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Local Woman Runs 26.2 Miles Alone After Facing Challenges

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- One local woman is inspiring others to never give up, despite the obstacles life throws at you.

Lisa Jackson said she would never run a full marathon, but thanks to the motivation of her friends she signed up to run the 2016 Philadelphia Marathon.

Despite the crazy wind gusts that day, Lisa managed to finish the race but she wasn't happy with her performance. So, she decided to give it another shot and trained all winter for her second marathon in Delaware this past Sunday.

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"I planned, worked hard, showed up on time, and ran a great start to the race," said Lisa. "Then it all went down hill."

Lisa says there was a section of the course that wasn't clearly marked and had no course Marshal in sight.

"I was misdirected off course. I didn't figure it out until three miles later, when it was too late to recover from," said Lisa.

Once again, she was faced with another obstacle.

"As any runner knows, nothing can ease the sting of not getting to run your race after working so hard for it," said Lisa. "I got there but six hours later."

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So, on Monday Lisa ran her own marathon - 26.2 miles - alone. No crowds to cheer her on, no finish line to cross, and no medal to take.

"I bested last year's marathon finish time by 16 minutes. I cried when I hit the magic number on my GPS watch," said Lisa.

She says she hopes to inspire others with her story.

"Work hard and run your race, even in the face of adversity. And when things don't originally go as planned, stay positive and find a way to get it there," said Lisa.

 

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