50 States, 50 Finish Lines
Micah Grafenstein-Kinzel, ’95, runs marathons across the country.
According to online statistics, less than 1% of the U.S. population has completed a marathon, and only about 2% have visited all 50 states.
Micah Grafenstein-Kinzel, ’95, has achieved both by running a marathon in every state.
Micah crossed the finish line for his 50th 26.2-mile race in June 2024, cheered on by about 30 family members and friends in Helena, Montana.
The “50 States Marathon Club” officially recognizes the accomplishment. As of August, about 1,950 U.S. runners have accomplished the milestone.
What drives someone to take on such a challenge?
For Micah, a former UND track & field and cross-country runner, running was a passion that didn’t end with college. He continued competing in local races and marathons, including four runs at Boston. As a newlywed considering starting a family, he sought a new challenge. “I didn’t want the trade-offs of high-level training and fast times,” he says. “I still wanted a goal, something that would push me.”
In 2005, inspired by a story about a lawyer from Chicago who ran a marathon in every state, Micah set his sights on doing the same.
Over the next 19 years, he averaged two to three races a year, often planning family trips around them. (He’s a father of three.) On three occasions, he ran two marathons in a single weekend – Utah and Idaho in 2012, Connecticut and Rhode Island in 2013, and Delaware and New Jersey in 2014. “It’s a tough start,” he said of the second day, “but after three or four miles, it feels like any other marathon.”
The Good and the Bad
“The most memorable race was Big Sur in California; you run almost all of it along the Pacific coast,” Micah said, adding that the weather was perfect, he ran well, and the race was part of a week-long trip with his wife, pre-kids.
On the opposite end of the spectrum was a marathon in Maine. “Bar Harbor was a hilly little island,” Micah said. “The hills are constant; there’s no break. You’re going up and down the entire time.”
A defeating factor for Micah: “I don’t handle heat very well. Anytime it’s over 70 degrees —those are tough.”
Despite racing 1,310 miles — not to mention tens of thousands of training miles — Micah remained injury-free. And he’s not done running yet. “I’d like to run across Minnesota — just an adventure-type run.”
And who knows? “There will probably be more marathons in my future,” he said.
