Ultramarathon runner and nun cross 50 states to raise funds, awareness

IC photo by Christine Young

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Ultramarathon runner Lisa Smith-Batchen (middle) and Sister Mary Beth Lloyd (third from right) stop in Salt Lake City, the 40th state on their 50 miles in 50 states in 62 days journey throughout the United States.

SALT LAKE CITY - Filippini Sister Mary Beth Lloyd and accomplished endurance athlete Lisa Smith-Batchen are "Running Hope Through America," a 2,500-mile trek that is 50 miles in 50 states in 62 days to raise awareness for orphans around the world with AIDS.

Salt Lake City was the 40th state in their journey, which began April 19 in New Jersey, Sr. Mary Beth's home state, and will end June 19 in Driggs, Idaho, Smith-Batchen's home town. On June 7, Smith-Batchen ran and race-walked 50 miles through Liberty Park logging 2,000 miles, while Sr. Mary Beth race-walked 20 miles. Sr. Mary Beth, also an ultramarathoner, is on an international mission to help children orphaned by AIDS, who are also heading households.

"Every 14 seconds a new child-headed household is formed," said Sr. Mary Beth, a member of the Filippini Order of Teachers at the Villa Walsh Academy, an all girls' college in Morristown, N.J. "We have children as young as 6 years old heading households with younger siblings. Our mission is to keep them together, educate them and try to provide a future for them."

"Although the journey has been a rollercoaster of physical, mental, spiritual and ultimate highs to ultimate lows, it is all about awareness and numbers," said Smith-Batchen, who will celebrate her 50th birthday in September. "I always wanted to run across America to try to break the women's record, which is 43 miles a day. This just became something unique for us with me turning 50, the 100th anniversary of Sr. Mary Beth's order and the 100th anniversary of Driggs. The 50 miles in 50 days equals 100, and 62 days is equivalent to the 100k, which is 62 miles in an ultramarathon, and I love the 100k race. I run, I love children and Sr. Mary Beth is my godmother, friend and mentor."

The two women met 20 years ago when Sr. Mary Beth was a track coach at Villa Walsh. "I ran one semester, but it was a campus 5K turkey trot that started my career," said Smith-Batchen. "I won the race, a 20-pound turkey, a T-shirt and medals and I felt so free running. I got the bug, needed a coach, and the rest is history. Now I'm a coach and I've run all over the world. The greatest gift for me as a coach is seeing other people accomplish things they thought they could never do. I have done so many things I thought I could never do."

Smith-Batachen is the only woman to win the Marathon de Sables, a six-day 156-mile ultramarathon through the Sahara Desert. She also has won the Badwater Ultramarathon twice in Death Valley, and is the only woman to have competed in it 10 times. She competed in the Death Valley 300, running from Badwater to Mount Whitney's summit and back, and has won ultramarathons all over the world.

Smith-Batchen has two adopted daughters, with whom she was reunited in Salt Lake City. "When I train, I push my 7-year-old in a stroller and pull my 4-year-old behind me in a chariot attached to my waist," she said. "It was hard seeing them drive away this morning. But my 7-year old said ‘Mommy, just keep going saving all those kids,' and my 4-year old doesn't get it yet; she said ‘Mommy you come home right now.'"

Smith-Batchen began the Dreamchaser Foundation in 2008 as a way to improve the lives of women and children using running as a platform for service. She said "Running Hope Through America," has been the hardest run she has attempted, but the most meaningful.