At next weekend’s Go! marathon, Rae Mohrmann will run in her 100th marathon.
Mohrmann, of Ferguson, started running competitively when she was a 30-year-old mother. “I needed another goal,” she told “St. Louis on the Air” host Don Marsh on Thursday. But Mohrmann didn’t run in a marathon until she was 49. She’s now a 67-year-old grandmother, and has run marathons in all 50 states.
While the marathon may be the big draw, several other events are planned during Go! St. Louis, including fun runs, a diaper dash, marathon relay, mature mile with a 102-year-old woman, and student programs. Three hundred fifty high school students from 12 schools will participate in the half-marathon as part of Students on the Go, a six month team-based program that encourages students to lead a healthy and active lifestyle.
“Athletics, whatever they’re doing — running, walking, playing basketball, whatever — are really crucial in terms of certainly fighting youth obesity and all the related disease, but also the psychological aspect,” Go! founder and president Nancy Lieberman said. “We know that if we set a goal and we accomplish it, for all of us, whether we’re 6 years old or 66 or 106, that we all feel good. The side benefit is a feeling of accomplishment.”
Related event
Go! St. Louis Marathon and Family Fitness weekend
- When: April 11-12, 2015; the marathon and half-marathon begin at 7 a.m. Sunday, April 12, 2015
- Where: Downtown St. Louis
- More information
“St. Louis on the Air” discusses issues and concerns facing the St. Louis area. The show is produced by Mary Edwards and Alex Heuer and hosted by veteran journalist Don Marsh. Follow us on Twitter: @STLonAir.