MISSOULA — Last year, Polson native Cynthia Arnold pushed her three kids across the finish line in 1 hour, 29 minutes, shattering the world record for a half-marathon with a stroller by nearly 20 minutes.
This year, Arnold will be running with her three kids once again, but this time going for the full 26.2 miles at the Missoula Marathon.
“Basically, I just wanted to get through the half-marathon and see how I felt. And pretty much right when I finished it I knew I was going to go for the marathon,” said Arnold.
While it has still been less than a year since Arnold broke the record, she said she didn’t expect it to take her this long to get back out there. The training, though, has been similar to the half-marathon.
“I didn’t know it would take me an entire year to get around to doing it,” she said. “I was hoping to do it last year when my kids were a little bit lighter, but I had a knee injury and had to take some time off, so here we are a year later.”
As far as pace goes, Arnold said her times haven’t been the fastest during training, but she still thinks she has a good shot at breaking another record.
“I think I will break it, but I won’t be sure until it’s over. I hardly ever hit my paces when I’m training in Polson with the stroller, but I think it’s windy in Polson so I try not to worry about that,” Arnold said.
If Arnold does get another record, that doesn’t mean it’s the end of her stroller running days.
“I’ve been running with my kids long before breaking these records occurred to me. It’s an important part of their childhood experience to be in the outdoors and have an active lifestyle and see me have an active lifestyle,” Arnold said. “So, I want them to grow up aware of nature and the environment and all it has to offer. I want them to have a relationship with the earth and to care for it, and one of the ways I can share that with them is getting them out in the stroller and running, so I will continue to do it.”
You can catch the full live broadcast of the Missoula Marathon at 8 a.m Sunday on The CW.
