Meet the Griz: Montana Coach Runs a Half Marathon Every Month for 3 Years

Meet the Griz is a series that tells the stories of Montana Grizzlies athletes, coaches, and contributors. Here are some past "Meet the Griz" features:

Meet the Griz: Paging Dr. Peck... Dr. Hunter Peck

Meet the Griz: Keelan White's First Year in the CFL

Meet the Griz: WR Coach Bobby Kennedy Reflects on 2006 Rose Bowl

Meet the Griz: The Griz Coach Who Runs A Half Marathon Every Month

Welcome back to our Meet the Griz series. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving week. My guess is that you had a much lazier Thanksgiving holiday than Grizzly Soccer Assistant Coach Ashley Herndon. Coach Herndon has completed a half marathon once a month for almost 3 years.

No, seriously.

"I was a pretty competitive soccer player myself," explained Herndon. "And after I retired from playing, I needed a new hobby and that became running."

And yes, she ran a half marathon this November. She completed it wisely the morning of Thanksgiving, before she had her Thanksgiving meal.

It started as a hobby and a way to keep her competitive edge when she moved to Montana. In 2023, it took on another level when Herndon and her fellow assistant coach, J. Landham, set out on a journey to accomplish a half marathon every month.

"It was his idea to kind of start this trend of doing half marathons every month for a year," said Herndon. "So we started in January. That first one was probably the most brutal one we've ever done. It was kind of snowing sideways. We're like 'What did we get ourselves into?"

It was Coach Landham's idea, but he wound up missing a year in between. That's not accusatory, coach, because I would have missed all of them.

Coach Herndon has not missed a single month since January 2023. This December will mark 36 consecutive months. She's completed halfs in Montana— Missoula and Whitefish — her home state of Virginia, and Florida, where her parents live.

I told her to complete one in every state, but that may be too lofty a goal.

"The travel might be a little tough and expensive, but if I could do that, that'd be awesome."

It's a heck of an accomplishment, Coach. Three straight years of a half-marathon is quite the accomplishment. I salute the consistency, motivation and dedication, because I'd much rather throw a movie on and vegetate.

"Sometimes I don't know how I do it, but you just make time for it somehow."

Listen to our full conversation on The Daily Drive with Ace Sauerwein podcast below.