- Amanda Walker Johnson, Anthropology
A seasoned marathon runner, Beth Davenport ’83 knows that it takes
time and devotion to run a marathon in every state. Hailing from
Massachusetts, she returned to the East Coast last September to run
in the Clarence Demar Marathon in Keene, New Hampshire. She finished
the 26.2-mile run in less than five hours, her average time over
the past couple of years. When asked about the feeling of crossing
the finish line, Davenport says, “I was elated, though it’s been
a long haul.” It was the culmination of her quest to run 50 marathons
in all 50 United States.
In 1992, Davenport ran her first marathon. It wasn’t until nine years
later that she learned about the fledgling 50
States Marathon Club and decided to join. She said the prospect of running a marathon
in every state “sounded like a great goal.” Davenport joined the
club in 2001 with already 20 marathons in different states behind
her. Since then, she has been tying on her running shoes for an average
of six marathons a year to meet her goal.
Davenport, who now lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is the first member of the club to join from New Mexico and is the first person in her state to have completed marathons in all 50 states. She’s not sure what will come next. Davenport says a possible goal will be to run 100 marathons before she turns 50, though she doesn’t promise this. Among her other endeavors, she says she will act as a consultant for other runners in the club who are trying to determine what races they should run in New Mexico.
