She laced up running shoes for the first time 45 years ago — 99 marathons later she’s still running strong

When Sandy Straley laced up her first pair of running shoes 45 years ago, she had no idea how that decision would shape her life.

At the time, she was a 25-year-old wife and mother looking to get in better shape.

But decades later — and thousands of miles — Straley is preparing for a milestone not many achieve.

Three weeks after celebrating her 70th birthday, she’ll be lining up for her 100th marathon.

“I guess it’s a milestone,” Sandy said, before admitting to feeling a little more anxiety than normal about Thursday’s 55th running of the Deseret News Marathon. “Well, with all the pressure, yeah, it matters, because … I want to get to 100. So, yeah, it’s probably more pressure, but I know I have to finish.”

After 99 marathon finishes, is she really worried she might come up short?

“Never say never,” she said, with only a hint of a smile. “You just never know.”

Special place in her heart

In all those races, she said this marathon holds a special place in her heart. Not only was it her first marathon back in 1984, but she got to give her family a little something extra to cheer about as they waited for the start of the annual 24th of July Parade.

“The Straleys always had a spot on the parade route, so in my faster days, I was able to come down the parade route,” she said. “It was always fun to come down the parade route, and everybody was out supporting you. … That was probably one of the better ones.”

So why did she keep running 26.2 miles all these years? “I guess, peer pressure,” she said laughing. “It’s the same 26.2 miles, but it’s always a challenge. We’ve had some fun. I wouldn’t probably have seen as many places had I not been doing marathons. We went over to Berlin, and we just got back from Washington. And, you know, I’ve seen a lot of the different parts of the country running.”

She said you get a “feel for the place” you’re visiting when you explore it on foot.

All in the family

And while she’ll have to cover those miles on her own 70-year-old feet on Thursday, she won’t have to wait for the pre-dawn start alone. Her daughter, Julie Brand; son-in-law, Clayton Brand; niece Kim Paulding; and great-nephew Charlie Garvin are among the family members planning to run with her. Well, at least they’ll start with her — and cheer her on at the finish.

This race will be the first marathon for Garvin and Clayton Brand.

Garvin, 23, said he’s been running as long as he can remember.

“Everyone’s just always run my whole life, so it’s just what I did,” he said. “I stopped for a bit (after high school), but now I’m doing a marathon this month and an ultra marathon in a few months.”

Running a marathon would be special, regardless of the race. But for Garvin, it means a little more because he’s lining up with his family.

“It’s fun to be able to do it with Sandy and my mom (Kim Paulding) and so many other people from the family,” he said. “Leading up to race day (I’ll feel) anxious, but as soon as I get there, it will be more fun than anything.”

Kim Paulding knows her son is faster than her, so she’s trying to decide if she stays with Straley to finish her aunt’s 100th marathon with her — or leave the race course early so she can see her son finish his first marathon.

“That’s been a big agony,” she said. “I think it will be a race-day decision.”

The gift of running

Paulding has run with Straley in too many places to list, but she said their races are about more than medals and finishing times.

“Health and friendships,” she said of what running has given her. “I have different groups that I run with on different days, and it’s fun to just maintain those friendships over long periods of time. You see people through their ups and downs, and through joy and grief, and I think that’s been the best part.”

While the marathon will also be Clayton Brand’s first, for his wife, Julie, it will be her second.

And while she never aspired to run marathons like her mom, she recently realized just how much seeing her mom train and race may have shaped her life.

“I have three girls, and last night, I was like, ‘You need to go to bed. I’ve got to wake up and run,’” she said. “And I walked out and I’m like, ‘I sound just like my mom.’”

Julie said it didn’t seem weird to have a mother who was always training for a marathon.

“We got to go on trips with our family, so it was just fun,” she said.

But after her first marathon a few years ago, she vowed never to run 26.2 miles again.

“This is my husband’s first marathon, and he is the one who convinced us to run another marathon,” she said. “I had to take (training) slow because I fractured my femur, and was told I could never run a marathon again. And of course, you know, you have that mentality of, ‘I’m going to prove you wrong.’”

Everyone in the family has their own reasons for committing to Thursday’s race, but they’re inspired to also be part of Straley’s extraordinary milestone. And the matriarch is incredibly grateful that she’s healthy enough to line up for her 100th marathon. But she’s overjoyed that so many of her loved ones will be part of such a memorable day.

“To me, that is very exciting,” Straley said. “And I’m so happy because I found so much joy in running. It’s such a lifelong sport that I’d like to see everybody get into. I just love it.”

Deseret News Marathon history

The Deseret News Marathon is the oldest marathon in Utah and the fourth oldest in the western United States. The only year the race wasn’t a part of the state’s Pioneer Day celebration was in 2020 because of COVID concerns.

This year will likely be the largest event with more than 4,000 runners in all of the races — the marathon, half-marathon, 10K, 5K and 1K. For the first time, there will be a marathon relay, according to race director Corbin Talley. Teams of four people can share the 26.2 miles.

“We’re very excited for that and the fun it might bring,” Talley said. “The race expo on July 23 is at Liberty Park this year right at the finish line for the first time. We’re really excited for the energy that we’ll see having both the expo and the finish line at the park.”

Talley said this year could be one of the most competitive races they’ve ever had, as Utah has become a hotbed for elite distance runners.

This year’s favorites

Here are some of the favorites to compete for prize money in this year’s races:

• Men’s 10K — Habs Cheney (UVU grad, 2024 champ); Travis Feeny (SUU grad); Jake Heslington (BYU Grad); JaQuavious Harris (SLCC grad; past winner)
• Women’s 10K — Makenna Myler (BYU grad, past 1/2 marathon champ); Savannah Berry (UVU grad; past 10K champ)
• Men’s 1/2 Marathon — Kevin Kirk (Weber State grad, 2024 champ); Jordan Cross (Weber State grad, past champ); Dalton Mortensen (BYU runner)
• The women’s half-marathon might be the most competitive, while the men’s marathon looks to be the most wide-open, Talley said.
• Women’s 1/2 Marathon — Madey Dickson (BYU grad, 2024 champ); Morgan Jensen (University of Utah grad, recent All-American); Hannah Branch (UVU grad and current coach); Analee Weaver (USU runner); Janel Zick (last year’s marathon champ); Kylie Mantz (BYU, Connor Mantz wife)
• Men’s Marathon — Josh Perkins (third last year); Max Jones (SUU grad)
• Women’s Marathon — Ashley Paulson (multiple time champ); Jennifer Smith (third last year); Sarah Cummings Jones (2:34 personal best)