A local product has her very first marathon in the books after an annual 42.2-kilometre run in Edmonton over the weekend.
Trying something new
Swift Current’s own Katie Hudec participated in the 2026 Servus Edmonton Marathon on Sunday, completing the course in six hours and twenty minutes.
The 22-year-old said letting go of the idea that there was one perfect way to be prepared for the run was one of the biggest mental challenges.
“It was my first marathon ever, and I’m really proud of it,” she said. “My longest training run was around 22 kilometres, so I knew going in that I wasn’t going to be chasing a super fast time, but I decided that was okay because I wanted to approach it a little more conservatively.
“I kind of just wanted to challenge myself, see what my body could do, and experience something I’d never done before.”
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The race started and finished at the Edmonton Convention Centre, following a route described as flat and fast, travelling through downtown Edmonton and River Valley.
“I want to have a very specific relationship with this, and I don’t want it to be something that I have to be perfect at,” Hudec added. “I like maintaining movement in my life, and I hope other people can do the same, and know that you don’t have to be a stereotypical runner to challenge yourself.
“I spent a long time being afraid of what I might not be capable of based on a pretty serious injury I had, and now, I want to keep pushing myself and try something like this again in a couple of years.”
(Photo courtesy of Katie Hudec)