Battle Buddy Series: A Prayer for the Complacent

A Prayer for the Complacent by Darian McIntosh   Welcome to part 2 in the continuing saga of my journey, starting with my personal experiences in the world of marathon running. I will be exploring in part what it takes to physically prepare for such a draining endeavor, which can be expected from a blog about marathons. More in ... More

The Lone Runner Series: Why Would You Train for a Marathon?

The Lone Runner Series: Why Would You Train for a Marathon? Runners have many reasons they train for marathons, but many do it because it is rewarding. Today I want to explore a few of the rewards of marathon training.  Training for a marathon demands serious effort. But it also has serious benefits. Moreover, marathon training rewards ... More

Gold Story: Racing The World, Breaking Records, Running Across The Country, Michael Wardian Hopes To Inspire Others With His Feats

What started off as something he wanted to do because he saw his friend’s mom running the Boston Marathon over 20 years ago, has turned into a lifelong obsession for Michael Wardian to see how far he can go. “I’m always trying to see what I’m capable of,” 46-year-old Virginia native and professional runner Michael Wardian said. ... More

How A Health Scare Motivated This Runner To Run A 50K For Her 50th Birthday | Runner Spotlight Series

“I don’t know how to swim, I don’t know how to ride a bike, but I can run!” San Francisco Marathon runner Marlena said when she decided to start running. At the age of 43, Marlena thought she may be having a stroke. She’s a nurse, so she knows the symptoms, and she ended up in the emergency room while she was having a really bad ... More

Gold Story: Running To Heal – How Having PTSD Helped Me Qualify For Boston

“My mantra is Run Positive,” Nathan says. Running has become Nathan’s therapy, his calming force, and his way of moving forward after suffering a brutal attack in front of his home in Santa Clarita and years of PTSD afterwards. On July 11, 2013, a group of kids in their teens and early 20s who had been partying at a condo across ... More

Gold Story: Fighting Cancer One Mile At A Time

“If you don’t keep the pace, we all lose our way.” This statement from Joel’s high school band director has stuck with him over the years. He was a drummer, although he says he wasn’t very good at keeping tempo for the band. But, now he thinks of this statement on a more philosophical level because in 2015 he was diagnosed with ... More

Gold Story: 2019 San Francisco Marathon Female Winner Says, “I’m Not Afraid To Dream and Work Hard”

January 20, 2020 | Nina was born and grew up in Moscow, the capital of the Russian Federation. She says she liked math and computer science and was a “normal nerd until age 25, without any serious sports background.”  She has a Masters of Science in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science from Moscow State Technical University and ... More

Earn ALL The Medals When You Take On A Challenge

January 17, 2020 | If you’re anything like Mike Dasalla, San Francisco Marathon Race Ambassador, then you love getting ALL the medals, and with so many different race challenges, there is a lot of opportunity for medals in San Francisco. Whether you take on one of the year-over-year challenges or a partner challenge, you don’t want to ... More

Gold Story: Pushing Limits and Achieving Goals — Running, a Baby, and a Business

January 13, 2020 | Kimberly served in the Air Force for five years. After being stationed in Hawaii, the birthplace of the Ironman events, she decided to start training and competing in Ironman events. Eventually, Kimberly decided she wanted to focus just on running and see how well she could do in a marathon if she only had to run (and ... More

Gold Story: SF Marathon Runner Says “Train Hard. Run Hard. Love Hard. Be Stronger Than Your Excuses.”

January 6, 2020 | “With my entire heart, and all the energy I had to give from the moment I stepped up to the starting line to when I crossed the finish line, I accomplished my only marathon goal of a sub 4 hour finish,” Michelle posted on Instagram after running the 2019 San Francisco Marathon. It was only her third full marathon and ... More