Pam and Wayne Begnaud joined 50 States Half Marathon Club last spring of 2023. Pam had a chance to share her journey, and hoping to inspire many of you along the way.
Pam Begnaud's Journey
We (my Husband Wayne - Bubba) started our running journey in our early 50's. We
will turn 62 and 65 this year. The thought of taking the Running Challenge of 50 Half
Marathons in 50 States began when we were running Little Rock in March of 2022,
sitting in our camper I kept watching runners on Social Media running 50 States, and
that peaked my interest. I asked Bubba if he would like to run all 50 States - He is very
easy going - He replied - "Whatever you want to do Pam". It was full steam ahead,
planning with a google doc, race raves map, researching and more researching.
We are currently still working, and will retire at the end of 2024. With that said, I tried to plan as many double and triple states in one trip, to save on expenses and time off. We also work with Travel Machine - Maegan Sonnier (a local travel agency) for flights, hotels and
any other travel arrangements. Maegan is as much a part of this journey as we are!
Bubba has always been a front of the pack runner, most of the time, getting a chance
to stand on the Podium with a Medal. I've been a back of the pack participant, enjoying the run and taking pictures. This past year, Bubba has faced some injuries, and we now run together. His pacing has pushed me to hit PR's I never thought possible.
Currently, we are at 18 states completed and registered for 12 states / races in
2024 - Nevada, Georgia, South and North Carolina, Virginia/West Virginia, Oklahoma,
North Dakota, Washington, South Dakota, Illinois and Michigan. That will put us at
30 States at the end of 2024, 19 races / states on our list in 2025, and God willing, our last
state / race in January of 2026. Once completed, we will do it all over again! Instead
of flying, we plan to travel via our camper, take our time and enjoy the scenery. I've already
started listing the races / states we want to hit! Run Disney is on the top of the list for
2027, if we can get in. Trying to learn all the tips and tricks now, to be able to bring our
granddaughter and family!
Along the Journey we have met some amazing people we now call friends, and have learned so much from being a part of the 50 States Half Marathon Club. The USA is a beautiful country and we have seen some amazing places!!
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