The year 2024 was filled with athletic achievements for the Sault’s Theresa Mudge.
Mudge, an experienced runner, completed the Tokyo Marathon in March and the New York City Marathon in November.
Marathons are gruelling 42-kilometre runs.
By completing the Tokyo and New York City Marathons, Mudge is now a Six Star Marathon Finisher, having run in six Abbott World Marathon Majors held annually across the globe in Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York City, and Tokyo.
It was recently announced that the TCS Sydney Marathon will become the seventh Abbott World Marathon Major in 2025.
Mudge previously ran in Chicago in 2009 and 2022, Boston in 2010 and 2011, Berlin in 2015 and London in 2023.
Her personal best running time in a major is 3:40:26, achieved in Chicago in 2009.
For Mudge, the New York City Marathon was not only an athletic achievement but a personal one in which she drew heavily from her reserves of mental and emotional strength.
“I ran it in 4:38:48, my slowest marathon time ever.
"This wasn’t my fastest race, but it was my most meaningful because it taught me that sometimes showing up is a victory and finishing is a triumph. Honestly, those last 10 kilometres were brutal but completely worth it. I followed my son’s advice. He said ‘just put one foot in front of the other,’” Mudge said in an interview with SooToday.
Mudge intended to run a fast race in New York to complete six Abbott World Major Marathons but many other factors, including the demands of studying in a Master of Business Administration program, drastically cut into her training time.
“My focus shifted from chasing speed to simply surviving,” Mudge said.
“At first, it felt like I was letting myself down by not aiming for a personal best and I even considered not running at all.
"But as race day approached, I decided this marathon wasn’t going to be about the clock. It was about showing up for myself, no matter what. For me, crossing the finish line wasn’t just about completing the race. It was about the courage to try.”
Mudge described crossing the finish line as joyful.
"It was exhilarating. That's precisely why I love running. We are so much more capable than we know.”
Marathon runners have stated that they enjoy a sense of camaraderie with their fellow athletes and the cheers of thousands of spectators as they run through a city’s streets.
“In New York, I could hear this humming sound. It sounded like bees. It was actually the echo of thousands and thousands of spectators cheering us on as we turned onto First Avenue.
"It was electric. It was the most amazing experience. In New York, there was encouragement from two million spectators and 55,000 fellow runners. Two million people lined the streets,” Mudge said.
Marathons are also prime examples of sports tourism.
Runners get to take in the sights of a city as they strive to finish the course.
“The highlights for me from New York were Manhattan’s crowds, Brooklyn’s streets and the finish in Central Park. It was unforgettable. In London you get to run across Tower Bridge, you see Buckingham Palace, Big Ben. In Tokyo, you see the Imperial Palace. In Berlin, you see the Brandenburg Gate. That’s a neat thing about these races. You run by these iconic landmarks and you also get to experience the local vibrance,” Mudge said.
Prior to New York, Mudge ran the Tokyo Marathon in March with a finishing time of 4:29:39.
“Tokyo was a unique running experience,” Mudge said.
Strict rules govern every detail of that annual event.
“Water stations are assigned by the last number on your bib and going to the wrong one means no water. If you toss your trash outside designated zones it means immediate disqualification.
"After the race, you’d never know tens of thousands had run through the streets. They’re spotless. Runners were even advised not to overhydrate because portable toilets could be up to a kilometre off course. That's a daunting prospect for anyone running a marathon,” Mudge said.
Despite the strict organization, Mudge said that Tokyo possesses a certain warmth.
“Spectators cheer with a politeness and enthusiasm in Japan. There’s no jostling or shouting, just a calm, encouraging energy that makes you feel supported every step of the way.”
Fellow Saultite Rick Fall also ran in Tokyo, finishing the race with an injured Achilles tendon.
By running in Tokyo, Fall became a Six Star Marathon Finisher.
“I’m so proud of Rick," Mudge said.
"I reconnected with American friends from Wisconsin and Illinois who had run Berlin and London with me and they also completed their six stars in Tokyo with Rick. For me, Tokyo wasn’t just about the race. It was about the bonds I’ve built through running. These marathons have given me close friends.”
During peak marathon training she runs 80 to 90 kilometres a week, sticks to a proper diet and gets enough rest.
“That’s the gold standard for preparation. My prep for the New York City Marathon was more hope and a prayer than structured. Life got busy with work, family and my studies but somehow, standing at the start line with thousands of other runners, I was ready,” Mudge said.
A Sault College health informatics professor, Mudge has been participating in marathons for the past 18 years, her first in Milwaukee in 2007.
Apart from running several half marathons and other long-distance events, she also ran a 107-kilometre ultramarathon in Utah in 2018 as a fundraiser for ARCH, bringing in $7,000 for the local hospice.
Mudge said she is far from finished with marathons.
Though she has not yet made any firm arrangements on the calendar, Mudge said she plans to run in Sydney as well as the Antarctic Ice Marathon, the Cape Town Marathon in Africa and the Patagonia Marathon in South America.
Running in each of those marathons will be fulfillment of her goal to run on all seven continents.
“There are two annual traditions I've had for every year since 2008. I run the year in kilometres so that means I’ll run 25 kilometres in one day in 2025.”
She ran that 25 kilometres on Wednesday - New Year’s Day.
“I also run my years in kilometres on my birthday in April. That's an ultramarathon distance at this point,” Mudge said with a laugh, adding she enjoys the challenge of keeping those traditions going.
Mudge said marathons have reminded her of the importance of resilience and discipline.
“Running has strengthened my mindset and improved my health. Crossing the finish line is about discovering what you’re truly made of.”
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