Cynthia Arnold set a record after finishing the Missoula Marathon in 3:11 with three-person in the stroller.
It is not the first time we’ve seen the 35-year-old mother of three finish the race line. Last year, she broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest half-marathon while pushing a three-person stroller at the Missoula Half Marathon in Missoula, Montana.
She returned with the even larger goal this year: to set the Guinness World Record for the fastest full marathon while pushing three kids at the Missoula Marathon.
To break the previous three-person stroller marathon record, Arnold had to finish 26.
2 miles in 4:06. She ended up blowing that time out of the water, maintaining just under 7:20 pace per mile and crossing the line in 3:11. The challenge was tougher this time as her three children are now a year older and significantly heavier than the last time she went for a record.
Her three kids combine to weigh about 130 pounds, which brings the total to roughly 185 when taking the weight of the stroller into account.
When she does run with her kids, ages six, four, and one, they enjoy it as much as she does, she told Runner’s World. That is when they’re not napping.
“We live in rural Montana and see lots of wildlife on the bike path right out my door,” Arnold said.
“I keep a pretty consistent routine and see some regular commuters each day, and the kids like saying hello to the cyclists.”
She was a familiar face to spectators this year after running the half marathon the year before.
“The crowd was amazingly supportive,” she said. “I was moved by how many people were cheering for me and knew what my goal was on race day. One woman called out ‘I’ve been reading about you all year. Go mom!’”
“Running alone in a race is so simple now,” said Arnold. “It’s interesting to me how my perspective has changed as I have grown as a mother. I used to really stress so much about racing, and now it’s sort of the last thing I’m thinking about.”
“I was laughing with my husband about throwing the stroller into a ditch or off a cliff, you know, say goodbye to that heavy old thing,” said Arnold. “But I would never really do that. I tear up when I think any day could be the last day my oldest daughter goes for a run in the stroller. She can ride her bike while I run now.”
After years of running with her kids, Cynthia highly recommends it.
“Running with the stroller has so many benefits for running parents,” she said. “Those of us who run know how much it is a part of our identity. You can’t just give that up if you become a parent. The stroller gives one the freedom to carry on a lifestyle with new ones in tow.”