Only a handful of Michigan women have run more than 50 marathons. Today, I have the 
opportunity to share the stories of three marathoners from our running community.

Nina Bovio, Ann Arbor, 56, PR (2:57:06): Started running as she approached 30. 
Bovio was a two pack a day, Winston cigarette smoker. Sat home watching her three 
children, soap operas, drinking cokes, and eating Fritos before making the decision to 
lose weight and give up smoking. Six months after she started (running around the 
block) Bovio won a 5 mile race. It hooked her into running and she gave up the slovenly 
lifestyle.   

Toledo's Marathon in June 1977 was her first. It was a tough, hot day and it was quite 
awhile before thoughts of another one came to mind. Now Bovio illuminates that, " I find 
that marathons provides me the time to accept life as is. I run to strengthen my spirit so I 
can hold on to the commitments I make to people in my world. Running is not an act of 
avoidance; it is an act of re-enforcing inner strength." 

After her first marathon, Bovio went on to have three more children and ran marathons in 
between deliveries. To this day she continues to run 30 miles per week. Age and injuries 
have slowed her times but not her interest. "I love to run, and accept whatever I can 
accomplish. Enthusiasm must be in the heart of a runner to run a marathon", according 
to Bovio.

She lives by her goals. Bovio ran her 50th marathon on her 50th birthday and has now 
set out to run a marathon in every state. She has completed 84 marathons in 39 States. 
Her favorites include Columbus, Boston, for the challenge, the city, and the tradition. 
Yet, for the energy she would pick New York City. Bovio expounds, "I love the lessons I 
learned about life in every 26.2 mile adventure."

Donna Swanson, Northville, 50, PR (3:13:33): Started running in 1979 after watching 
her husband, John, complete his first marathon and witnessing the excitement of the 
whole event. She ran her first marathon a year later and remembers how incredibly 
difficult it was to complete the last 10K. She was on such a "high" from the 
accomplishment that she quickly forgot. According to Swanson, " It was a feeling of total 
elation and success unlike any I had ever experienced and I couldn't sleep at all that 
night."

Swanson loves marathons because each one is a challenge and an adventure!  She 
says that, "Disappointing ones still give you a strong feeling of accomplishment; of 
having persevered.  No other racing distance provides that same sense of achievement 
and excitement or the whole gamut of emotions.  Plus they carry over into other aspects 
of life and provide confidence in other endeavors." She encourages all runners to get 
involved with a club or at least find partners to share the long training and enjoyment of 
the sport.

Year round, Swanson maintains a minimum weekly mileage, (currently 30 miles per 
week), then gradually increase distance before a marathon, focusing on completing 3 or 
4 long training runs of 18-22 miles.   As she gets older, yoga and strength training 
(weights) have helped her follow a more balanced training program.  

Marathons give her a focus and excuse to travel.  She has many favorites for different 
reasons. They include Detroit, Bayshore, Michigan Trail, the 100th Boston (because she 
ran it with two of her sisters) and  the "Maraton de la Liberte" in Normandy because she 
and John ran the whole marathon together to celebrate her 20th wedding anniversary.

Maggy Higgins Zidar, 52, Pontiac, PR (3:17): Last week in Columbus she ran her 
fastest marathon in 5 years, a 3:27:59! Just minutes faster than her marathons in Dayton 
and Detroit a few weeks earlier. 

Zidar began running at age 30 during the running boom and after dropping out of a 
tennis clinic because she thought she was an old lady. Detroit's1982 marathon was her 
first, coincidentally finishing with Donna Swanson, a former fellow teacher at West Hills 
Junior High School.  72 of her 85 marathons have been run as a masters (over 40) 
runner.

What Zidar loves about the marathon is that it elevates running to a level so far beyond 
itself. She said,  "I've told many first time marathoners it will change their lives, that 
they'll never doubt themselves in any seemingly impossible situation, that the 
determination we dig for in those final (and sometimes even first) miles of the marathon 
go all the way to the soul, to the spirit."  Her dad was her running inspiration until her 
died in 1988.  He had been at the finish line of every marathon she ran.

Zidar runs 7 miles every morning before school.  "I have the dark world to myself, and in 
every kind of weather I plan the day and attempt to solve my problems in that serene 
silence." Zidar explains. The runs give her a base of 50 miles every week before she 
builds up for Fall or Spring marathons.  She hopes to run her 100th in London, England 
(where she was born) with her friend Nina Bovio. 

It was at a Free Press Training Run in 1988 when she first met Bovio.  A mutual running 
friend introduced them while running.  Nina told both of them that they would be better 
runners if they didn't talk so much.  Now Nina talks while running with her friends all the 
time.