Ashley Ahner pulls back her long blond hair into a braid to prepare for what might be considered the most exciting run of her life.
As she pushes her pink and blue Mizuno Waveriders into the pavement, she quickly puts a distance between herself and the starting line, running toward the 50-yard line at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Not only is this the finish line for this particular race, but it’s also the last race Ashley needs to complete her goal of running a race in all 50 states.
On Saturday, March 19, Ashley completed her goal by running in her 50th state, Alabama, at her alma mater, Auburn University.
Ann Ahner, Ashley’s mother, said her daughter knew since day one that she wanted her last race to be in Auburn.
“She always told me that she never had a bad day during her time at Auburn, so a race in Auburn would have to be her 50th one,” Ann said.
Ashley began her journey in 2012, and after running half marathons in Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Florida and Missouri, her home state, she asked herself, why not run a half marathon in all 50 states?
“I thought it would be cool to combine my love of travel with my love of staying in shape,” Ashley said. “It was actually supposed to be a lifelong goal, but it just sort of turned into this fun game for me, and I ended up advancing a lot faster than I realized I would.”
Ann said she knew her daughter would complete her goal quickly.
“I have always been so proud of Ashley,” Ann said. “She has been a goal setter her entire life, and she always achieves her goals.”
Anna McCarthy, senior in marketing, said she thinks Ashley is inspiring.
“The fact that Ashley completed her lifelong goal in such a short amount of time just shows how driven she is,” McCarthy said. “I need to be more driven, so it’s inspiring.”
Ashey started running on her school’s cross-country team in middle school and said she didn’t like it much.
“I really just joined the cross-country team because all of my friends did it, and it was a fun way to stay in shape while also getting to hang out with my friends after school,” Ashley said. “I honestly didn’t even really like running. I saw it purely as an activity to hang out with my friends.”
Ashley continued to run on the cross-country team throughout high school, never leaving the junior varsity team.
“I honestly was never really that good at running,” Ashley said with a laugh.
During her undergraduate studies at Auburn University, Ashley ran recreationally but never competitively, until she started graduate school.
“During the years I was getting my master’s at Auburn, I started actually training for half marathons,” Ashley said. “I had a strict schedule of certain numbers of miles I was supposed to run a day, and I had a strict diet. Then I got my tonsils out in 2012, and everything was ruined.”
Ashley said all her strength was gone after her tonsil surgery, but she pressed on.
Since 2013, Ashley has run a half marathon in a different state at least once a month.
Ashley said her favorite race was in Boise, Idaho.
“But that race literally personified what this goal was all about, which was getting to travel to a new place and discovering how much it has to offer,” Ashley said. “I went to Boise with no expectations, and as soon as I got there it had already blown me away. Downtown Boise was so gorgeous and surprisingly super hip and trendy. The race itself was probably one of the most beautiful runs I have ever experienced. The route went from a canyon, through plateaus and neighborhoods. At the end, they gave out baked potatoes. Idaho was a great race for me, the scenery was great, the food was great and the people were so nice.”
As far as running rituals go, Ashley said she doesn’t have any.
“I don’t usually do anything before a race, but every time, before I travel, I have to get the No. 7 breakfast combo from Chick-fil-A,” Ashley said. “It’s a chicken, egg and cheese bagel, and it is delicious.”
Ashley said she still gets “the worst” anxiety before every race.
“It’s so funny to me because I have done so many races, but I still get so nervous,” Ashley said. “How I made it this far I will never know. I eat McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A on a regular basis, and I just had to think about what type of running shoes I wear, but I have loved this journey.”
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