Tacoma City Marathon

The Tacoma City Marathon is a wonderful family event with something for every runner. If you are looking for a good local run in the Tacoma/Seattle/Olympia area, TCM might be just the right run for you. The full, and half marathon courses are always challenging, and every course is well staffed with plenty of water, energy drinks, and running gels. They probably have the best bathroom break options of any of the runs we've run. They generate a lot of energy before the race with music, vendor booths, pre-run snacks, and post run festivities. This event is also very popular with a few running clubs in the area such as the Marathon Maniacs and Fleet Feet.

2011 - We had just started running, so we decided to start slowly and cautiously, opting to run the half-marathon. Adam (18 at the time) ran the full marathon, Taylor (16) ran the half-marathon with us, and Danielle (16) ran the 5k. A good friend of ours, Kyle Larson, joined us in running the half-marathon. All-in-all it was a good day, we all finished our runs, we spent just as much time socializing as we did running, and we all learned a great deal about long distance running that day.

2012 - We all loved this local run so much, we all returned to the TCM. Adam wasn't able to train for the marathon, so he joined Steve, Taylor, and I on the half-marathon, and Danielle returned to run the 5K.  Steve and I had already run a couple of marathons in 2011, but our 2011 TCM medal was only half of a medal, so we had to run the half in 2012 to get the second half of the medal.  Once again, we all loved the run.  Steve and Taylor ran together, keeping a pretty good pace, and finished together.  Adam and I ran together, keeping a pace I could enjoy, and finished together.  Danielle finished the 5k and then grabbed the camera to get some photos of the rest of us as we crossed the finish line.  Once again, this run did not disappoint  and we all had a great time.

2013 - This year's run is scheduled for Sunday, May 5th.  The full marathon course is new, starting on the Gig Harbor side of the Narrows Bridge, looping through Point Defiance, and finishing in downtown Tacoma in front of the Tacoma Art Museum.  2013 Race Map. Last year, we went a little crazy on the running, and actually managed to qualify for the Marathon Maniac (MM) running club.  This year we will be running the full TCM marathon with our MM friends.  Steve's going to try to help me set a personal record on this run.  I'm more of a jogger than a runner, but with his motivation and patience, I hope to run more than jog this year.

I'll post an update and photo's once we've finished the 2013 run.  Scratch that, too tired and too sore to take photo's.  There were a lot of different finishers medal, but this is the beauty Steve and I received.

2013 Tacoma City Marathon - Marathon Maniac's Finishers Medal

Finished the Tacoma City Marathon with a lot of help from my husband, Steve Brown. The route was really nice, the weather was also nice, and all of the supporters were great. Special thanks to all of the men and women in uniform that spent their day off protecting all of the participants, supporters, and their families and friends.

Marine Corp Marathon & Semper Fi Fund

Family, friends, colleagues, and Semper Fi Fund supporters,

As you may know, this October Steve and I will be running the Marine Corps Marathon as a member of the Semper Fi Fund Team. The Semper Fi Fund is a nonprofit set up to provide immediate financial support for injured and critically ill members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families.  Both Steve and I pledged to raise $400.00, but with your help, we hope to raise much more than that.

To make a donation, please visit our fundraising pages:

Steve's Semper Fi Fund Donation Page              My Semper Fi Fund Donation Page

Thank you for supporting us and our efforts to make an impact on the lives of those who have given so much in the name of freedom!

    

The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit set up to provide immediate financial support for injured and critically ill members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. We direct urgently needed resources to post 9-11 Marines and Sailors, as well as members of the Army, Air Force or Coast Guard who serve in support of Marine forces.

Tax ID # 26-0086305       CFC # 11459

Semper Fi Fund

Staying Fit In 2013

Our family has been running together for three years now. We’ve all run the TCM twice (full, half, and 5 K), a few Warrior Dash runs, a few Rock-n-Roll runs, the Resolution run, Valentine’s Day Dash, and the F5 St. Patrick's Day Dash. In October 2012, while running a six mile obstacle course, I fell from and obstacle and broke two ribs at the two mile mark. Of course I finished the last four miles because I don't believe in quitting or giving up.

The run and two broken ribs cost me a lot including a trip to Indonesia, a few months of scuba teaching, and of course no running or any serious work outs until my ribs healed. As 2013 approached, Steve and I decided to switch gears a bit. We did some reading and picked a few marathons and running events that would be more meaningful or fun.

Our first marathon this year is the Tacoma City Marathon on Sunday, May 5th. We've run the half twice, but decided it was time to run the full marathon this year to celebrate with our fellow Maniacs in this 10th year anniversary of the TCM. They changed the course for the marathon this year, “flattening it out,” but Tacoma is not flat and no matter how hard you try to find a flat course, it’s still an up and down hill city.

Spartan Race

In August, we are going to set aside our long distance running shoes to run the Pacific Northwest Spartan Race on Saturday, August 3rd. Steve, Sean, Taylor, Adam, and I are running as the Foolish Five. We are hoping that Danielle, Tiffany, Joel, and Gabe will be there cheering us on as the boys push me up and over every obstacle.

Marine Corp Marathon

On Sunday, October 27th, Steve and I will travel to Washington DC to run in the Marine Corp Marathon. As some of you know, my dad is a Marine, and he's a pretty special man to me. I'm so proud of everything he's done in his life, and I'll be taking all of the strength he’s given me to DC to run this marathon. We know it will be an emotional run with our wonderful military service men and women lining the route, but with my dad’s strength and my husband’s encouragement, I’m going to try to set a personal best at this run.

As an added bonus, both Steve and I will be running to raise donations for the Semper Fi Fund. Please consider making a Tax-deductible contribution to our efforts today. Every donation, both large and small, is truly meaningful, and you have the power to make a real difference in an injured or critically ill service member’s life.

SemperFi Fund

Route 66
Marathon

Our final run of the year will be the Route 66 Marathon.  Steve likes the look of the finishers medal, so this run will be one of our “for fun” runs. In the cold of November, we will travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma to run this marathon. Doesn't this sound a little crazy? Let’s travel in the winter to a very cold location to run 26.2 miles for fun so that we can pick up one of the coolest looking finishers medals.

Hopefully, this schedule will help us reach our goals of fitness, fun, and time spent together.