Tulsa Runner Prepares For OKC Memorial Marathon

The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is coming up this weekend with events kicking off Friday.

Marathon Runner Kimberly Eklund often comes out to a trail in Owasso to get in a few miles, but with race day quickly approaching, she wasn't there. She was at home, taking it easy before the big day.

Medals line the wall in Kemberly Eklund's workout room, a happy reminder of past accomplishments. 

"Every one of these, I'm trying to go under 4 hours," said Eklund.

But getting those shiny rewards is not always easy. A marathon in Toronto last year pushed her to the limit.

"I made it until about 21 miles, and then from that point, I basically cried the rest of the run because my knee was just so painful," she said.

Finishing a race like that takes a ton of training and dedication, but a little encouragement on the race route can turn a challenging run into something fun.

"As you're running, you know you've got people that have tater tots. Those are nice, actually. That was at Oklahoma City last year, and I have not forgotten," said Eklund.

It's that type of support that makes Kimberly excited to run the OKC Memorial Marathon this weekend as she chases that runners high.

"You've got all those feelings running through whenever you finish," she says.

Whether she gets that Personal Best time or not, the feeling of self-fulfillment will be worth all the struggle.

As if one marathon wasn't enough, Kimberly has two more scheduled before her 40th birthday this October.