Florida runner meets his 50-state goal in Lansing’s Driftless Half Marathon
Celebrating his “50th” ... Dadra Smith, left, and Mike Smith of Vero Beach, FL after Mike finished the Driftless Half Marathon October 14 in Lansing. With this race, Smith completed his goal of running a half marathon in all 50 states. Photo courtesy of driftlessmode, Bob Modersohn.
by Ellen Modersohn
Mike Smith of Vero Beach, FL set a personal record at the Driftless Half Marathon held Saturday, October 14 in the Lansing area.
He ran a slower time than usual, thanks to a bout of bronchitis and a sore hip, but he met his goal of completing a half marathon in all 50 of the United States. He crossed the finish line to a chorus of cheers as his wife Dadra handed him a bouquet of balloons that included the big inflated numbers 5-0.
“I talk to a lot of people who are doing the 50-state thing and they’re surprised I’m finishing in Iowa. A lot of them will finish in Alaska or Hawaii, where there’s a big celebration. So here I am with you guys in Iowa, and it’s kind of a big celebration. I like it!” he said after the race.
That Smith met his goal in the Driftless race was somewhat serendipitous. He works as a mail carrier and every six weeks his rotating days off create a long weekend. Over the past decade, he has searched for races in states where he had not yet run and that fit his calendar. Smith had signed up for the Driftless run last year but, realizing he was double-booked, he deferred the Lansing race to this year. That’s how Iowa just happened to become his 50th state.
He also looked for runs with interesting medals. Smith appreciated the Driftless medal, which featured a spinning train engine, emulating the locomotives that rumble through Lansing. He said he once chose a race in Bird-in-Hand, PA, an Amish area, because the medal was a recycled horseshoe.
Smith, 58, began running half marathons in 2012 in Vero Beach. He was inspired to start his 50-state quest by a friend who was running marathons in each state. “I’ve done big city races and smalltown races, and I like them both,” he said. How did he feel about meeting his 50-state goal this month?
“I’ve kind of got mixed emotions about it right now,” he said.
But he’s not done running yet. The Driftless was his 98th “half,” and the Space Coast run in Cocoa, FL next month will be his 99th. He’ll hit another goal back in his hometown of Vero Beach in January 2024. That’s where he ran his first “half” and that’s where he’ll run his 100th.
