Yes, You Can Walk During a Race

When I started racing, I thought I had to run every step of every race. That's what makes you a runner, right?

- Words by Aly Ellis Illustration by Ryan Johnson

Wrong!

During my first marathon, in 2018 - my first race of this distance - I ran almost the whole way through. The only breaks I allowed myself were at the aid stations, where I walked to get full sips. To keep running continuously, I had basically shuffled the whole second half of the race, embarrassed and a little demoralised. The next day, in addition to being in pain, I beat myself up because it took me so long to finish. I was afraid to attempt another marathon for fear that I would always end up feeling bad about myself.

But a good cause reeled me back in. To raise money for cancer research, I signed up for a four-race series that previously I'd sworn I'd never do: a 5K, 10K, half marathon and full marathon, one day after the next. It was intimidating, but I was ready to take on a new challenge.