS 3/24/19: Chisholm Trail marathon @chisholmtrail44

• MISSOURI 4/7/19: Go! St Louis marathon @gostlouis

• KENTUCKY 4/27/19: Kentucky Derby marathon @kyderbyfestival

• NEW JERSEY 4/28/19: New Jersey marathon @njmarathon

• OHIO 5/5/19: Flying Pig marathon @runflyingpig

• NORTH DAKOTA 5/18/19: Fargo marathon @fargo.marathon

• COLORADO 5/19/19: Denver Colfax marathon @runcolfax

• VERMONT 5/26/2019: Vermont City marathon @runvermont

• UTAH 6/1/2019: Utah Valley marathon @runutahvalley

• DELAWARE 6/18/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series Bear DE

• MARYLAND 6/19/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series Elkton MD

• ALASKA 6/22/2019: Anchorage Mayor’s marathon @anc_marathon

• HAWAII 6/30/2019: Kona marathon @konamarathon

• IOWA 7/11/2019: Mainly marathons - Heartland series Clinton IA

On July 10, I flew into Minneapolis to start a 3 day series with the Mainly Marathons group in Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota. After I arrived into Minneapolis around 6pm, I drove for 5 hours to Clinton, Iowa for the following day’s marathon.

It was a long drive on narrow roads. The views along the way we’re amazing!

I got to my hotel around 11pm and went right to bed. The next morning I got up early for a 5am start.

It was great seeing familiar faces from the circuit. I’ve met new friends along the way and it’s nice to catch up with them on the runs.

The course was 14 laps on a trail course.

Ir was a bit hot and I kept cool with plenty of ice water. I took it very easy on the run, since I had another 2 marathons for the next 2 days.

The medal was nice. Like other Mainly marathon series, the medals from each series link together.

If you’re looking to set hard to achieve records or just want to run a lot of marathons in many different states, check out Mainly Marathons!

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S SONG

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

I ❤️ you Gwen.

Yasir

Marathon 31 in 50 of the #50in50: Hawaii

31 of 50 states in the #50in50 done:

• NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon

• NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas

• PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon

• WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon

• TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis

• ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity

• FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon

• LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon

• MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon

• ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon

• TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon

• MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon

• SOUTH CAROLINA 3/2/19: Myrtle Beach marathon @runmbm

• ARKANSAS 3/3/19: Little Rock marathon @lrmarathon

• NORTH CAROLINA 3/9/19: Wrightsville Beach marathon @wbmarathon

• GEORGIA 3/17/19: Publix Atlanta marathon @atlantatrackclub

• NEW MEXICO 3/21/19: Dust Bowl Series - New Mexico

• OKLAHOMA 3/22/19: Dust Bowl Series - Oklahoma

• KANSAS 3/24/19: Chisholm Trail marathon @chisholmtrail44

• MISSOURI 4/7/19: Go! St Louis marathon @gostlouis

• KENTUCKY 4/27/19: Kentucky Derby marathon @kyderbyfestival

• NEW JERSEY 4/28/19: New Jersey marathon @njmarathon

• OHIO 5/5/19: Flying Pig marathon @runflyingpig

• NORTH DAKOTA 5/18/19: Fargo marathon @fargo.marathon

• COLORADO 5/19/19: Denver Colfax marathon @runcolfax

• VERMONT 5/26/2019: Vermont City marathon @runvermont

• UTAH 6/1/2019: Utah Valley marathon @runutahvalley

• DELAWARE 6/18/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series Bear DE

• MARYLAND 6/19/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series Elkton MD

• ALASKA 6/22/2019: Anchorage Mayor’s marathon @anc_marathon

• HAWAII 6/30/2019: Kona marathon @konamarathon

After I finished the Anchorage Mayor’s marathon, I flew down to Hawaii for the Kona marathon. I had about a week to myself before Ferdinand and family arrived to meet me and run the race. I spent time reflecting and relaxing in a condo on the beach that a friend of mine set me up in. I ate a lot of fresh pineapple on the lanai.

At the race expo I met Julie Weiss, Marathon. She ran 52 marathons in 52 weeks in 2012 and 2013 following the loss of her father to pancreatic cancer. There’s a lot of parallel in what I’m currently doing for the foundation. We talked for awhile and I picked up an autographed copy of her book The Miles and Trials of a Marathon Goddess: 52 Weeks, 52 Marathons.

