| First-Time Women's Group Alumni |
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Since the first group of nine women trained with Twenty-Six Two for the 2005 Rock 'N' Roll Marathon in San Diego, the club has helped 55 first-time women marathoners reach the finish lines in San Diego and Austin. Every woman in the first-time groups who has started the race has finished - a 100% success rate!
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The inaugural group of first-timers grew out of the RunTex Beginner's Group coached by Paul Carmona beginning in May of 2004. Most of the group had run at least one half-marathon, and had trained together informally for several months, or years, before Twenty-Six Two was formed in September of 2004.
The group began training in February of 2005 for the San Diego Rock 'N' Roll Marathon in June. Two of the first-timers qualified for the Boston Marathon in their first race, and several others went on to run additional marathons, half-ironman triathlons, or have served on the TST Board of Directors.
| 2005 Group (9 finishers)
Nesta Anderson
Angie Bernal
Katie (Dukes) Carmona
Julie Gregory
Susanna Marin
Mary Patterson
Andrea Winkler
Marj Wormald
Katie Wright
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The second group of first-timers began training in February of 2006 for the San Diego Rock 'N' Roll Marathon in June. A number of the 2006 first-timers later went on to qualify for the Boston Marathon, and have continued to run additional marathons, half-ironman triathlons, and have served on the TST Board of Directors.
The group traveled with a number of Austin runners who ran the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon, also coached by Paul Carmona. Most of the TST contingent flew to San Diego together, roomed together at the Sheraton Torrey Pines, traveled around in vans driven by Coach Paul and various husbands/significant others, and had lunches and dinners together before and after the race.
| 2006 Group (10 finishers)
Lesley Bohmann
Michelle Chen
Andrea Cobbs
Kelly Coleman
Talaya Frazier
Christine (Price) Laberge
Amy McFarland
Kerri McLaughlin
June Nichols
Megan O'Connor
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The 2007 group of first-timers was the last one to train for and travel to the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon in San Diego. Like the 2005-06 groups, the 2007 group began training in February for the marathon in June. And, like the prior groups, several of the women have run additional marathons, including Boston-qualifying finishes, half-ironman triathlons (and two Ironman finishers), and have served on the TST Board of Directors.
To commemorate the "end of the San Diego TST experience," Coach Paul ran the 2007 race with the group and crossed the finish line with the last TST first-timer across the line.
| 2007 Group (10 finishers)
Debby Bishop
Tarah (Greenwood) Bramble
Ashley Doyle
Chris Hester
Kelly Marshek
Sylvia Martinez-Haley
Stephenie Northway
Laura (Hitt) O'Connor
Katie (LeBlanc) Telle
Priscilla Williams
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The 2008 first-timer group was the first to train for the Austin Marathon (February) instead of the San Diego Rock 'N' Roll Marathon in June. The group began training in September of 2007, right on the heels of the 2007 group that ran in San Diego.
The 2008 group trained through the winter of 2007-08 on dark hills, in cold winds on local tracks and trails, and generally had a far different training experience than those who had trained in the warmer spring months for the June races in San Diego. Still, the end result was a success: a 4th consecutive year of 100% success from race start to finish line!
| 2008 Group (8 finishers)
Elva Brown
Rosina Castellanos
Lauren (Bremer) Jackson
Pam Jones
Stephanie McDonald
Holly (Noonan) Odom
Stephanie Swanzy
Susan Wozniak
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The 2009 group of first-timers suffered through an unusual number of injuries, reducing their original group from more than a dozen down to "The Magnificent Seven" who made it to race day. True to form, the women who made it to the starting line all finished the race, on a day that saw beautiful conditions for a marathon in Austin.
Although the smallest group to finish together, the 2009 first-timers remained close through race day, with several finishing literally within seconds of each other.
| 2009 Group (7 finishers)
Windy Hardaway
Cara Salling
Laura Sheridan
Lisie Sillers
Summer Summer
Meredith Thompson
Julie Waters
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The 2010 first-timer group was the largest to finish, with eleven total. The group began training in August of 2009, alongside the largest TST fall marathon training group ever (with races from Toronto, Chicago, Marine Corps, San Antonio, Sacramento, Tucson, Dallas, Houston, Napa, and Boston).
Once again, the 2010 group had a 100% success from race start to finish line, bringing the total number of TST first-timers to 55 starters and 55 finishers!
| 2010 Group (11 finishers)
Lauren Anzalone
Susie Duarte
Caroline Hallman
Joann Hernandez
Chari Kelly
Dawn Leonard
Jessica Mangrum
Theresa Noyes
Molly Powers
Morgan Puckett
Ursula Valle
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