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Donna Send of Williamsburg Completes Goal to Run Half-Marathon In All 50 States

Some people have a goal to visit all 50 states in their lifetime.

One woman from Williamsburg in Grand Traverse County did just that but in a unique way.

Donna Send’s goal has to do with running, and her running journey began in 2015.

“I just needed to lose some weight,” explained Donna Send. “I started walking to lose weight, then I thought, oh, maybe I could run, and then maybe I can run some races.”

Send did that, running her first half marathon in 2016, then traveling to her half marathon out of Michigan in 2017.

“I did the Disney Princess race in Florida, which was a lot of fun, and then it just kind of snowballed from there,” said Send.

This inspired Send to set a goal, to run a half marathon in every state.

“I just like the people. When you go to the races, you meet new people, and you can develop some relationships with 13 miles, and then you just become really good friends,” said Send.

Send’s goal is now complete, hitting the finish line in a half marathon in Minnesota with family and friends by her side.

“I’m just very proud of her. Her husband, Eric, was with us in Minnesota. And he’s also very proud of it’s been awesome to see her do this,” said Carolyne Woodhams, Donna Send’s sister.

After 650 miles across 50 states, the memories made along the way make Send smile.

“My husband and I went to Hawaii in January of 2020, and halfway through the race, we renewed our vows,” said Send. “After that, we continued to finish the race, and we had a lot of people go by us and say how cool that was.”

Send says she will start all over and do all 50 states again. All her race medals she’s donating to a charity that makes medals for kids who beat cancer.

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