26.2 x 50: Steve Runs a Marathon in Every State

October 16, 2026 / marniesteve / Leave a comment

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.

Highlights from Five Months on the Road

February 29, 2024 / marniesteve / Leave a comment

We are about to arrive home after a five month road trip that has taken us over 10,000 miles through 14 states. There have been highs and some lows (thanks, COVID), and we continue to focus on the highs and the tremendous opportunity we have to explore our country while towing our home behind us.

Camping in Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Canyon, Texas

When we travel towards home, we always reflect on our journey and discuss our personal highlights. Here’s what we came up with this time around. Details about each can be found in earlier blog posts and we’ve linked to those where possible.

Marnie’s highlights

Kentucky’s Horse Experiences – From a semi-private, backstretch tour of Churchill Downs to meeting some of the world’s most famous (and expensive) stallions at Claiborne Farms, our time in and around Louisville and Lexington was unforgettable.

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta – Attending the world famous event is a bucket list experience for most RVers. From early morning launches of hundreds of balloons to evening glows, we took it all in from every angle.

Taylor Swift’s Era’s Tour Movie with Brynn and other kid activities – Spending time with our nieces and nephews is always fun. We went to soccer games, basketball games, tumbling practice, to the golf course, Top Golf, and the shopping mall. Thanks to Lydia, Nate, Brynn, and Hudson for letting us hang out! The most memorable for me was seeing Taylor Swift’s concert movie with Brynn and sharing the excitement with her.

Steve’s highlights

Kayaking Fishing in the Florida Keys – Most mornings while we were in the Keys, Steve took his fishing kayak out around the bridges of the Overseas Highway. On most mornings he’d snag (and release) at least a dozen or more fish. Being on the open water, under the sunshine is a paradise for him.

Completing Four More Marathons – Races often determine our itinerary. This year we spent the fall passing through Indianapolis, Louisville, Huntsville, and Jackson to explore each city and for Steve to run 26.2 miles. Including this trip’s races he has now completed a marathon in 34 states and 44 total marathons. Races are always a highlight!

Bourbon Tasting – The first thing we did when we got into Kentucky was to buy the Bourbon Trail Passport book and begin to check the distilleries off page by page. We visited 15 distilleries and tasted at least four bourbons at each facility. You do the math. Steve says his favorite bourbon is the one in his hand!

A five-month trip, of course, has many memorable moments. The big events and the little moments all make this lifestyle so rewarding. Between seeing great RV friends in Tampa, discovering wonderful restaurants in the Keys, watching sunset over Mobile Bay, and visiting with family, this has been a great journey.

We’ve been RVing almost full time for almost four years. A lot people ask us about the details of our travels. Just for fun, here are some stats about this winter’s cross-country adventure.

Nights in the RV: 153

Nights parked in the family’s driveways: 10 (thanks Brian, Heidi, Gary, and Kristy!)

Number of KOA campgrounds visited: 6
(Grants, NM; Nashville, TN; Orlando, FL; Sugarloaf Key, FL; St. Petersburg/Madiera Beach, FL; Shreveport/Bossier City, LA)

Number of Harvest Host overnights: 6
(Fireside Winery, Marengo, IA; Epiphany Farms, Downs, IL; Corbin Farms Winery, Calera, AL; Lane Southern Orchards, Fort Valley, GA, NRS Ranch, Decatur, TX; Sierra Blanca Brewing Co., Moriarity, NM)

Nights camping on a landfill: 7 (during the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta)

Number of state parks visited: 10
(My Old Kentucky Home, Bardstown, KY; Gulf State Park, Gulf Shores, AL; Paynes Prairie Preserve, Micanopy, FL; Jonathan Dickinson, Jupiter, FL; John Pennekamp Coral Reef, Key Largo, FL; Little Manatee River, Wimauma, FL; Fort Desoto, Tierra Verde, FL; Meaher, Mobile, AL; Palo Duro Canyon, Canyon, TX; Homolovi, Winslow, AZ)

Number of books read by Marnie: 24 (favorite titles include Between Two Kingdoms by Sulieka Jaouad, Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult, Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe, America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray, and Horse by Geraldine Brooks)

The first photo in this post is from our stop at Palo Duro Canyon, where we stopped on our way home. Here’s roughly the same photo from the next morning. We experienced ash and smoke in Amarillo two days ago from the massive Texas fires. Now it’s snowing just 30 miles south of Amarillo. RV travel never ceases to surprie!

