RICHMOND, Va. β Richmond woman Christina Mayhugh is turning 50 on Saturday and she's celebrating in a way that only 1% of the population does: by running her first marathon.
Inside Crunch Fitness in Scott's Addition, the 25-year commercial real estate broker has been putting in the work since June, training for the Allianz Richmond Marathon that falls on her actual 50th birthday.
"I am turning 50 years old on November 15," Mayhugh said. "Back in the early spring, I realized that the Richmond Marathon is going to fall on my actual 50th birthday, and I just figured that the stars were aligning, and it wasn't going to get any easier."
Running isn't entirely new to Mayhugh, who has participated in the Monument Avenue 10K for the past 22 years and completed a half-marathon in 2014. However, she wouldn't consider herself a runner until now.
"It's always been a bucket list for me, and I've always wanted to run a marathon," Mayhugh said.
What makes her training unique is that she's completed all 420 miles across 70 runs and 75 hours entirely on a treadmill at Crunch.
"Yeah, not conventional," Mayhugh admitted. "It was a very controlled environment. It didn't matter if it rained. There was no excuses. Crunch is always pretty much open."
I'm on my 23rd week of training, and I started at mile one," she said. "Today, I get to run only four miles. That's my short run for today."
Her corner crew at Crunch has been instrumental in her success, starting with coach Roz Ginn, who encouraged her from the beginning.
"When she told me she was thinking about it. I said, 'Do it,'" Ginn said. "She always shows up, always enthusiastic, has never missed a session."
When her body does tire, like during her longest run β a 20-miler that took four hours on the treadmill β her support system at home keeps her going.
"My husband, Chuck, has been a great supporter," Mayhugh said. "Honestly, even my last run, I was struggling at the end, mile 15, 16, 17, 18. And he was texting me the whole way. He's like, 'You got this. Keep going.' And I'm like, 'I'm struggling.' He's like, 'Dig deep.'"
Mayhugh has a clear vision for race day.
"I have this mental image when I'm crossing the finish line of those confetti poppers just going off and just celebrating and just enjoying it," she said.
Her journey is inspiring others at Crunch and beyond.
"When you see someone who's turning 50 that is doing something that only 1% of the population does, that makes me excited about getting older. It's like, 'Oh, my gosh, there's so much to do, not so much I should have done,'" Ginn said.
Mayhugh hopes her story motivates others to pursue their goals regardless of age.
"I hope I can inspire somebody at any age to go and do it, set your goal, set a path to it, and just accomplish it," she said.
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