They Ran A Marathon In Every US State

For most runners, a marathon is an achievement in and of itself. But for friends Dustin Carda and Richard Pimentel, a single marathon turned into 50, taking them across each U.S. state and through every kind of weather.

Their journey didn’t begin with some grand plan. As Army medics stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, the two found common ground when they hit the pavement.

"I met this guy who just ran all the time. And I said, OK, cool. I’ll run with you. And a friendship developed,” Pimentel recalled.

That friendship would carry them far beyond the Army base and into decades of sweat, steps and stories.

How It All Began

Like many runners, their journey to conquer 26.2 miles (the standard marathon length) started with shorter races first, then a leap of faith into a half marathon in nearby Tennessee.

After battling blisters, rookie mistakes and a tough course, Tennessee boosted their confidence just enough. “If we can run 13, we can run 26,” Carda said.

That belief carried them to their first marathon in Chicago, where everything changed.

“All the neighborhoods and all the diversity and everyone going out and cheering for you. It was exhilarating. And I was hooked," said Pimentel. "And so it just kind of grew from there and then slowly became an obsession.”

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But the real opponent wasn’t the distance; it was the weather.

They started their training in Kentucky summers, waking before dawn to beat the heat. “We ran at the wee hours of the morning,” Pimentel remembered.

Later, their lives took them to opposite extremes: desert heat in Arizona for Pimentel and brutal cold in Minnesota for Carda.

“I would run 10 miles outside and it was a 20-mile day,” Carda said. “And then I’d change and run the last 10 miles on the treadmill because it was so cold outside.”

They learned to read forecasts like roadmaps. “I would actually look at the weather app and do the hour by hour,” Pimentel explained.

Still, Mother Nature sometimes had other plans for them.

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Weather To Remember

California’s Big Sur marathon felt like running through a dream. “The wind off the ocean and just those views,” Carda remembered. “It was absolutely beautiful.”

Their race in Ashland, Wisconsin, provided “the perfect fall day,” with changing leaves, crisp air and a peaceful trail that wound along water. In West Virginia, the early morning miles unfolded through fog-covered hills. “The fog just starts rising and it’s surreal,” Pimentel recalled. “So somber and so serene at the same time.”

The iconic Boston Marathon delivered a completely different kind of unforgettable moment as Pimentel ran in a tuxedo to propose to his girlfriend at the finish line. “I ended up overheating,” he explained. “I took the jacket off by mile two.” At the halfway point, he cut his pants off. The proposal, however messy, was still a success.

The Virginia Beach Marathon brought hurricanelike winds and sideways rain. “We both debated whether we really wanted to get out,” Carda said. “It was so rainy and so cold.”

In Alaska, the race stopped entirely because of wildlife on the course. “One of the volunteers stopped us because there was a bear,” Dustin said. “You can’t even run your marathon. You got to stop.”

In Seattle, freezing rain left hands numb. In Louisville, lightning delayed the race start. In Nashville, heat and humidity pushed Dustin to his limit. “I think Dustin puked,” Richard admitted.

“Three times,” Dustin confirmed.

Yet somehow, those were the races that stuck with them the most.

“I did the Mississippi Blues in Jackson, Mississippi, and it was a horrible day. It was raining and it was cold,” said Carda. “But the fans that were out there were the best. They were out there dancing and cheering for us. It was like a party, even though it was a horrible day, but it was so much fun.”

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The Final Finish Line

After years of chasing states, the final chapter unfolded in Hawaii this past January.

"Everyone that was finishing 50 states got 50 on their bib," remembered Carda. "We got a special medal."

“It didn’t hurt that we ran along the coast and watched some whales while the sunrise was behind us,” Pimentel said. “It was beautiful.”

They both admit their journey became less about states and more about something harder to measure.

“I think what drew me to this in the first place was all the miles together,” Carda said. “We’re leaning on each other. And that’s when you find out who’s got your back.”

“There were times when I just was not into it, and he pushed me,” Pimentel said. “And I’m sure I pushed him through the last ones.”

In the end, the marathons were about more than just running. They were about showing up for each other and for every unpredictable mile in between.

Richard put it simply: “Put your mind to something and then just get to work. Put your head down, get to work.”

And Dustin added the secret ingredient: “Find someone to do it with too. It always helps to do something crazy with somebody else.”

weather.com lead editor Jenn Jordan explores how weather and climate weave through our daily lives, shape our routines and leave lasting impacts on our communities.