THE COWTOWN

Stay the Pace

Fanning the fitness flame of visitors and residents of Fort Worth for more than 40 years, The Cowtown Marathon donates proceeds to the promotion of children’s physical wellness.

By Jennifer Casseday-Blair Photos courtesy of The Cowtown Marathon

Every year more than 8,000 runners wake on a chilly February morning before sunrise, lace up their race shoes, and take to the streets of

Fort Worth for The Cowtown Marathon. As the largest multi-event road race in North Texas, it makes a yearly $10.4 million economic impact. The 44th annual

Cowtown Marathon is scheduled for Feb. 27, 2022, with additional races and a health and fitness expo in the days leading up to it. Proceeds from The Cowtown go directly to Children’s Activities for Life and Fitness (C.A.L.F.) Program.

Heidi Swartz, executive director of the Cowtown Marathon, created the C.A.L.F. Program in 2009 to help tens of thousands of area children cross countless finish lines. Staff and volunteers visit approximately 400 schools across North Texas annually, training students in proper running techniques and educating them about resting heart rate, the importance of hydration, proper nutrition, and living an active lifestyle. “Our main goal is staying engaged with the community and keeping everybody active. Teaching this at a young age yields the greatest success,” Heidi says.

We also have partnerships with several local charities where running groups raise funds for various causes, such as the Alzheimer’s Association and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.”

- HEIDI SWARTZ, executive director of the Cowtown Marathon

Through its school grant program, the program identifies low-income children and fits them properly with a new pair of running shoes, as well as provides grants to make entry fees more affordable. Those children are then given tips and training to make running a 5K race a reality. “We also have partnerships with several local charities where running groups raise funds for various causes, such as the Alzheimer’s Association and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation,” Heidi says.

While the C.A.L.F. Program wasn’t around when running enthusiast Elizabeth Northern attended school, she remembers participating in her first Cowtown Marathon race in 1996 when she was in the fourth grade. Northern holds the Guinness World Record for 10K while pushing a double stroller, and she placed sixth and second American at the 2019 International Association of Ultrarunners World 50K Championships. She has also won every Cowtown Marathon distance, 5K to 50K. “I can’t say enough about the encouragement I’ve received from Heidi and those working for the Cowtown. Fort Worth’s running community is incredible. I think about the friends I’ve made running along the Trinity River, pushing ourselves during those early morning hours,” Elizabeth says.

EXECUTIVE ENDURANCE

For 17 years, Heidi Swartz has served as the executive director of The Cowtown Marathon. Prior to that, Heidi held the position of assistant executive director for nearly eight years. With Heidi’s direction, the event has nearly tripled in size since 2004, with more than 25,000 participants and seven races taking place the last weekend in February. In 2006, she created The Cowtown Marathon’s associated nonprofit organization, C.A.L.F. (Children’s Activities for Life and Fitness), which in the past 10 years has provided more than 30,000 pairs of running shoes to disadvantaged children along with greatly reduced entry fees for The Cowtown Kids 5K Run. By bringing fitness awareness and running enthusiasm to local schools, Heidi — a runner, herself — is invested in making the city of Fort Worth a healthier place to live. She serves as secretary on the board of “FitWorth,” the Mayor of Fort Worth’s healthy living initiative, is on the Marketing Advisory Board for Visit Fort Worth and acts as secretary for the National Trade Organization, Running USA.

This year’s marathon starts and finishes at the Will Rogers Memorial Center. The scenic route takes runners through the tree-lined streets of the Cultural District, via the historic Stockyards and past downtown Sundance Square, as well as passing through the Near Southside, W. Magnolia, Fairmount, Berkeley, Park Hill, and TCU neighborhoods and Colonial Country Club. An in-person Cowtown Health and Fitness Expo returns on Friday, Feb. 25, and Saturday, Feb. 26. A virtual expo will also be offered for runners participating remotely. Speakers will educate athletes on healthy race day and everyday habits, including how to prevent and heal running injuries. Visitors will be able to purchase marathon merchandise, snacks and shoes.

For those considering running the marathon in the future, The Cowtown Trailblazer Program trains by incorporating current fitness levels and previous race times to calculate various training paces. The Trailblazer program offers in-person group activities with social distancing as well as virtual options. The Cowtown Full Marathon and Ultra Marathon presented by Miller Lite are qualifiers for the Boston Marathon.

Elizabeth says the benefit she reaps from running is worth any pain she feels in training. “Running long distances allows you to get to really know yourself…in your head. There’s a mantra that I share with my daughter and goes through my head repeatedly when I’m running a race: ‘We can do hard things.’ I know it’s simple, but it’s effective,” she says. Elizabeth plans to compete again in the Cowtown Marathon in 2022. Who knows? Maybe she’ll set another record.

Poem and Photo by Brenda Ciardiello @brendaciardiello.art

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