Our Collective Stories

For Brian and Amy Contreras, running is very much a family affair. They trained for the Sydney Marathon together. Brian was Amy’s running coach. Amy described herself as Brian’s “hype woman.” Their seven-year-old daughter has grown up around the sport so much that she assumes running marathons is simply a thing adults do. “Our kid thinks it’s so normal to run marathons,” Amy laughed. What she doesn’t know yet is that her parents’ paths to the marathon starting line have looke

For Stephanie Williams, running has never been only about finish lines, race times, or medals. It has been something she can come back to when life feels heavy—a steady companion alongside therapy and the other tools she uses to care for her mental health. This fall, Stephanie will line up for the Chicago Marathon with Team Still I Run. It will be her fourth time running Chicago, but this one carries a little more weight: Chicago will be Stephanie’s 10th marathon, and she kne

Sue Pujdak has been a runner since her early twenties, but the role running plays in her life today is very different from when she first laced up. A former competitive swimmer, Sue initially turned to running because she was ready for a change of scenery. “I got really tired of looking at the bottom of the pool,” she said. Running gave her the chance to get outside and spend time in nature. As the miles added up, she discovered something else she hadn’t necessarily been look

Lauren Breinlinger has a lot competing for her time. She’s a mom of two young children, a first responder wife, and a project manager in the government sector. Most days, she says it feels like she has three full-time jobs, even though technically she only has one. Still, Lauren finds time to run whenever she can. She runs during marathon training, of course, but she also keeps running when there isn’t a race on the calendar.

Not too long ago, if you asked Ethan West what he noticed during a run, the answer probably wouldn't have been the sunset. He was much more likely to notice how hard he was breathing. How tired he felt. How much easier running seemed to be for everyone else. His thoughts tended to turn inward, and not in a particularly kind way.

Running workouts don’t have to be long to make a difference. Even 20 to 30 minutes of running can help relieve stress, improve your mood, boost your energy, maintain your fitness, and help you build a consistent movement habit.