28 Motivational Mothers

When I decided to do marathons six years ago, my mom instantly became my biggest supporter. She has made it to almost all of my 12 marathons, going with me to the start, making signs and cheering, ringing her cowbell, and making sure that I eat afterwards. After my first marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon in 2008, she somehow pushed through hoards of hungry runners at Chipotle, found a table, made me sit, got me a burrito, and then sat and watched me eat it!

She's always been active, but she started running with me a few years ago. We've done several 5Ks, 10Ks, and 10-milers together. Our goal is to do a half marathon together! She's been sidelined by injuries, but I know that we will get to do our race soon.

For as long as I can remember, my momma has been a power walker, so much so that she can barely get her daily walk completed in our small town without half a dozen people honking and waving to her. I remember being in second grade when she flew to California to walk her first marathon with Team in Training. From there I remember standing at the finish line of countless races for her to cross.

She didn't know it then, but she was teaching me that anything was possible and you don't have to be super fast to run or exercise. Her perseverance and dedication to the sport and to racing is what inspired me to begin my running journey. She supports every step I take and is always my number one fan, which works out great since I am probably the proudest daughter in America. I love my momma and all she has taught me through running.

In the mid-80s, my family moved to a new city. I was a young teenager and one of the things that helped me through the transition was starting to run with my mom every day. It started out running a few blocks and progressed to several miles. Even when I ran in middle school and high school, I would run after practice with mom.

In 1985 we ran the Old Kent River Bank Run 25K together. (We even ended up having our picture taken.) In college she ran my first marathon with me. Now, years later, mom and I walk every day. I have recently started running again, but I always make sure I still take time to walk with mom. Many problems have been solved and many ideas created as we walk those familiar steps. Now I am a mom too. I plan to pass onto my son this tradition of being a fit parent and cherishing time with loved ones. After all, I had the best teacher.

No matter how far my races were in college, my mom was always there to support me. No matter what she had going on, she would travel hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles, just to cheer me on. In this photo, my mom drove for hours just so she could see me compete in a college cross-country race, a race that was over in less than 30 minutes. No matter what the distance of the race was or how far she had to travel, she was always there for me.

From her race T-shirts I wore as toddler dresses to her cheers that spurred me to cross many cross-country finish lines, my amazing runner mom inspires me every day!

My family has always been very active since I was young, but my mom only recently really got into running and racing a few years ago. She focused on getting stronger through CrossFit and added in a weekly track workout and long run. As a competitive college runner at the time, I was so excited hearing each workout she did and so proud watching my mom -- who's in her 50s -- setting lifetime PRs all the way from the 5K to the marathon.

We have done many road races together, but this month we both got to run in the Boston Marathon, the first Boston for each of us, despite growing up a mile from the course halfway point. Since I started in a wave an hour earlier, I got to see her finish and cheer her on the last 1K. Watching her struggle through a glute injury, refusing to walk that last uphill was one of my favorite moments. My mom has always been my best friend, and getting to experience the joys (and lows) of running and racing with her has been such a treat.

This is a photo of my mom and I at the start of this years Vancouver Sun Run. I ran it in a time of 42:45, and although I came second in my age category, my mom still ran faster with a time of 41:30 (I have a lot to live up to!). She is the reason I started to run, and my ongoing motivation to keep training to become the best runner I can be!

My mom has been a fantastic runner all of her life and encouraged me to run since I was a little girl. She coached me and cheered me on all through my years of a junior varsity runner with bad asthma. Through her, I have gained a love and passion for running. From my first mile jog to my first half, she has literally been by my side. Love you Mama!

My mom was always my #1 fan as an athlete growing up, even though she never played a sport in her life! Once she sent me off to college, however, running became her new challenge. Despite the fact that she had very little running experience, she worked at it every single day, and we just completed our first marathon together! She inspires me to keep running, and I'm so blessed to be able to partake in such an amazing sport with her.

My mom inspired me to sign up for my first marathon this November in Philadelphia. I'll be running to raise money to fund her liver transplant. If she can get through every day like she does, I can conquer 26.2 for her. Love you, Momma!

