Wyoming

Steve has always been a runner. He ran cross country in high school with his buddy Kent Ferris. He ran his first half marathon in the 80s while in college. But his greatest athletic accomplishment, running a full marathon of 26.2 miles in all 50 states, didn’t begin until he was in his 40s.

In 2008 he joined his colleague and friend Steve Hogen for his first out of state marathon in Utah. Work and other commitments limited the time for training, so future races were few and far between. The majority of the 50 marathons were completed after he retired in 2016.

The quest to run in every state led us on an adventure that was shared with our closest friends and family. In Colorado and Alaska, Sam was there to cheer him on.

Kent ran two marathons (Iowa and Illinois) beside Steve.

Our friend Sheri joined us in Hawaii. Gary was there for the celebrations in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Massachusetts.

Our RV buddies Gail and Jeff were at the finish line in Hartford.

The Lawsons joined us in San Diego and San Antonio, where Tina and I did the half while Steve did the full.

Waiting for Steve at San Antonio Marathon

My Dad cheered him on in Prescott for the end of the Whiskey Row Marathon.

Steve’s parents were there in Omaha and Kansas City, and Steve’s mom, cousins and I did the half at the Rock and Roll Arizona while Steve met us all at finish after the full.

Finally, our sweet girl Mia crossed the finish in Steve’s arms at the Cheyenne Marathon. Marathoning is indeed a team sport!

Steve finished his 50th 26.2 mile race in Cape Cod, Massachusetts on October 11, 2026. We celebrated with Gary, Mitch, Lauren, Caleb, and Will with a lobster dinner and plenty of toasts to our Superman.

We’ve polled friends as to what the next challenge should be. Steve doesn’t have any plans to continue racing but he is considering his options . His favorite idea so far is “visit a distillery in every state.” Time will tell what’s next for our runner.

Along the way, people have asked a lot of questions about this venture. Here are Steve’s response to the most frequently asked questions:

What was your favorite race? They are all unique but the New York Marathon, with over 50,000 participants and millions of spectators along the route, stands out as one of the most memorable. Fellow high school principal Greg Milbrandt joined Steve for this epic race.

What was the hardest race Right in our backyard, the Whiskey Row marathon was one of the most challenging. It has over 3,000 feet of climbing at elevations of 5,200 to over 7,000 feet. Steve has finished this race twice.

What was the most beautiful course? The Fly to Pie Marathon in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, run during peak leaf change season, couldn’t be beat.

Were they all 26.2 miles? Actually, Steve’s rule was that the race had to be 26.2 miles or more. Three of the races he completed, Arkansas, North Dakota, and Oklahoma, were considered ultra-marathons, over 26.2 miles each.

You’ve really run 50 marathons? Well, he’s really run over 60 marathons. Those extras include multiple Arizona and Nebraska races, three international marathons (Greece, Iceland, and Cuba), and two races where he did not finish.

We have many race-related photos and will post many of them below, mostly so we can remember each experience more clearly. Steve says thanks to all the people who showed up to support him, who checked in when he struggled through injuries, and who cheered him on via Facebook. The accomplishment is even more sweet sharing it with all of you.

RV travel allows you to get close to places those in hotels or on tours just can’t reach. RV living gives you time to settle in and watch the world from a different angle each day. Our seven days in Grand Teton National Park was all that and more. From the Colter Bay RV Campground in the northern end of the park, we took our time and explored the park from top to bottom, on foot, on bike, and in the truck.

Over two days we rode the 13 mile paved trail that runs from the town of Jackson, WY to the center of the national park at Jenny Lake both directions.

Along the way we were able to check out the historic area of Menors Ferry and the Church of the Transfiguration, built in 1925 to serve guests and employees of nearby dude ranches. Check out that view from the altar window!

Riding through the National Elk Refuge and into the cute town of Jackson was also a treat. The elk have moved up into the mountains and are no longer visible in the refuge but in the winter more than 7,000 elk call the 24,000 acre refuge home. Elk are certainly the mascot of this area.

Besides elk, which live throughout the park in the summer, we saw coyotes, moose, black bear, and grizzly bears. In fact, a common evening activity here is to join the people with big cameras at Oxbow Bend or Pilgrims Creek to look for wildlife. Even when you don’t see anything, it’s a beautiful experience.

Grand Teton National Park is filled with hiking trails, many of which were still snow covered while we were here in mid-May. That didn’t stop us from hiking the lakeshore trail at Colter Bay and trekking to Taggart Lake and beyond. Well, the snow did stop us, but we went as far as comfortable.

Visiting Mormon Row is a must-do in Grand Teton. The turn-of-the-century farmhouses and barns reflect the farming heritage of this area. The area also captures the community spirit that was required to live in such an unforgiving environment year-round. The photos are pretty epic.

We did have a tough day when Mia got sick this week. Luckily a vet in Jackson was able to get her in right away, gave her some new food, some medicine, and sent her on her way. We are happy to say she’s back to “normal” or as normal as a 17 year old blind dog with dementia can be. We are happy for every day with her!