By Gina Smith
June 16, 2012?
Many individuals have ?bucket lists? or ?my life wishes? lists.
Kim LeBaron of Caliente has such a list, and on it she had a goal to run a marathon. I say “had” because that one has been crossed off. It is a feat she has accomplished many times over.
LeBaron ran two marathons in 2011 and is on track to run three this year. She is attempting to qualify for the most coveted marathon among runners, the Boston Marathon. In order to do this, she has to qualify in a USA Track & Field (USATF) certified marathon race. The time she must beat for this 26.2 mile race for her sex and age group is 3 hours, 55 minutes.
A few years back, LeBaron was speaking with her mother, Ruby Hicken, who is now 92. ?Hicken expressed this strange phenomenon that a string of busses pass her house once a year, and then a couple hours later she notices runners going by. Upon investigating, LeBaron discovered that the Utah Valley Marathon course goes right past her mother’s home.
Since then, LeBaron has participated in the Utah Valley Marathon and has received special permission to go off course and stop and kiss her mother. ?And even though every second counts as she is working for that qualifying time for Boston, she still made that stop this year.
?I don?t care if I don?t qualify time on this race,” she said. “I will go in and kiss my mother because I don?t know how long I will have her around.?
LeBaron’s passion is evident and has been an influence on many people to become physically active.
?Anyone can do it,” she said about running races. “But you have to work up to it.?
She added that she enjoys seeing people out exercising and hearing about others’ success stories.
LeBaron?s last marathon of the year is the St. George Marathon in October.