After I had a disappointing race last year my mom told me, "Think of your past successes as what gets you to the starting line, but it is your past disappointments that will get you to your next finish line." She makes me see how strong and lucky we are to be runners!

I credit my passion and love of running to my mom who is not only my best friend but my biggest fan! My mom is my inspiration, and she motivates me every day to live life to its fullest and to get out and run even when it feels like a chore. She is there when I need her, training right beside me, passing me much needed race fuel, or holding me up after a marathon. Mom, you helped me find running and myself, and for that I will always be grateful!

On my 20th birthday in 2008 - which landed the day before Mother's Day - my mom, younger sister, and I completed a 5K fun run. At this time, I was as far from a runner as you could get. My mom was always an extremely driven woman, and in 2009 she not only ran the Boston Marathon in sub-4:00, but also completed her first Ironman at 50 years of age on two knees that doctors had told her should never be run on again. If that isn't inspiring enough, in this race she qualified for the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, with her time of 11:59:13.

During training for this race, my mom tragically lost her life after being struck by a vehicle while running. Some people might think that this would be a good reason for me to want to steer clear of the sport, but for me there is no better way to feel close to my mom, a woman who every year asked to go for an uninterrupted run as a birthday gift.

I am currently training for my first half marathon, and every time I feel like skipping a run, every time I feel tired or my legs are cramping, I find that extra push inside of me because of her. This year my birthday is the day before Mother's Day again, and again I'll be lacing up my runners. Like any inspirational mom, mine has pushed me to go farther than I ever believed I could.

My mom is a natural source of renewable energy. She powers my whole family!

My mom has always been the reason I started running. Some of my earliest memories are going to cheer her on in road races and of her pushing around her trusty jogging stroller to get her run in, even with three kids! Her stories about running "before sports bras existed" and when "running wasn't cool yet" make me thankful for the opportunities I have to pursue my dreams running collegiate track and cross country.

Her support for me is unmatched, and I will be forever thankful for the miles she has logged on the bike (uphill) while I ran, countless drives to trails for Sunday morning long runs, and the best post-race hugs. Running will always be a special bond we share, and a passion I hope to pass on to my daughter one day, just as my mom did for me. I love you, Mom!

My mom inspires my running by going to the races and cheering me on. She used to be a runner herself so she is helpful when offering running advice and techniques. When my grandfather was alive he ran in many races, one of these races being the Boston Marathon. We are keeping the spirit of running alive in our family. Whenever I call my mom up and tell her I have increased my distance by another mile, she is just as excited as I am and gives me the encouraging words to keep going.

My ma thinks I am never eating right and asks me go for a run when I say, "You are feeding me too much." Gladly, anytime is a running time.

This photo of my mom and I was taken about three months after she had open-heart surgery to repair a bad mitral valve. She's always made exercise a central part of our lives, starting when I was a baby, running with me in a baby stroller eight miles a day. Unfortunately, her surgery resulted in scarring to her heart that makes it almost impossible for her to run. However, she still goes to the gym every single day. My mom is the strongest, coolest lady I know. I'm just lucky to also be related to her.

After my injury from the Chicago Marathon this past October, my mom was my rock. She saw me struggling to get back into it. She saw me doing physical therapy and constantly stretching. My mom went out in 20-degree weather to go on runs with me to talk with me and keep me going. I remember once it was snowing, and I told her we were going to finish around 2.9 miles. We pushed out 3 miles that cold January day. I will be running Chicago again in 2014 with hopes of a better time. Thanks Mom!

This is me and my mom after I finished my first full marathon in November (Pensacola Marathon, November 10, 2013). Last year my husband and I were unemployed for seven months. I needed something to work toward, some sort of goal, and she recommended a marathon. I had been running for five years, doing many 5K and 10K races, but that was as far as I'd ever gone.

During my training period, I wanted to quit multiple times. I would call her in pain and frustrated, and each time I called, she would encourage me to keep going, she would tell me that I could do it, that it is as mental as it is physical, that I was strong enough. And she was right. I did it. Running a marathon is the most physically challenging thing I have ever accomplished, and I could not have done it without her support - both during the training and knowing she was waiting for me at the finish line.