Local runner strives to complete events in all 50 states

Feb. 28—HIGH POINT — National marathon runner Amy DeRue admits she still hates the first mile.

"It's the first mile that's the worst, everybody says that," DeRue said.

Once she hits her stride, DeRue enjoys the scenery.

Her goal is completing a marathon or a half marathon in all 50 states, and she checked off her 30th state in mid-January in Colorado. She plans to travel to Rhode Island in April to run a marathon that was canceled last year because of the pandemic. As marathons went virtual last spring, runners continued to run alone near their homes and submit their times to race organizers, who would simply mail medals.

"Some states were following rules and some were not," DeRue said. "COVID keeps things interesting, and I have to be flexible with how my plans need to change with where I can travel. A lot of places are finally getting some limited access. There's a lot of rules around it now, but at least there's something happening."

Runners are no longer allowed to celebrate at the end of races in order to prevent spreading the virus.

"I did a few in the beginning — in March, April and May when everybody was shutting down — just to keep that motivation and get out of the house," DeRue said. "At first, I tried to involve my kids and we did some fun, themed ones. But a lot of them did get bumped out."

The Boston Marathon was among the biggest ones canceled last year. This year it was postponed from April to October and will be held around the same time as the Chicago Marathon.

After she began running longer courses, DeRue completed her dream of competing in all three American Majors, in Boston, New York City and Chicago.

She counts her first Boston Marathon in 2017 as her personal best, finishing the 26.2-mile course in three hours, 35 minutes and 42 seconds.

Freezing rain throughout the 2018 Boston Marathon slowed her to a walk and her finish time to four hours, 15 minutes and 20 seconds. DeRue reported to the medical tent at the end and learned her body heat had dropped 10 degrees.

"The second one was definitely a lesson in humility," DeRue said. "If I would ever qualify again, I would definitely run it, but I'm lucky I did it when I did."

DeRue's father, Dave Salmon, 77, started running in his 30s. She remembers challenging him to stop smoking two packs a day when she was only 5. He went on to run in the Boston Marathon five times and continues to encourage her running.

"I always say Dad was the catalyst, but then I feel bad for my mom because she actually got him started," DeRue said. "She was that woman in the living room doing her Jane Fonda (fitness) and she started jogging up and down the street. When he gave up smoking, he started jogging with her. His nickname is 'Super Dave,' and there's a reason for that. He doesn't do anything just a little bit. He does a lot more triathlons than I do, and he's done the Ironman with friends."

Long before DeRue took her running seriously, her father was always coaching her, she said. DeRue also had a friend who shared struggles with weight control and said she planned to sign up for one race a month.

"I said that's a good idea because that will keep me motivated," DeRue said. "I'm not getting any younger and the pounds were creeping on, just like so many of us. So I just kind of took her idea and I started doing mostly 5Ks."

Her father encouraged her to try a 10K.

"So it spun from there," she said. "He'd say, 'If you can do a 10K, you can do a half marathon."

Around 2012-13, DeRue decided to run a half marathon with her cousin in Raleigh.

"We didn't hate it. We survived," DeRue said with a laugh.

She ran her first marathon in Myrtle Beach, then Virginia Beach.

DeRue described it as an emotional experience to cross the finish line. After that, her collection of medals and number of states began to add up.

After she moved to High Point in 2018, she talked her husband, Jim, into running with her in the Horneytown 5K for the first and only time. Their children Luke, 30, Kirsten, 28 and DJ, 17, have all tried running at one time or another, she said.

She said she enjoys the variety that comes with running in different places. Running with the St. Louis Arch in full view was a great distraction as she competed in her 10th marathon and checked off Missouri as her 24th state, she said.

"You don't know what you're going to learn from a race," she said. "The scenery is always the best part. It's amazing the things I've been able to see."

cingram@hpenews.com — 336-888-3534 — @HPEcinde