The race was very hot and humid, as we expected. It was in the low 90s with 81% humidity.

The Kona Marathon is primarily at the Waikoloa Beach Resort on the Kohala Coast. The race starts and finishes at the Waikoloa Bowl at Queen’s Garden. The course has one gentle climb.

We ran by lava fields. We ran shirtless for most of the race to try to deal with the heat.

It took us a while to finish because of the heat. We took it east - over 5 hours.

The medals were cool.

Check out the Kona marathon if you’re looking for a Summer marathon in Hawaii.

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S SONG

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

I ❤️ you Gwen.

Yasir

Marathon 30 in 50 of the #50in50: AK

30 of 50 states in the #50in50 done:

• NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon

• NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas

• PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon

• WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon

• TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis

• ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity

• FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon

• LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon

• MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon

• ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon

• TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon

• MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon

• SOUTH CAROLINA 3/2/19: Myrtle Beach marathon @runmbm

• ARKANSAS 3/3/19: Little Rock marathon @lrmarathon

• NORTH CAROLINA 3/9/19: Wrightsville Beach marathon @wbmarathon

• GEORGIA 3/17/19: Publix Atlanta marathon @atlantatrackclub

• NEW MEXICO 3/21/19: Dust Bowl Series - New Mexico

• OKLAHOMA 3/22/19: Dust Bowl Series - Oklahoma

• KANSAS 3/24/19: Chisholm Trail marathon @chisholmtrail44

• MISSOURI 4/7/19: Go! St Louis marathon @gostlouis

• KENTUCKY 4/27/19: Kentucky Derby marathon @kyderbyfestival

• NEW JERSEY 4/28/19: New Jersey marathon @njmarathon

• OHIO 5/5/19: Flying Pig marathon @runflyingpig

• NORTH DAKOTA 5/18/19: Fargo marathon @fargo.marathon

• COLORADO 5/19/19: Denver Colfax marathon @runcolfax

• VERMONT 5/26/2019: Vermont City marathon @runvermont

• UTAH 6/1/2019: Utah Valley marathon @runutahvalley

• DELAWARE 6/18/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series Bear DE

• MARYLAND 6/19/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series Elkton MD

• ALASKA 6/22/2019: Anchorage Mayor’s marathon @anc_marathon

The Anchorage Mayor’s marathon is an amazing experience. When I arrived in Alaska, my buddy Dr Danny who lives near Anchorage, picked me up. It was around 1am and it was bright outside. In fact, there was daylight for 24 hours a day while I was there! It was nuts.

The nature in Alaska just blew me away. I used to live the North Japan Alps and Alaska reminded me of my time there, but the mountains in Alaska seemed more plentiful and bigger.

Danny and I spent some time exploring, having brunch and such.

I picked up my race packet from the expo and did a TV interview to get the word out about early detection of lung cancer.

Danny dropped me off early on race day and I took a bunch of nature pics along the way.

I saw a bear at mile 3!

And a lot more nature.

And more.

The course was amazing. Really well thought out and I loved every moment. Every turn I took I had to take another pic, the mountains, the wildlife, the sky, the lakes and rivers.

Michael Clinton, President of Marketing and Publishing Director of Hearst Magazines, ran the half marathon and met me at the end of the race. It was great to see him. He has many marathons, including a marathon on every continent. He’s written several books on his running experiences and has another one coming out this year.

The medals for the race are nice!

I drove Danny’s big truck back to his place. On the way we saw a big moose. He charged directly at us and then I guess he decided to just brush up against the truck as he walked by us. It was a surreal experience.

This is the marathon to do in Alaska, trust me. Check them out for next year!

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S SONG

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

I ❤️ you Gwen.

