MARATHONS Yarian nearing 50-state run goal

A Rhode Island marathon this month will complete the woman's national tour.
By MARK W. MILLER
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
BOARDMAN -- Terry Yarian, 51, of Boardman, a member of the 50 States Marathon Club and the Youngstown Roadrunners, will complete her first round of running a marathon in all 50 states in Rhode Island this month.
Yarian was inspired by a neighbor whom she saw run by her house every day.
"I thought, look at this guy, I could do this," she said. She started running short distances with Jim Henderson of the Youngstown Roadrunners in 1994.
"He convinced me to run the Shaker Woods 5K in Columbiana and then I could watch the seasons change in Mill Creek Park running with the Youngstown Roadrunners," said Yarian.
"I always wondered what it would be like to run a marathon and a friend of mine influenced me."
Has run in 91 Marathons
Yarian ran her first marathon in Erie, Pa., in 1994. Since then she has run in 91 marathons and has competed in more than 500 races overall.
She didn't want to tell anyone about running in that first marathon.
"I didn't want to be embarrassed if I finished badly, but was surprised at how well I did," said Yarian.
She was timed in 3 hours, 47 minutes.
"When I first started running marathons, I was in my 40s and had no fear," said Yarian. "I didn't know what to expect, [I] just charged right out. [I] was on cloud nine, never worried or asked questions, just went out and ran as hard as I could."
Oklahoma, New York
Some of her most emotional races were following the bombing in Oklahoma City, Okla., where she ran in the inaugural marathon there, and the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City.
"I wasn't sure I wanted to fly to New York for the run but I did," said Yarian. "Security checked us before we boarded the plane and that was kind of scary.
"The runners stayed in New York for a couple of days before the run. We had to take buses from Grand Central Station and the security was very tight."
There was also a bomb threat that delayed the start of a marathon in Los Angeles.
"I wouldn't trade any of these experiences because I feel so blessed and that I am healthy and able to run," said Yarian.
12 marathons this year
She's run 12 marathons so far this year, including four straight weeks starting Memorial Day at Traverse City, Mich.; Helena, Mont.; the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon, which started in Goody, Ky, and finished in Williamson, W. Va., and in Kona, Hawaii, June 20.
Yarian ran in her first Boston Marathon in 1998, finishing in 3:47.
"Anyone who qualifies for Boston, it's like a status symbol," said Yarian, who has already qualified for the 2005 Boston Marathon.
The toughest marathon she ever ran in was in Minot, N. D.
"I was running right out there in the prairie," she said. "The wind was so strong, you could hardly stand up, let alone run in it.
"During the past 10 years I've dodged Moose droppings in Alaska, woke up in the desert with coyotes in Las Vegas, and in Casper, Wyo., we had to stop and let antelopes run through.
Disney World
"The most fun run was the Disney World Marathon in Orlando, Fla.," said Yarian. "You get to see everything and run through the different theme parks.
"Each marathon has such a character of its own making each one so unique and beautiful."
Yarian prepares for marathons by running all the time. She likes to run near water and in temperatures 40 degrees or cooler.
Yarian attended the University of Cincinnati where she earned an associate's degree in computers, then acquired a degree in education and dual masters degrees in reading supervision and in educational administration at Youngstown State.
She has taught mathematics at Columbiana Junior High and started her 30th year of teaching at Edison Elementary in Columbiana this fall.
When she's not teaching or running, she likes to work concessions at Mahoning Valley Scrappers games, and is an usher and ticket taker at professional games in Pittsburgh.
Once she's run a marathon in all 50 states, Yarian wants to run at least one in every province in Canada (she's run in four) and then a marathon in every nation.
miller@vindy.com