After Rose Ann Bourgeois Jolly ’68 ran her first marathon from Lafayette, Louisiana to Crowley, Louisiana (her home state) in 1978, she promised she would never run another one.
"It was 92 degrees, there was a shortage of water, and I almost collapsed from heat exhaustion," she remembered.
Yet, Rose Ann didn’t hesitate to lace up her running shoes for another try when she heard about the 50 States & D.C. Marathon Group U.S.A., requiring members to complete a marathon in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Since 1995, she’s run an average of five marathons a year, including 26.2-mile finishes in Alaska and Hawaii, and completed her 50th State in Marathon, Iowa in June 2006.
"When I joined a running group in the early ’90s, I trained for and completed some half marathons. That’s when I heard about the 50 States and DC Group," she said. "This was a great excuse to visit every state and I love to travel."
Rose Ann’s favorite marathons include the Bayshore Marathon in Traverse City, Michigan, Twin Cities Marathon in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota and the Portland Marathon in Oregon. "There were so many others that were special, as I had a lot of friends and family who would come out to support me and met so many new life-long friends along the way," she said.
That doesn’t mean there weren’t bumps along the way. The past year of training and completing the last few states got really tough. One year, she did two marathons in one weekend. "It was crazy, but I did kill two birds with one stone," she admitted. In Hawaii, she endured long flights and ran the marathon without knowing a single person. In Alaska, she had some support. "My brother and his wife did meet me out there, but again the flights were long and it was a hard race with rain most of the way," she remembered.
Finishing her last marathon to complete her goal seemed fitting in Marathon, Iowa. Fifteen family members, including husband Jerry, and friends made the trip to watch Rose Ann cross the finish line. "The support made such a difference," she said.
Rose Ann, a financial analyst at Kansas City Power Light for the past seven years, is a life-long sports lover. As a St. Agnes Academy student, she was a member of the French Club, but also participated in intramural sports like softball, volleyball and tennis. Running wasn’t a primary form of exercise. "I ran if I had to," she admitted. Today, she’s running at least 20 miles per week, with a long run on the weekend of 12 to 18 miles. She also recently completed the Chicago Marathon. Her hope is to maintain her current training and run a marathon for each year she’s lived.
"I love running! It makes me feel good," she said. "It’s not for everybody, but the freedom of going out the door and running for several hours is indescribable, unless you’ve done it."
