9-month-pregnant Utah mom aims to run mile in under 5 minutes

PROVO — A Utah mom who has become known for running a "fast mile" at nine months pregnant is at it again. This time, she is gearing up to run a sub-5-minute mile on Oct. 7, to mark nine months pregnant with her third child.

Makenna Myler, of Highland, started running a fast pregnant mile during her first pregnancy six years ago, where she managed to clock a 5:25 mile at nine months pregnant. Three years later, while expecting her second child, she ran 5:17. That mile run is the fastest-known mile recorded for a woman nine months pregnant.

She is running her mile in an event called Sub 5 at 9 at Provo High School. She is also inviting others to come and "race a pregnant woman" for a cause that she says is dear to her heart.

"I'm running to raise funds for an organization called For All Mothers that supports women in sports, specifically in running," Myler told KSL. "They do lactation stations, and they provide financial support and grants for free childcare because it's so important for women to feel supported — especially through these vulnerable years of raising children."

Myler said that setting these types of goals is less about breaking records and more about showing what women are capable of, adding that the health of her baby is always at the forefront of her mind.

"What this mile challenge has become is showing what women can do when they're supported," she said. "That might be running, or it might be art or whatever talent you have. When you're supported, you're going to do things like running a sub-five-minute mile."

Myler is used to training for a mile of this caliber. She is a former BYU collegiate runner who trains with long-time BYU coach Ed Eyestone. She is also a professional runner for Asics and has a personal best half-marathon time of 1:07:37 and marathon time of 2:26:14, which she ran at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.

Putting that into perspective, Myler averaged 5:09 per mile for her half marathon and 5:35 per mile during her marathon. Her personal best mile time is also well under the five-minute mark, coming it at 4:37.

"My body feels healthy," she said. "The baby is showing all the good signs of growth and movement, and it's been fun to combine what I've learned from the first two pregnancies. I feel so positive about what's been happening and empowered."

Myler said she's learned over the past couple of years how to work smarter and not harder, maximizing things like recovery and efficiency.

"My first pregnancy, I was a lot more cautious, but the intensity was higher," she said. "The second pregnancy and this time around, I've backed off the intensity and upped the volume. I'm doing one workout a week, and I'm doing a lot more mental work.

"It's also a matter of absorbing recovery and knowing that there are dips in your progression and not to freak out when things don't go your way."

She also said carbon-plated shoes will play another key factor in her race next month, adding that her past two runs have been completed in flats and spikes.

Running a sub-five-minute goal, she said, is secondary to that of bringing more support and awareness to mothers.

"Family is so important, and I feel like you should be able to continue to have goals outside of that," she said. "I believe so much in women and how much they can accomplish if they're supported. That's really what this event is about to me."

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