I never thought I’d find romance on my 50K training runs.
I knew that becoming part of the First 50K Sisterhood was an incredible gift. I was thrilled to be accepted as one of 15 women in the Sisterhood, a scholarship program through The Cairn Project.
The Cairn Project’s goal is to expand outdoor access for girls and women everywhere. This June, all 15 women in the Sisterhood will be running our first 50 km race through the forests of Washington State, as part of the Wild Woman Trail Runs. I knew that the accountability, support and—most importantly—community from this group would help me reach my goal.
We are all fundraising for The Cairn Project to raise money for scholarships and programs that help other women and girls access trail running and outdoor sports, and I felt that I had found a worthy mission to get me outside and running every day.
But I certainly didn’t expect to find a new relationship!
When I met my newest special friend, I was looking in exactly the opposite
direction. During this past winter’s nor’easter on Cape Cod, the roads into the
Provincelands National Seashore Park were closed, so I took the opportunity to head
out on them for some solitude on my long weekend run.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw some movement in the sky and looked up to see a large hawk circling. This was cool!
But then I almost jumped out of my skin when there was motion right next to my
feet, no more than a foot away. A small red fox trotted right by me and outpaced me up the hill. That hawk wasn’t interested in ME! We both had our eye on the same fearless
redhead.
The next week I was on the crest of the hill by the Park Headquarters, and there she was again! This time, my fox (she was now MY fox) came trotting by with a large goose egg in her mouth. I was beginning to feel a cosmic connection.
Our liaisons became an almost daily occurrence. I saw her several times on the bike path; each time she came alongside me but infuriatingly ignored me. What a tease!
One day I was huffing and puffing through some hill repeats when she again gave me a heart attack. She was right next to me, and hopping along behind her was the most adorable furry grey ball. Mom and her very young kit easily beat me up the hill. Clearly cheating on me, and competitive, too!
This past week she passed me with a mouthful of baby rabbit. I am very proud of her for being such a good mom. We may not be a threesome, but we still have our cosmic connection. And the First 50K Sisterhood is the gift that keeps on giving!
The First 50k Sisterhood is a cohort of 15 women running their first ultramarathon at Wild Woman Trail Runs in June 2026. They’ll share their stories through training, racing, fueling and beyond, all while fundraising $15,000+ for future outdoor sports scholarships for girls and women.
First 50k Sisterhood is honored to have support from:
- Microcosm Coaching’s training plan and ongoing coaching
- LOWA’s high quality footwear
- Kelly Fuson’s mindset and performance coaching
- Tailwind Nutrition fuel to power the miles
- Run Slick anti-chafe to run longer without pain
- Pen and Paces custom bibs to celebrate race day
Joan Butterton
I retired in 2022 in order to start my bucket-list trip, to hike all 2,650 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, from Mexico to Canada. I had an amazing time, and have now hiked every mile, after four years, two broken bones, one helicopter hoist rescue, thousands of adventures, and many, many friends for life! From the trail, from my all-women’s running club, and from my theater group for actors over the age of 60, I have learned first-hand the incredible power of community. I believe that the First 50k Sisterhood’s combination of accountability, support, and encouragement will give me the community that I need to tackle this major new challenge, and demonstrate that adventuring has no age limit!