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WOODS CROSS — Kristin Leger crossed the finish line at the 2024 Tokyo Marathon on March 2 and, at the same time, accomplished her dream of finishing all six major world marathons. The final finish qualifies her for the Abbott World Marathon Majors Hall of Fame.
For more than 20 years, Leger has run hundreds of miles throughout Davis County — in sunshine and snowstorms — as she's navigated life, motherhood and mental health.
"Don't let anybody fool you, I don't love (running) every day," Leger said. "I don't love it every single second of every run. … I often have to push myself out the door. But I will say, I never regret a run when I'm done."
She grew up watching her parents go running every morning, but had very little interest in the sport until after she had her oldest son and began running with a friend who'd also recently given birth. Although she had never run more than three consecutive miles in her life, she and her friend decided to train for a half-marathon.
Back in 2003, running recreationally hadn't gained the popularity it has today. Which meant the closest half-marathon Leger and her friend found was in Moab. Along with their husbands and babies, the two women traveled to Moab and had what Leger described as an epic experience that made them feel proud.
As the years went on, she continued to run with her babies in jogging strollers and trained for local races, including the Deseret News Marathon.
In 2012, the Davis County mother of four qualified for the Boston Marathon and had the choice between running in 2013 or 2014. She chose to run the lauded marathon in 2014 and felt grateful she did after she watched the bombing in the 2013 Boston Marathon unfold on the news.
When she did run the race the next year, she met several runners who had participated in the infamous 2013 race and were trying again, even after the traumatic event.
"I love that running is just like every walk of life — every kind of body, every nationality — it just brings the world together in a way that is … you have a common goal," Leger said.
About five years before she ran the Boston Marathon, her third son, Will, had been diagnosed with autism. On the back of the Boston Strong tank top she wore during the 2014 race, she dedicated the race to her four boys with the motto, "Where there's a 'WILL,' there's a way," a personal motto she said she holds close.
When you run, you see all sorts of stuff that you don't pay attention to when you're driving, and I think that's cool.
– Kristin Leger
She ran the Boston Marathon a second time in 2016 and then the New York Marathon in 2017. In 2019, she ran the Chicago Marathon with her running partner, Sara, who she has been running with for the last 10 years.
"We both have children on the autism spectrum, and that's been hugely healing for us to run and have … this camaraderie together," Leger said. "We both understand each other and can kind of get ideas from each other and work through problems and anything you would do as a walking partner or running partner or whatever, she and I have been able to do for the last decade, and that's been awesome."
After finishing the three major marathons in the United States, Leger made the goal of becoming a six-star finisher, which would include the Berlin, London and Tokyo marathons.
In 2022, the Berlin and London marathons were about a week apart, so Leger figured she'd take advantage of the convenience and run them both in one trip. Just last month, she finished the last major marathon, in Tokyo. Running that marathon didn't stop her and her husband from putting in 20,000 steps every day as they went sightseeing on their vacation.
"These majors are so fun for me, because I'm like, 'Wow, I met people from all over the world that speak different languages, and for some reason we all love to run. And that's pretty cool," Leger said.
Some of the marathons required time qualifications, but Leger qualified through other avenues with the London and Tokyo marathons. In Tokyo, she ran with a charity for kids who have intellectual disabilities and in London, she ran with a tour company. She had always wanted to go to London — and loved it.
"I think the best way to see a big city is to run it like that, because you don't have another chance to run through a big city like that on the roads that are closed down," she said. "It's just a really cool way to see things."
One of Leger's favorite parts of running is the adventures she's been able to have, even locally.
"Here, I'm running in Davis County, and I'm running in like six cities while I'm finishing my long run," Leger said. "I'm running a distance that I would drive and think that it's a long drive, but I'm running it. When you run, you see all sorts of stuff that you don't pay attention to when you're driving, and I think that's cool."
Running has also significantly helped her mental health over the years.
"I'm just lucky that my body has been able to do it, and I think that that's the biggest win of all of it is a lot of people don't have their health and don't have the physical abilities, and I'm really grateful," Leger said.