We’ll be at home in Arizona for awhile to repair, refresh, and renew ourselves and the RV. Stay tuned as we have some pretty incredible travel plans ahead.

Childhood Memories Ignited in Louisville

November 5, 2023 / marniesteve / 2 Comments

Evoking childhood memories made our time in Louisville, Kentucky even more special than expected. We came for a marathon, but left with lots of warm feels.

You might not know that Steve’s dream job is to be the shortstop for the Kansas City Royals. If his dream comes true he will no doubt hit with a Louisville Slugger. The Louisville Slugger factory and museum introduced us to the process used to make the legendary bats that major leaguers since Honus Wagner have used. We learned how the wood is sourced and crafted into unique versions for big leaguers and sandlot players alike. “Meeting” baseball’s historical figures including Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson reinforced just how influential Louisville Sluggers have been to America’s national pastime.

Did you know big league hitters create a unique template for a bat that works best for them and then order that bat over and over? There are over 3,000 templates in the bat vault from which more unique bats can be designed. Holding some of the most famous major leaguers’ game-used bats left us feeling like maybe the dream is possible. For Steve, this visit was filled with nostalgia.

My childhood revolved around horses. The first Sunday in May was always spent watching the Kentucky Derby with Dad. He would talk about why certain horses looked stronger than others and why the Derby was such an important race, the first in the Triple Crown. Every year we picked our favorites and cheered them on through the television screen. Visiting Churchill Downs was nostalgic for me.

The Museum is the gateway to Derby history

We took the “Go Baby Go” tour which offered the most in depth look at Churchill Downs and its history. With our guide and just one other couple, we had full access to the barns, the backstretch, and all the areas in between the legendary twin spires. In the backstretch we watched morning workouts around the one mile track. In the barns we met the lead ponies and fed them peppermints. Our visit to the barns of some of the most famous trainers in Derby history reminded me of being in barns as a kid. The sights and smells brought it all back!

After exploring the backstretch, we returned to the grandstands where we toured many of the spectator areas, including the terraces next to the famed twin spires. Television coverage of the Run for the Roses often features shots of celebrities in these coveted seats. The views of the track from the elevated terraces are certainly spectacular.

There are many luxury seating options at Churchill Downs. Many are filled with high rollers on Derby day. One coveted area is Millionaires Row. On Derby day seating in this all-inclusive area starts at around $5,300 per person. Our tour included lunch in Millionaires Row, along with a great view of the day’s racing. Our guide even helped us place our bets. We weren’t big winners, but it was a day that brought back so many sweet memories and one I’ll never forget.

In between all the childhood reflections, we put our bikes on the trails near the RV park. We camped at North Louisville Campground, just blocks from the Ohio River. Quick, “get your blood flowing” rides were a nice way to lead up to the marathon and provided some pretty cool views over the river to the Louisville skyline. For those of you into geography, you’ll know that the campground and trails were actually in Indiana.

While in Louisville, Steve completed a marathon in his 32nd state. With an early start, just as the sun was rising, Steve took off for his 26.2 miles through the Kentucky hills. An hour later I started the 6.2 mile (10K) race. We both finished in respectable times and celebrated at the finish line with a beer and a piece of Derby pie (pecan pie with chocolate). The Louisville Marathon was a success!

While our time in Louisville is concluding, our time in Kentucky continues with more bourbon and horses. We’ll provide a full report once we’ve left the state!

Marnie and Steve Travel

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Louisville Marathon

26.2 x 50: Steve Runs a Marathon in Every State

Highlights from Five Months on the Road

Childhood Memories Ignited in Louisville