Three Generations, One Starting Line

Three Generations, One Starting Line: A Women’s History Month Reflection

In 1972, women were officially allowed to run the marathon.

That’s not ancient history. It’s within a lifetime.

Before then, women like Kathrine Switzer had to quite literally fight their way onto the course. The idea that women could endure long distances was dismissed, discouraged, and often outright banned.

Fast forward just a few decades, and I find myself coaching something incredibly rare - and incredibly powerful:

Three generations of women.
All runners.
All still showing up.

Margaret (80), her daughter Jennie, and Jennie’s daughters Laura and Sara Beth each have their own relationship with running. But together, they tell a story that stretches far beyond miles and finish lines - it’s a story about access, resilience, and what becomes possible when one generation opens the door for the next.

Margaret: Running Before It Was Common

Margaret didn’t grow up in a world where women’s distance running was normalized. Like many women of her generation, she found running later in life - sparked by something simple and relatable: inspiration. After getting sick she began prioritizing her health.

A friend introduced her to running, and what began as short runs quickly turned into something more. “I finished each time with a highly positive spirit,” she shared. That feeling gave her the confidence to keep going.

And keep going she did.

Margaret went on to accomplish something remarkable - qualifying as a masters athlete to run the original Greek Marathon in 1988 through an international exchange program. At a time when opportunities for women in endurance sports were still expanding, she wasn’t just participating - she was excelling.

Even now, at 80 (almost 81), she’s still focused on improving: working on speed, hills, and longer distances.

Running has taught her balance. When to push. When to rest. When to simply enjoy the environment around her. She has come to love the time that she gets to run - so much so that as her Coach, I have to hold her back!

That wisdom is the kind you don’t learn from a training plan.

It’s earned over decades.

Jennie: Running for Freedom and Perspective

Jennie’s story begins at 17, after stepping away from basketball. One day, she laced up her shoes and ran down a busy road - and everything changed.

“It gave me a sense of freedom I had never felt before.”

That sense of freedom is something many runners recognize immediately. It’s not about pace or performance - it’s about space. Mental, emotional, physical.

Now, Jennie is training for a half marathon with a goal of breaking two hours. But like many athletes, her biggest challenge isn’t physical - it’s mental.

After cramping at mile 24 in her last marathon and missing her Boston qualifying time, she’s working through fear and rebuilding confidence.

Still, her perspective is grounded: showing up matters.

“I truly enjoy the challenge of the workouts and the sense of accomplishment that comes with finishing them. Even on days when a workout isn't my best, I am proud of myself for showing up and putting in the work.”

And perhaps her greatest accomplishment isn’t a time or a finish - it’s the example she’s set.

Her daughters didn’t just grow up around running. They grew up watching consistency, resilience, and strength in action.

Laura: Running as a Way of Life

For Laura, running wasn’t something she discovered - it was something she grew up with.

“My mom and grandma were always running around, so I just felt like it was a way of life.”

After transitioning from figure skating, she joined track in middle school and fell in love with racing. Now, she’s setting her sights on the 400m this summer - can we get more adult track meets!

Her approach is refreshingly honest:

“Challenges all the time! Sometimes it’s motivation, injuries, or just juggling life.”

But she keeps coming back to what running gives her:

Mental toughness.
Clarity.
And, as she puts it, “running can solve like 60% of your issues.”

She’s also completed a marathon - a full-circle moment in a family where endurance runs deep.

Her favorite quote: "I don't run to add days to my life, I run to add life to my days"

Sarabeth: Redefining What Success Looks Like

Sarabeth’s journey reflects a more modern evolution of the sport - not just physically, but mentally.

She started in high school after leaving figure skating. Her first "race" memory is when she ran the mile in elementary school and came in second after the fastest boy (major pride points here!). But, her relationship with running has deepened over time.

Now training for the San Francisco Marathon, her focus isn’t just on performance—it’s on presence.

“Success now means - did I pace correctly? Did I stay present with my body? Did I let unhelpful thoughts float away?”

That shift - from outcome to experience - is something many runners spend years trying to learn.

“I used to measure the success of a run by the speed of it, the longer distances are teaching me how to be present with myself. I can't push through with brute force because I need to last for a long time.”

Running, for her, has become a meditative practice.

It’s also helped her reclaim her identity as an athlete in adulthood - something many people feel they lose after organized sports end.

And like the generations before her, she carries the influence forward. Running has always been something talked about in her family. “I have some cute memories of bragging to people at school that "my mom runs six miles every morning" and how impressed they'd be.”

“I feel like running is in my bones.”

More Than Miles

What makes this family so special isn’t just that they run.

It’s that they represent something bigger.

Margaret’s generation ran when opportunities were limited.
Jennie’s generation expanded those opportunities.
Laura and Sarabeth are now redefining what running can look like - physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Three generations.

Still moving forward.

Still learning.

Still showing up.

And while I’ve had the privilege of coaching three generations in this family, the story doesn’t stop there. Jennie’s third daughter, Kathleen, carries the same thread forward—running when life allows in New York City, and having already completed a half marathon and a 10-miler.

In a sport where women weren’t even allowed to officially compete in the marathon until 1972, that kind of continuity is rare.

And it’s worth celebrating.

Not just during Women’s History Month - but every time they lace up their shoes.