The 50th Marine Corps Marathon is less than a month away, and WTOP is highlighting some of the inspiring people who are running to that finish line.
When a mom of three and Navy veteran moved to Southern Maryland, she turned to pounding the pavement and started her own running group to build friendships and train for her first marathon.
Kylie Vitukevich moved to Leonardtown, Maryland, from Hawaii with her Navy reservist husband in 2022. She had just left the Navy after serving for eight years.
After having her third child shortly after moving, she started running during her free time, a hobby she never thought she would do.
“I was always that person in high school that would cut across the track and not finish the mile run in PE,” Vitukevich told WTOP. “But I didn’t really have anything for me, and I needed that outlet of something to do.”
She was inspired by her sister-in-law, who had completed the Boston Marathon a few times, and decided to look for an all-women running group.
“I didn’t really have any friends in the area. I didn’t know anyone that ran at all,” she said. “And although I do live in a very safe area, I just did not feel comfortable running on my own. I didn’t really know where to run.”
But she couldn’t find a running group anywhere. So, she started her own called the “St. Mary’s Girls Run Club.”
“I just had one person come, and it was amazing. I was terrified that nobody would show up because I really didn’t know anybody in the area,” Vitukevich said about the inaugural run of the group in March 2024.
“Since then, we’ve like consistently had 20-plus people come every weekend,” she added.
During the summer months, the women will often start well before sunrise to beat the summer heat, always getting a coffee afterward.
“It’s been such a great experience. I’ve met so many wonderful women, and I feel like it’s very inspiring to know them and know the reasons why they’re running,” she said.
Nine women from the group plan to run the Marine Corps Marathon this year, according to Vitukevich.
“And I’ve had at least that many say that they’re going to come cheer us on at various spots throughout the race. … Just knowing that these people are going to drive an hour and a half and come cheer us on, that makes me want to cry,” she said.
Vitukevich has run several half marathons. After her last 13.1-mile race, she figured she was ready to take the next step.
The Marine Corps Marathon will be special for the Navy veteran and her family.
“The Navy and the Marines, and the military in general, are very important to us, because I think we understand all the sacrifices that military families make firsthand,” she said.
Beyond her running group, she said her husband and three kids have supported her on this training journey, coming on long runs with water and words of encouragement. Her two oldest kids will even run alongside her on the finishing stretches of her runs.
She said she hopes the training with her group and family will propel her to high-fiving a Marine at the finish line.
“I’m hoping that I can high-five them with a smile on my face and not tears of sadness or pain,” she said.
Vitukevich said anyone who can’t find a running group that fits them, should take a chance and start their own.
“I’ve had such positive feedback from everyone that comes. I constantly get messages from girls in the group that say their running has improved so much. They never thought that they could run as far as they do or as fast as they have without the support from other people in the group,” she said.
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