Laughing all the way to the finish line

Posted on May 13, 2025, by

Amber Jensema

Before I started running in 2011, you wouldn’t catch me anywhere near a running course, let alone running for fun. But with a little peer pressure and a lot of laughter, I’m excited to be participating in the OSMS Relay Marathon again this fall.  It started with my friends. Four of us signed up for the OSMS Relay Marathon in 2011 as a personal challenge. They convinced me do a leg of the relay because it is only 5-6 miles, which is equivalent to about a 10K, so I didn’t think it would be too bad. But, once I signed up for that race, my husband convinced me to do a half marathon with him in December of that year as well. Then my cousin got me to run a half marathon in May. By December of 2011, I had run six half marathons, a full marathon, a relay marathon and various other races. Needless to say, I was officially hooked on running.

I like to joke that my addiction to running has gotten to be a problem, but in actuality, I just really enjoy it. I’ve made some amazing friends on race courses. I’ve helped people through tough times out on a course with words of encouragement. I’ve also been the one who has needed the words of encouragement myself. I have even come in dead last in a race before.

What is so special about the running community is that we all support each other. We all want each other to win. It doesn’t matter how fast you are, whether you walk the whole thing, run the whole thing or are somewhere in the middle, how much experience you have with running or even how many races you have done, truly anyone can participate. But, when you run in a Fox Cities Marathon Presented by Miron Construction event, and I’ve participated in several of the different race lengths, so I am speaking from my personal experience, there is just something extra special about it.

Fox Cities Marathon events are the only ones I have participated in where my name is on my bib, so people are calling my name out and cheering me on throughout the course. That makes all the difference, especially when you are hitting a wall and you just want to stop running. It is the only course where the race organizers hold the ribbon for every winner of each race to run through, and they call your name at the finish line. That alone is a big motivator and feels so good when you are tired and know people are waiting for you at the end of the race.

This year, I am doing the OSMS Relay Marathon with my four friends who initially got me into running more than a decade ago. We love this event.  We make so many memories at this event, and since this is the race that got me started on this running journey, it holds a special place in my heart. Running has even become part of the fabric of our family with my husband and myself participating in events, this year joined by our oldest daughter running her first half marathon. It’s become a part of our lives, and it is so much fun.

Keep an eye out for the Gibbsville Running Club, also known as the GRC, on race day this September. We will be the ones laughing all the way to the finish line, making another round of unforgettable memories with each other.

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