Being a CEO mom is not just about what you do for a living or even achieving work/life balance. It’s about the sacrifices you make as a mom to show your children that there’s nothing they can’t do if they are willing to dream big enough. That was the sentiment among many moms who participated in the BMW Dallas Marathon’s 48th running, December 7-9, 2018.
Jessica Smith, member of the winning women’s relay team, Santa’s Speedy Helpers, said she wants to encourage her children to live a healthy lifestyle. “One of the things it teaches is that you are as old as you think you are. I just turned 41. Things are a little harder when it comes to trying to stay fit. You don’t recover the same, but I just want them [my children] to know that living a healthy lifestyle is awesome no matter what age you are and just to stay active and to never give up on your goals.”
The BMW Dallas Marathon featured an expanded portfolio of family friendly events. 20,000 participants took part during the weekend of festivities, with 16,000 running on Sunday, December 9 in a half marathon or full marathon as individuals or part of a relay team. Running through the beautiful city of Dallas including downtown Dallas, the exclusive Highland Park and the historic Lake Dallas and White Rock Lake, participants came from all walks of life and parts of the world to push their bodies to the ultimate limit. Twenty-six miles later, lives were transformed and dreams were realized beyond human capacity. From a marriage proposal at the finish line to a heart patient running with his doctor to a 41 year old mother who proved age and work/life balance are not dream killers, it was impossible to not be inspired by the BMW Dallas Marathon.
Running in her third BMW Dallas Marathon and her 41st marathon overall, 36 year old mom from Shreveport, LA, Amy Natalini, came in second in the full marathon for women, right behind the first place woman, Atlanta, GA runner, 28, Anna Corrigan. With a grueling training schedule that starts at 4:30 in the morning, Natalini says, “My husband and I both run for our daughter. We just want to prove to her that the world is her oyster and that you can do anything you put your mind and your body to.”
BMW Dallas Marathon aims to be on the front line in the fight to improve health and wellness in the community starting with families. This year marked the addition of a lineup of family-friendly events on Saturday, December 8, including a kids’ 100m, 400m, 800m and 1-mile, as well as the 2-mile, 5K and 10K. More than 2,700 runners participated. The family friendly fun also included a Health and Fitness Expo, which took place at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center on Friday, December 7, and Saturday, December 8. Families could visit health and fitness vendors, and children were able to enjoy inflatables and games inside the kids’ zone. Paul Lambert, BMW Dallas Marathon President, “We have a primary focus to get more kids engaged in health and fitness. Every race we develop will have a kids component to it.”
Since its partnership with BMW in 2016, BMW Dallas Marathon has hosted local races and programs throughout the year, leveraging the international appeal of the BMW brand. In 2019, BMW Dallas has several events slated to support other non-profits such as the Mayor’s Kids Race with about 10,000 kids from D.I.S.D. in April, and a corporate 5K to benefit the United Way in May.
For over 20 years, Scottish Rite Hospital, the leader in innovative orthopedic medicine for children, has been the beneficiary of the BMW Dallas Marathon, receiving over $4 million in contributions. This partnership continues to be one that changes lives and encourages community engagement. Bob Walker, Scottish Rite Hospital President, “The BMW Dallas Marathon has introduced us to so many people. People learn about the hospital and what we do.”
If you thought this year’s event was the best, then make plans for next year, because the 2019 BMW Dallas Marathon is introducing new concepts and even more community involvement. Lambert, “The next step is to focus more on the spectator experience. Next year you will see VIP seating at different locations. The second piece is to focus on community engagement. We are going to invest in the community, providing them with a lot of fan packs. We want to get the community even more encompassing and embraced in this event.”
Early registration for the 2019 BMW Dallas Marathon is now open. Visit https://www.bmwdallasmarathon.com for more information.
For full race results, please visit dallas.mychiptime.com.
About the BMW Dallas Marathon
The Dallas Marathon is a nonprofit organization with a focus on promoting health and physical fitness through running events and related activities. Dating back to 1971, the organization hosts year-round events culminating with Dallas’ largest and Texas’ longest running marathon: the BMW Dallas Marathon. Now in its 48th running, the marquee race attracts runners from across the globe and hundreds of thousands of spectators to Dallas’ largest single-day sporting event. The BMW Dallas Marathon racecourse highlights iconic Dallas landmarks and is recognized as the official marathon of the City of Dallas. Since naming a primary beneficiary in 1997, the Dallas Marathon has donated more than $4 million to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. For more information, visit bmwdallasmarathon.com.