I Did That! 50 Half-Marathons in 50 States by Age 50

My 50th race? The 50th state, Hawaii! Cheering loved ones held flowers and birthday balloons as I crossed the finish line with raised hands praising God and crying!

By

Shanae Patterson

 
Published December 19, 2024

This month's Big Idea is "Prioritize and Keep Your Eyes on the Prize." Author Shanae Patterson Rivers spent six years pursuing her goal. Have you ever set a big goal, perhaps tied to a birthday or other milestone? Are you planning or working towards one now? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Daybreak was still two hours away when I arrived at Kapiolani Park on Waikiki Island the morning of May 26, 2024. After spending nearly a year planning my first trip to the Aloha state, I was in the 50th state to celebrate my 50th birthday by running my 50th half-marathon.

With only a few hundred registered runners, the 16th annual Hibiscus Half Marathon was small compared to other races I’d run, some of which had tens of thousands of participants. As the crowd waited for the start signal, I tried to calm the butterflies I experienced at the beginning of every race. The starting horn sounded at 5:30 am and off I went on the 13.1-mile trek to Diamond Head and back.

Growing up, I was always active in sports. But I didn’t start running until I served in the military. It was mandatory for physical training. I completed my service in 2000, and more than a decade passed before I took up the sport again. Following the death of my father in 2011, my emotions were all over the place. I was angry at the world and angry at God. Running gave me something to focus on, to get away from my grief. That year, I joined a friend for the 10th anniversary 911 half-marathon in Chicago in honor of my father.

Following the death of my father in 2011, my emotions were all over the place. I was angry at the world and angry at God. Running gave me something to focus on, to get away from my grief.

Not long after that, I got exposed to Black Girls RUN! Besides encouraging Black women to adopt a healthy, active lifestyle through running, members of the group talked about running away from diabetes and hypertension and all the illnesses that so many Black people experience. The group gave me structure and the community I didn’t even know I needed. Prior to that, I’d always run alone, but I found companionship and camaraderie running with other Black women. That’s when I got the bug and decided to focus on half-marathons. I ran my second half marathon in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in 2015.

Joining Black Girls RUN! gave me the structure and community I hadn't known I needed because I’d always run alone. I found companionship and camaraderie running with other Black women.

Over the next few years, I entered races from New York to San Francisco. But meeting a dozen Black women at the 2018 Missoula, Montana half-marathon changed my perspective. I was like ‘these women are actually doing this!” We tend to think runners have this certain look, but I realized that we come in every shape and size. Runners look like me. Runners look like my sisters. Runners look like everybody!

Besides encouraging Black women to adopt a healthy, active lifestyle through running, group members talked about running away from diabetes and hypertension.

Over dinner, they told me about Black Girls Rock the 50 States, a quest to complete a half marathon in each state. I had already run half-marathons in seven states and decided to find one in each of the 43 remaining states. As an extra incentive, I planned to make my 50th race in the 50th state for my 50th birthday in May 2024.

I soon came to love the planning and training almost as much as I loved crossing the finish line. I set a goal of completing each race in under 2 hours and 45 minutes, mapped out my race strategy and organized the cross-country travel which, between the entry fees, flights and hotel cost between $600 - $1,200 each. I was fortunate to avoid any injuries or illnesses that impeded my training or race participation.

Meeting a dozen Black women at the 2018 Missoula, Montana half-marathon changed my perspective. We tend to think runners have this certain look, but I realized that we come in every shape and size.

I had crossed nearly half the states off my list when the 2020 pandemic brought most group events, including organized races, to a screeching halt. In 2021, I completed just one race but I redoubled my efforts and made up lost ground in 2022 and 2023. By the beginning of 2024, I only needed a few races to complete 50 races by my 50th birthday in May.

On that beautiful Memorial Day weekend, I couldn't have asked for better running conditions. The sun was just beginning to rise when I reached the midway point and turned back toward the finish line.

Nine friends and family members had traveled to Hawaii for the long planned 10 day celebration. I knew my husband would be there but was pleasantly surprised that the whole group got up so early to watch the race and root for me. But they were all there holding flowers and balloons and cheering my last steps. I crossed the finish line with my hands up praising God and crying like a baby!

For six years, I had been laser focused on completing this quest. Having reached my goal, I sometimes found myself at loose ends, wondering what comes next. I just completed my first full marathon on Kiawah Island in South Carolina in mid-December 2024. After that, I’ll figure out what comes next, one adventure at a time.

Shanae after her 2024 Marathon run

This month's Big Idea is "Prioritize and Keep Your Eyes on the Prize." Have you ever set a big goal, perhaps tied to a birthday or other milestone? Are you planning or working towards one now? Share your thoughts in the comments below.