Jen Kanyugi
This month, we’re bringing you something a little bit different in this feed: an episode of Women’s Running Stories, a podcast hosted by Cherie Louise Turner featuring documentary-style stories about women’s running journeys.
If you’ve been listening to our oral histories of women’s running pioneers, you’re going to love the way Cherie masterfully conducts and compiles these interviews, and we’d encourage you to subscribe to her podcast too, if you haven’t already.
This episode features Jen Kanyugi, who last year ran her 20th consecutive Boston Marathon. And yes, after this was recorded, she did indeed finish the race!
When this was recorded, in 2024, Jen Kanyugi was running her 20th consecutive Boston Marathon. Her journey to get to that point is about this one event, and so much more. In this time, Jen went from not running more than 20 minutes on the treadmill to being a steady presence at this, one of the most recognized and celebrated running events in the world.
In that time she became a mom, three times (she ran two of her Boston Marathons while pregnant). She learned the joy of completing those 26.2 miles, and that it’s so special she continues to want to do it, again and again, every year. She’s learned the power of support, finding groups to train with and create community with, like Girls on the Run and Black Girls Run.
Jen has also learned the tragedy of trauma, having run Boston in 2013, the year of the bombing. And she understands what it means to come back and reclaim spaces that were threatened.
And she’s learned the power of giving and volunteering: for years Jen has raised money for charities she is passionate about, and she regularly volunteers for the running groups she is a part of.
Jen Kanyugi shares all of it in this episode of celebration. In honor of her 20th consecutive Boston Marathon and all that she does for the running community, Jen has also been chosen to be a member of Team Bevans. Team Bevans comprises exceptional Black women marathoners running the Boston Marathon. They run in honor of Marilyn Bevans, the first American born Black woman to run the marathon in under three hours. This is just one of many accolades Bevans earned as one of the best marathoners of her day. Kanyugi and the other women on the team embody the spirit of Black women excellence in marathon running sparked by Bevans, and help solidify her incredible legacy.
Facebook: facebook.com/patandjen
Her post about last year’s finish: https://www.facebook.com/reel/831184282167070
Jen Kanyugi’s Camp Shriver donation page
Mentioned in This Episode
Black Unicorn Marathoners: blackunicornmarathoners.org
Team Bevans: facebook.com/blackunicornmarathoners
Black Girls Run: blackgirlsrun.com
Girls on the Run: girlsontherun.org
Roads to Boston series: womensrunningstories.com/home-2/roads-to-boston-9-runners-1-finish-line