Yasir

Marathon 29 in 50 of the #50in50: MD

29 of 50 states in the #50in50 done:

• NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon

• NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas

• PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon

• WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon

• TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis

• ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity

• FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon

• LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon

• MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon

• ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon

• TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon

• MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon

• SOUTH CAROLINA 3/2/19: Myrtle Beach marathon @runmbm

• ARKANSAS 3/3/19: Little Rock marathon @lrmarathon

• NORTH CAROLINA 3/9/19: Wrightsville Beach marathon @wbmarathon

• GEORGIA 3/17/19: Publix Atlanta marathon @atlantatrackclub

• NEW MEXICO 3/21/19: Dust Bowl Series - New Mexico

• OKLAHOMA 3/22/19: Dust Bowl Series - Oklahoma

• KANSAS 3/24/19: Chisholm Trail marathon @chisholmtrail44

• MISSOURI 4/7/19: Go! St Louis marathon @gostlouis

• KENTUCKY 4/27/19: Kentucky Derby marathon @kyderbyfestival

• NEW JERSEY 4/28/19: New Jersey marathon @njmarathon

• OHIO 5/5/19: Flying Pig marathon @runflyingpig

• NORTH DAKOTA 5/18/19: Fargo marathon @fargo.marathon

• COLORADO 5/19/19: Denver Colfax marathon @runcolfax

• VERMONT 5/26/2019: Vermont City marathon @runvermont

• UTAH 6/1/2019: Utah Valley marathon @runutahvalley

• DELAWARE 6/18/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series Bear DE

• MARYLAND 6/19/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series Elkton MD

On Wednesday, 6/19, I got up super early from my NYC home and drove down to Elkton, MD to be run the 2nd marathon in a row. Like the marathon the day before, I spent more time driving to and from the race than actually running it!

The race was great. I’m now a big fan of the Mainly Marathon races. The 2 brothers that run the organization do a fantastic job. They seem to be really into it and it really shows.

The race was a little wet but not too bad. The race took place at the Fair Hills Natural Resources Management area. There’s quite a bit of horse training that happens on the property. The course was 12 laps for a marathon with some rolling hills and mostly gravel/rocky terrain.

I was a little tired from the race the day before. I think it was due to lack of sleep. I ran much better on 8 hours of rest. I ran the race in about 5 hours I think. The medal is great and latched on to the Delaware and overall Independence series medals.

My Nike running shorts finally wore out after 29 marathons and training, which I’m satisfied with.

I treated myself to drivethru that had both KFC and Taco Bell (my preferred fast food on to go when I travel for races). I got a large Mac n cheese, 2 spicy potato soft tacos, and 2 bean cheese and rice burritos.

I drove back to my NYC place, cleaned up, then went to my office and worked the rest of the work day.

Check our Mainly Marathons if you are looking to do multi-day marathons and want to chase a personal or world record!

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S SONG

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

I ❤️ you Gwen.

Yasir

Marathon 28 in 50 of the #50in50: DE

28 of 50 states in the #50in50 done:

• NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon

• NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas

• PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon

• WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon

• TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis

• ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity

• FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon

• LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon

• MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon

• ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon

• TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon

• MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon

• SOUTH CAROLINA 3/2/19: Myrtle Beach marathon @runmbm

• ARKANSAS 3/3/19: Little Rock marathon @lrmarathon

• NORTH CAROLINA 3/9/19: Wrightsville Beach marathon @wbmarathon

• GEORGIA 3/17/19: Publix Atlanta marathon @atlantatrackclub

• NEW MEXICO 3/21/19: Dust Bowl Series - New Mexico

• OKLAHOMA 3/22/19: Dust Bowl Series - Oklahoma

• KANSAS 3/24/19: Chisholm Trail marathon @chisholmtrail44

• MISSOURI 4/7/19: Go! St Louis marathon @gostlouis

• KENTUCKY 4/27/19: Kentucky Derby marathon @kyderbyfestival

• NEW JERSEY 4/28/19: New Jersey marathon @njmarathon

• OHIO 5/5/19: Flying Pig marathon @runflyingpig

• NORTH DAKOTA 5/18/19: Fargo marathon @fargo.marathon

• COLORADO 5/19/19: Denver Colfax marathon @runcolfax

• VERMONT 5/26/2019: Vermont City marathon @runvermont

• UTAH 6/1/2019: Utah Valley marathon @runutahvalley

• DELAWARE 6/18/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series Bear DE

I drove down really early on Tuesday, 6/18, and ran Mainly Marathons’ Independence Series marathon in Bear, DE.

