who are you
running for?

Every endurance athlete has one race
to run for someone else.

Every runner has one race and one medal to give for someone. One Medal is a program that promotes the gift of encouragement and empowerment for people who are going through what appears to be insurmountable adversity.

– Tom Garrity

One Medal for Jack and Patty

One Medal for Jack and Patty

When I was born, I came out as a surprise!! I know right, a surprise?? What I mean by “surprise” is that the doctors told my parents I was going to be a baby boy.  “Surprise…” you have a healthy, baby girl! My parents were ready with a name for a baby boy, but...

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One Medal for Grandma Hilde

One Medal for Grandma Hilde

My name is Gwen Walker, and I'm running the Durango Double Trail and Road Half Marathons the weekend of October 11/12, for my grandma Hilde, who passed away in 2008. Grandma Hilde (Hildegarde Josephine Schmiedebusch- try to say THAT three times, fast!) is my dad's...

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#StrongForMJ

#StrongForMJ

Jenn’s One Medal run is for her friend MJ.  Here is her story: Monica (MJ) and I met during our first semester at Eastern New Mexico University in the Fall of 1998. We pledged the same woman's fraternity, Zeta Tau Alpha, and became instant friends. As things will...

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Coast to Coast for Ernie’s Friends

Coast to Coast for Ernie’s Friends

How do you put everything you know about Ernie Andrus into a box? You don’t. He is 91 years old, retired from the Navy and started his journey a week after his wife was laid to rest.  Ernie’s journey is to run from the coast of the Pacific Ocean to the coast of...

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Time to Run

Time to Run

“You want to know how many miles it takes to get from point A to point B? Ask a runner.” Those are just some of the great words of wisdom by my friend Kent. A former runner and a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals (we can’t all be perfect), Kent is the senior pastor of a...

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Running the Half for “Mr. Jack”

Running the Half for “Mr. Jack”

The 2013 Albuquerque Half Marathon included a run with a little extra step in these 50 years of life.  It was a “One Medal” race for my honoree “Mr. Jack.”  My connection to him is through his life partner, also my aunt, Paula. A father of twin sons and a...

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Running for my Daddy

Running for my Daddy

An Albuquerque native, Amanda has been running for the past two years.  She has about as many running routes as musical tastes, ranging from techno to rap to country and classic rock. On April 19th, Amanda will run and tackle The Albuquerque Half Marathon, her...

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Running for Cancer Survivors

By Coren Anderson I have run for many different reasons and have run in honor of cancer survivors. For Rachael, a young cancer survivor who I met when someone put the crazy idea in my head that at the age of 37 it would be fun to learn to run. For my dear friend...

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Running for a Marine

Running for a Marine

by Christine Ford I started running in early 2011 for myself. My life had become pretty stagnant after an unconscionable series of events took place with a bad neighbor where we were living in Peralta. My husband and I were pretty much forced to move just to keep our...

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Running for Julia

Running for Julia

When my oldest son was in first grade, he introduced to me, through his stories, a girl in his class named Julia. I had the opportunity to see her briefly at an Open House early in the school year. Fiery red hair and a gorgeous smile, Julia lit up the room. It was...

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about the author

In January 2010, I started a journey of encouragement for others with a two-mile training run for my first marathon. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to run numerous endurance races as an encouragement for others. This website is where we share One Medal moments with a spirit of encouragement and motivation.

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