Yasir Salem

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Marathon 50 in 50 of the #50in50: VA (10/27/2019)

Yasir Salem

  1. NEW YORK 11/4/18: @nycmarathon

  2. NEVADA 11/11/18: @runrocknroll Vegas

  3. PENNSYLVANIA 11/18/18: @Philly_Marathon

  4. WASHINGTON 11/25/18: @seattlemarathon

  5. TENNESSEE 12/1/18: @stjude Memphis

  6. ALABAMA 12/8/18: @irunrocketcity

  7. FLORIDA 1/13/19: @rundisney #wdwmarathon

  8. LOUISIANA 1/20/19: @thelamarathon

  9. MISSISSIPPI 1/26/19: Mississippi blues Marathon

  10. ARIZONA 2/9/19: Mesa-Phoenix Marathon @phxmarathon

  11. TEXAS 2/17/19: Austin marathon @austinmarathon

  12. MASSACHUSETTS 2/24/19: Hyannis Marathon @hyannismarathon

  13. SOUTH CAROLINA 3/2/19: Myrtle Beach marathon @runmbm

  14. ARKANSAS 3/3/19: Little Rock marathon @lrmarathon

  15. NORTH CAROLINA 3/9/19: Wrightsville Beach marathon @wbmarathon

  16. GEORGIA 3/17/19: Publix Atlanta marathon @atlantatrackclub

  17. NEW MEXICO 3/21/19: Dust Bowl Series - New Mexico

  18. OKLAHOMA 3/22/19: Dust Bowl Series - Oklahoma

  19. KANSAS 3/24/19: Chisholm Trail marathon @chisholmtrail44

  20. MISSOURI 4/7/19: Go! St Louis marathon @gostlouis

  21. KENTUCKY 4/27/19: Kentucky Derby marathon @kyderbyfestival

  22. NEW JERSEY 4/28/19: New Jersey marathon @njmarathon

  23. OHIO 5/5/19: Flying Pig marathon @runflyingpig

  24. NORTH DAKOTA 5/18/19: Fargo marathon @fargo.marathon

  25. COLORADO 5/19/19: Denver Colfax marathon @runcolfax

  26. VERMONT 5/26/2019: Vermont City marathon @runvermont

  27. UTAH 6/1/2019: Utah Valley marathon @runutahvalley

  28. DELAWARE 6/18/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series - Bear DE

  29. MARYLAND 6/19/2019: Mainly marathons - Independence Series - Elkton MD

  30. ALASKA 6/22/2019: Anchorage Mayor’s marathon @anc_marathon

  31. HAWAII 6/30/2019: Kona marathon @konamarathon

  32. IOWA 7/11/2019: Mainly marathons - Heartland series - Clinton IA

  33. WISCONSIN 7/12/2019: Mainly marathons - Heartland series - Sparta WI

  34. MINNESOTA 7/13/2019: Mainly Marathons - Heartland series - St Cloud MN

  35. RHODE ISLAND 7/21/2019: Violet State marathon

  36. CALIFORNIA 7/28/2019: San Francisco marathon

  37. NEBRASKA 8/20/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Chadron, NE

  38. WYOMING 8/21/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Sundance, WY

  39. SOUTH DAKOTA 8/22/2019: Mainly marathons - Center of the Nation series - Belle Fourche, SD

  40. IDAHO 8/31/2019: Pocatello marathon - Pocatello, ID

  41. OREGON 9/21/2019: Pacific Northwest marathon - Eugene, OR

  42. MONTANA 9/22/2019: Foy’s to Blacktrail marathon - Kalispell, MT

  43. INDIANA 9/28/2019: Mill Race marathon - Columbus, IN

  44. WEST VIRGINIA 9/30/2019: Eastern Panhandle marathon - Martinsburg, WV

  45. NEW HAMPSHIRE 10/5/2019: New Hampshire marathon - Bristol, NH

  46. MAINE 10/6/2019: Maine marathon - Portland, ME

  47. CONNECTICUT 10/12/2019: Hartford marathon - Hartford, CT

  48. ILLINOIS 10/13/2019: Chicago marathon - Chicago, IL

  49. MICHIGAN 10/20/2019: Detroit Free Press marathon - Detroit, MI

  50. VIRGINIA 10/27/2019: Marine Corps marathon - Arlington, VA

We took a bus down to D.C. because we waited a little too long to book Amtrak train tickets. I really taking the train from NYC to D.C. It’s smooth and comfortable and pretty quick. There’s no dealing with traffic.

We settled into our hotel then headed down to the expo to pick up my race bib. I was wearing my new New Balance gear, which I really dig. The Marine Corps Marathon decided to add a 50k ultramarathon option this year. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to run a 50k ultramarathon on my 50th marathon of the 50in50 journey. And I was going to run at least part of the race with the great Dean Karnazes. It just seemed perfect for me to do the 50k.

We met up with my high school and college friend Brian for dinner. We then settled in early for the night because the 50k started really early. The next morning, I took a subway, a bus then I walked to start. It was a really rainy morning and rained most of the race. I got used to it.

I got to the start line about 3 minutes after the start of the ultra, because the signage to the start area was a little tough for me to find. About 5 miles in, I saw Dean and ran with him for a bit and got some video. It was great to finally meet him in person after chatting with him for the past few months, after writing a chapter in his book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Running for Good. We broke away a couple of times and met up again.

I ran a really good race. I was very happy with my time. I livestreamed the last mile or so, and it captured how overwhelmed, happy, and relieved to have accomplished this amazing feat. I can’t believe I was able to pull it off with any big hiccups or roadblocks. The hardest part was the planning and getting to all the places. The running was the easiest part.

The following week I ran the 2019 NYC marathon, and the day before the race we had our 50in50 finale fundraiser brunch.

I got to see the folks from New Balance and Dean again.

Dean was one of our keynote speakers. And so was the incredible Dave Isay of StoryCorps who wrote a touching tribute to Gweneviere when she passed.

And my friend and editor in chief of Women’s Health had a sit down chat with Dr. Bradley Pua of Weill Cornell’s Lung Cancer Screening Program.

And we presented the American Cancer Society with our first foundation grant of $17,000 which was raised by our NYC runners including Gweneviere’s sister Daisymaire, Gwen’s niece Melissa, her friend Alexis, and my sister Leenah.

I’m forever grateful to all the support the foundation has received from generous donors and volunteers, all of Gweneviere’s my friends and family, and sponsor support for the event from Clif Bar, New Balance, YETI, Tifosi, NMG Network, and media support from Runner’s World, Men’s Health, and Women’s Health. It was as much of a mental and emotional journey as it was physical. Many times I would have deeply sad moments in the middle of the races, thinking of Gwen, but I didn’t let those moments slow my progress. The running itself was my healing and my meditation. It was my way of processing my grief and harnessing my energy in a way to actually doing something meaningful to me and to honor Gweneviere. I will continue to do good in Gweneviere’s name through the foundation in the form of grants focused on early detection and education.

I love you Gweneviere. Thank you for the love you shared with me.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD GWENEVIERE’S ALBUM

She was excited about releasing an album that she had just finished, but she passed before she could realize that dream, so we released her album so that we could fulfill that dream for her. Buy & listen to the album here.