Mainly Marathons is a great organization run by two dedicated brothers. They put on multiple multi-day marathons across 14 series taking place in all 50 states. Over 80 events a year! Their races make it convenient for people like me who want to squeeze in as many marathons as possible in a short period of time.

I ran a pretty good race even though it was slight wet and rainy. The course was pretty much a trail marathon.

I saw my friends Ingke and Linda at the end of the race and then drove back to the city, cleaned up, and went to work for the second half of the workday.

Several of my co-workers, including Jeff Dengate, Runner-in-Chief of Runner’s World, got a kick out of me showing up for work the same day as running a marathon. I got a kick out of it, too. :)

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S SONG

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

I ❤️ you Gwen.

Yasir

Marathon 27 in 50 of the #50in50: UT

27 of 50 states in the #50in50 done:

• NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon

• NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas

• PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon

• WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon

• TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis

• ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity

• FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon

• LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon

• MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon

• ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon

• TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon

• MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon

• SOUTH CAROLINA 3/2/19: Myrtle Beach marathon @runmbm

• ARKANSAS 3/3/19: Little Rock marathon @lrmarathon

• NORTH CAROLINA 3/9/19: Wrightsville Beach marathon @wbmarathon

• GEORGIA 3/17/19: Publix Atlanta marathon @atlantatrackclub

• NEW MEXICO 3/21/19: Dust Bowl Series - New Mexico

• OKLAHOMA 3/22/19: Dust Bowl Series - Oklahoma

• KANSAS 3/24/19: Chisholm Trail marathon @chisholmtrail44

• MISSOURI 4/7/19: Go! St Louis marathon @gostlouis

• KENTUCKY 4/27/19: Kentucky Derby marathon @kyderbyfestival

• NEW JERSEY 4/28/19: New Jersey marathon @njmarathon

• OHIO 5/5/19: Flying Pig marathon @runflyingpig

• NORTH DAKOTA 5/18/19: Fargo marathon @fargo.marathon

• COLORADO 5/19/19: Denver Colfax marathon @runcolfax

• VERMONT 5/26/2019: Vermont City marathon @runvermont

• UTAH 6/1/2019: Utah Valley marathon @runutahvalley

For the Utah race, I visited and stayed with Gweneviere’s family in Salt Lake City. A lot of family on her father’s side came out to visit. I met my new niece who’s middle name is Gweneviere, named after Gwen. She’s cute. On the first night I met her, we took pics together. And then she puked a bunch of applesauce outside, lol.

I went to race expo the day before the marathon and picked up a copy of the race magazine which had a full spread piece on the foundation on what we are doing. I am honored. The race directors and staff are top notch.

I woke up super early on race day so that I could drive from Salt Lake to Provo and catch the race shuttle bus up the mountain to the start. I met a cancer survivor, John, who is running marathons just weeks after having chemotherapy. What an inspiration!

The race has quite a bit of downhill and the views are amazing! I met an amazing pacer named Catherine who had run the Boston marathon the year it was bombed. She was just a few feet away from the bomb. As we were running she recalled her story and got a little emotional. She ran Boston again this year. She told me how she went back to the restaurant owner that took care of her after the bombing. She gave him her medal. It was very touching and moving. I will stay in touch with her. 

The race directors met me at the finish line and gave me a hug. It was an emotional run.

The medal is cool and spins!

I came in a great time at 4:04.

Gweneviere’s family came out and met me at the finish. We took a lot of pics. They made touching and moving signs.

This is an incredible race and I hope you have a chance to run it! Check it out.

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S SONG

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

I ❤️ you Gwen.

Yasir

Marathon 26 in 50 of the #50in50: VT

26 of 50 states in the #50in50 done:

• NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon

• NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas

• PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon

• WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon

• TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis

• ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity

• FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon

• LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon

• MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon

• ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon

• TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon

• MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon

• SOUTH CAROLINA 3/2/19: Myrtle Beach marathon @runmbm

• ARKANSAS 3/3/19: Little Rock marathon @lrmarathon

• NORTH CAROLINA 3/9/19: Wrightsville Beach marathon @wbmarathon

• GEORGIA 3/17/19: Publix Atlanta marathon @atlantatrackclub

• NEW MEXICO 3/21/19: Dust Bowl Series - New Mexico

• OKLAHOMA 3/22/19: Dust Bowl Series - Oklahoma

• KANSAS 3/24/19: Chisholm Trail marathon @chisholmtrail44

• MISSOURI 4/7/19: Go! St Louis marathon @gostlouis

• KENTUCKY 4/27/19: Kentucky Derby marathon @kyderbyfestival

• NEW JERSEY 4/28/19: New Jersey marathon @njmarathon

• OHIO 5/5/19: Flying Pig marathon @runflyingpig

• NORTH DAKOTA 5/18/19: Fargo marathon @fargo.marathon

• COLORADO 5/19/19: Denver Colfax marathon @runcolfax

• VERMONT 5/26/2019: Vermont City marathon @runvermont

I went to the marathon expo on Friday, May 24th and did an interview for the local NBC station with the Tom Messner.

I also saw Bart Yasso and said hello.

On Sunday, May 26 on marathon morning I did another live interview with NBC.

There was a rain delay. Tom Messner called it exactly! He said there was rain coming and in 15 minutes it was pouring! About 45 minutes after the scheduled start, we started the race. I finished in decent time around 4:28.

The medal is great!

I really enjoyed the course and and highly recommend it. Check it out for next year!

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S SONG

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

I ❤️ you Gwen.

Yasir

Marathon 23, 24 & 25 in 50 of the #50in50: OH, ND, CO

25 of 50 states in the #50in50 done:

• NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon
  
• NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas
  
• PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon
  
• WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon
  
• TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis
  
• ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity
  
• FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon
  
• LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon
  
• MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon
  
• ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon
  
• TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon
  
• MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon
  
• SOUTH CAROLINA 3/2/19: Myrtle Beach marathon @runmbm
  
• ARKANSAS 3/3/19: Little Rock marathon @lrmarathon
  
• NORTH CAROLINA 3/9/19: Wrightsville Beach marathon @wbmarathon
• GEORGIA 3/17/19: Publix Atlanta marathon @atlantatrackclub
• NEW MEXICO 3/21/19: Dust Bowl Series - New Mexico
• OKLAHOMA 3/22/19: Dust Bowl Series - Oklahoma
• KANSAS 3/24/19: Chisholm Trail marathon @chisholmtrail44
• MISSOURI 4/7/19: Go! St Louis marathon @gostlouis
• KENTUCKY 4/27/19: Kentucky Derby marathon @kyderbyfestival
• NEW JERSEY 4/28/19: New Jersey marathon @njmarathon
• OHIO 5/5/19: Flying Pig marathon @runflyingpig
• NORTH DAKOTA 5/18/19: Fargo marathon  @fargo.marathon
• COLORADO 5/19/19: Denver Colfax marathon  @runcolfax

FLYING PIG MARATHON 5/5/19

It was a good, clear morning. I chose the 4:00 pace group. The first 9 miles were hilly. I fell back after mile 18 or so. I ran with the 4:10 pace group. I fell back a little once it got hilly again in the last few miles. For the last 2 miles, I passed about 112 people. I ended up finishing in 4:14. I was happy with my time.

I love the medal!

FARGO MARATHON 5/18/19

This was a really fun race start and finish inside the Fargodome.

The weather was a little cold, windy and rainy of a start, but it got better. I saw a lot of Norwegian flags. I also saw several Native American drum circles. The course was extremely flat and fast. I finished decently in 4:16. 

The medial for the race is huge!

I flew to Denver right after the race.

DENVER COLFAX MARATHON 5/19/19

Surprisingly the course is pretty flat and a lot  of it is on one street: Colfax. Denver is a beautiful town with great scenery. I loved this course.  

I ran decent 4:28 marathon, considering that I ran one the day before in Fargo. The medal is really nice with a part of it that spins!

After the race I met up with my friend Maria for brunch. I then headed to my friends Chelsea and John, who just moved to Denver,  for dinner. My flight was delayed until 2:45am so I took a nap at their place. I got on flight and finally got some sleep. Next weekend I will do the Vermont City marathon in Burlington, VT.

Join me on the #50in50 for the Gweneviere Mann Foundation, with many ways to get involved.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S SONG

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we just recently released a single "What I Can Be" off of her album for her so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Download it here

Together we will save lives through early detection programs for lung cancer and brain tumors.

I ❤️ you Gwen.

-Yasir