Our 2021 May Runner Spotlight is on Maryellen Winn. Maryellen is a Steeler, Penguin, and Phillies fan! She also graduated from the University of Notre Dame. She began running at age 60 when her daughter recommended she start running. Shortly after when she was at Disney World, she saw another women who had just finished a 5k and thought she could do that too! The next year, she ran the Disney 5k. Now her husband accompanies her to the races, but as a result of health problems, he no longer runs. He was a 2-mile state champion in high school, and he had placed in the top hundred of the Boston Marathon. Maryellen does over one-hundred races a year and she has three states remaining to complete a run in every state. Her biggest running accomplishment was finishing her first half marathon in Deadwood, South Dakota. The one race she has on her bucket list is the Dopey Challenge at Disney World.
Maryellen enjoys our races because of all of the runners, how they know her name, the great incentives, and the interesting courses! Running has changed her life by now having a common hobby with her family, she has more energy now, and travelling to new towns in the country for races! She looks forward to a more “normal routine” where we can travel to finish up the remaining three states in her 50 state challenge!