50 × 50
THE 50 × 50 PROJECT

50 MILES.
50 STATES.
BEFORE 50.

One ultramarathon in every state before my 50th birthday. One very long road trip. A whole lot of miles.

FOLLOW THE JOURNEYHELP ME GET TO 50
3STATES150MILES50GOAL
01 / THE CHALLENGE

THE GOAL IS SIMPLE.
THE MILES AREN'T.

I'm taking on 50-mile ultramarathons in all 50 states — and I'm racing the clock to finish the whole thing before I turn 50.

Every state means a new course, new terrain, new people, new weather and a new reason to wonder why I thought this was a good idea. This isn't just about running. It's about seeing the country one brutally beautiful mile at a time.

02 / THE SCOREBOARD

50 STATES.
TRACKED.

PROJECT PROGRESS   3 / 50
03 / WHY I'M DOING THIS

THE THING
I NEVER LOVED.

I've been active most of my life. Running was different. It was the thing I wasn't naturally good at — and that's exactly why I kept coming back to it.

I started running with friends I met at a gym. We'd meet up for a 5K, five miles, or whatever sounded like a good idea that day. I started small, then started wanting to go farther. Eventually, I signed up for my first half marathon.

The feeling was somewhere between love and hate. Mostly, it was a mental game. Running forced me to get uncomfortable, push my limits and accomplish something I couldn't just rely on natural ability to do.

Then I learned there were races longer than a marathon. A good friend told me her husband was going to run a 100-mile race. My immediate thought was: I think I could do that.

So I did. I went straight from a 13.1-mile half marathon to the Keys 100 — running the entire Florida Keys in less than 32 hours. I went on to run that race a few more times and kept my training going.

But now I'm craving something more. I need a new goal that demands straight grit. The itch needs scratched.

So I thought: what if I could run a 50-mile race in every single state and get it done before I turn 50?

Well, let's get after it.

04 / THE JOURNAL
STATE #01 — FLORIDA

THE PERFECT
PLACE TO START.

Wildcat Ultras202450 Miles10:49Women’s 4th Place
Running into the finish with my son

Wildcat Ultras kept coming up in conversations with friends. It was close to home, I knew several people running it, and eventually I thought — why not? What I didn’t realize was just how perfect it would be as the beginning of my 50-state journey.

The race was held at the equestrian center in Pensacola, Florida, on a repeating 2.5-mile loop. Fifty miles meant seeing that same loop over and over again. But being so close to home came with one huge advantage: my people showed up.

I had an incredible cheering section of family and friends. Some even jumped in and ran a loop or two with me. A great friend set up a camper at the race so I could stay there and wake up ready to go on race morning. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start this journey than surrounded by so many of the people who mean the most to me.

Wildcat Ultras with friendsRunning Wildcat UltrasOn the Wildcat Ultras courseWildcat Ultras race moment

The funny part? This was actually a pretty last-minute decision. I already had a 100-mile race in Nebraska scheduled just a few weeks later, so in my mind Wildcat was going to be a nice little warm-up.

Because apparently 50 miles is a warm-up now.

The uneven terrain took more out of my body than I expected, and I definitely felt the effects when it came time to fight through those 100 miles in Nebraska a few weeks later. Still, I went into Wildcat knowing I didn’t need to empty the tank. I wanted the miles, the training and the experience for what was coming next.

That’s probably why seeing 10:49 beside my name — and realizing I’d finished 4th woman — was such a surprise. I couldn’t help thinking: if I’d actually raced this thing, how much faster could I have gone?

Family support at Wildcat UltrasFamily at Wildcat Ultras

More than anything, this race reminded me how far I’ve come. Running used to be the thing I wasn’t good at. The thing I didn’t enjoy. The thing that didn’t come naturally. And somehow, there I was — finishing 50 miles, surrounded by people I love, with my son even running with me into the finish, kicking off an absolutely ridiculous goal to run this distance in every state.

FLORIDA: 1 DOWN. 49 TO GO.

05 / THE JOURNAL
STATE #02 — NEVADA

I CAME FOR 50 MILES.
NEVADA BROUGHT A MOUNTAIN.

Bootleg Boogie202550 Miles12:37Women’s 1st Place
Rocky desert trail at Bootleg Boogie

Once this 50-state idea became real, picking races turned into its own adventure. I started searching for 50-milers that could fit into my schedule, and when I found Bootleg Boogie, the timing worked. Then I saw the terrain. That was enough for me. I booked it and went for it.

The race was about an hour outside Las Vegas, which made it an easy airport to get to — and, obviously, not a bad place to turn into a long weekend. Nevada was a lot cooler than the Florida temperatures I’m used to, but being a girl from Montana, cold wasn’t exactly going to scare me off.

Getting ready for Bootleg BoogieBefore the race in the Nevada desertUsing hiking poles during Bootleg BoogieRunning across rocky Nevada terrain

What I did underestimate was the course. Just a little. Okay — maybe a lot. There were stretches where “running” felt suspiciously like rock climbing. With around 10,000 feet of elevation gain, plus canyons and mountain-bike trails, Nevada made me work for every mile.

At some point, this stopped feeling like a run and started feeling like I was climbing a mountain.

By the last long loop, my legs were shot, and I was very glad I had brought my hiking poles. But the views were unreal. Every climb seemed to open up another piece of the desert, and somehow I kept my spirits high the entire day. I felt good. I was having an amazing time. Hard didn’t mean bad — hard was exactly what I had come for.

Bootleg Boogie trail at sunsetFinishing Bootleg Boogie at night

Then came the final seven miles. Instead of fading, I took off. I was moving so fast in the dark that my friends could only see my light coming down the trail in the distance. They actually thought it was a drone. Then the light kept getting closer... and they realized it was me.

That finish was already going to be one I remembered. Finding out I had finished first overall female made it even better. After the climbing, the rocks, the elevation and everything that course threw at me, that win felt earned.

NEVADA: 2 DOWN. 48 TO GO.

06 / JOIN THE JOURNEY

HELP ME
GET TO 50.

Want to be part of the adventure?

There are race entries, travel, lodging, food, gear and approximately 2,500 miles of running between me and the finish line. If you want to help fuel the journey, I'd be incredibly grateful.

07 / FOLLOW ALONG

CHEER FROM
THE SIDELINES.

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