How Fast Did Oprah (and other celebrities) Run a Marathon?

RunTri Racing Coverage || Oprah Marathon Coverage

Marathon FAQ | |Marathon Calendar || Best Marathons || Boston || Chicago || New York || Marine Corps

Oprah Winfrey gave hope to perhaps hundreds of thousands of people who never dreamed they could run a marathon.

In 1994, Oprah famously defined her challenge: run and finish a marathon before her 40th birthday. The running world expected she would run the Chicago Marathon in late October to deliver on that promise.

Instead, away from cameras and publicity, Oprah ducked into the field of the Marine Corps Marathon two weeks earlier, and ran a 4:29:20 marathon to achieve her goal. Her celebration of that success, against the odds and her better judgment, has inspired hundreds of thousands to take up their own personal marathon challenge.

At the 1994 Chicago Marathon, with the pride of her marathon finish evident in her smile, Oprah cheered runners from the sidewalk by White Sox Park near mile 21.

We were running on the course that day, in our debut marathon. The smile inspired when we saw her there, waving at us. We looked forward to our own inspiring finish.

Oprah ran a 4:29:20 marathon in 1994, joining a growing list of celebrities who have run marathons. Want to run a marathon like Oprah did? Try this: Resolution: Run a Marathon.

Also see Oprah's New Marathon: Act 2

For more, visit Marathon: Run To Finish, Qualify or Break 3 Hours or return to our RunTri Site Map.