Challenges that CIM athletes have overcome to get to the starting line

Jeff Dowling, 45 years old, from Wellington, Florida.

Why is he running?: “Just love to run.”

The challenge he overcame to get to the starting line CIM: “Over 45 years old and running 100 miles a week. That’s the challenge right there. The months before that you have to survive. ”

Kristen Forderer, 44, is from Sacramento and is running her third marathon and second CIM race.

“I’m excited to run CIM,” she said. “It’s fun and it’s in our hometown and the people watching are amazing.”

Why is she running?: “My favorite thing about running are the people I met through my golden national coaching group.”

The challenge she overcame to get to the CIM starting line: “I think keeping myself through trauma and pain is my biggest challenge.”

Dan Watterson, 36, is from Sacramento and is running his first marathon.

Why is he running?: “I have been training very hard for the past five months. I started running because of COVID when I was laid off, so running was a relief for me.”

The challenge he overcame to get to the starting line CIM: “I had a severe stomach flu that hit my house a month and a half ago and I tried to run but I got a relapse.”

Carolyn Macola, 59, from Loomis. She has done more than 50 marathons. This will be her third CIM race.

“I’ve done alphabet marathons,” she says, “You run a marathon in a location that starts with each letter of the alphabet. I’ve learned the alphabet and am now working my way through the states. ”

Why is she running?: “It’s just a good exercise. Kind of like life. Sometimes things go right and sometimes things go wrong. But like a race, life goes on.”

“I like CIM because it’s so close to home and it’s a flat course,” she says.

Jose Aria, 37 years old, is from Costa Rica and is running his 10th marathon. This is his first visit to CIM.

Why is he running?: “I don’t know why I’m running. It is just fun. Use CIM to qualify for Boston. I want three hours faster. I want to do Boston because it’s the biggest race in the world.”

The challenge he overcame to get to the starting line CIM: “One challenge is the cold. We don’t have this kind of weather at home”

Bogdan Ambrozewicz, 68, is from Greenwood, California and is running his 32nd CIM.

“This was one of the first marathons I’ve ever done so I wanted to keep the record for as long as I could,” he said. “I love the race and the people who come and support the race. I’m glad we have CIM again. I skated last year and I’m sure most marathoners do too.”

Why is he running?: “Running a marathon is an accomplishment. It’s not just the finish line. It’s a journey on the go. “

Lyndia Orban, 70, is from Dana Point, California and is running in her eighth CIM – this is her 11th marathon overall.

“I love it. I love the people I meet. It keeps me young,” she said.

Why does she run: “I love running at this age because I can finish last in my age group and people are still impressed. “