Marilyn Carpernter — Running for fun and fellowship by Marjorie Smith As she trains for the San Diego Sixth Annual Rock 'n' Roll Marathon on June 1, her 24th full marathon in 22 years, Marilyn Carpenter, '66 Nurs, recalls how she got into this mad whirl. "I was in my mid-30s, not doing much exercise, never more than a marginal athlete, but I lived on a street in Denver that was very popular with runners. When I volunteered at one of the aid stations for the Denver Marathon, I saw women older than me finishing, and I decided, 'I can do that!'" She could--and did. At her peak, in her 40s, she ran a marathon (that's 26.2 miles, remember) in 3 hours and 8 minutes. "But reality sets in when you get to be 58," she says. In last year's Rock 'n' Roll, she ran 3:44. Born in Bozeman, raised in Three Forks, Carpenter left nursing in the late '70s. She got an MBA at the University of Denver, had her own business and worked with venture capital start-ups, selling computer systems to hospitals. But the economy turned sour and she's gone back to nursing. "I'm in a real learning curve," she says. She admits being frustrated over duplication of efforts and unnecessary tests being administered due to legal considerations. "You can understand why costs are so high," she says. "I feel like a little rat on a treadmill trying to catch up." She finds none of that frustration in long distance running. She considers the San Diego marathon a good day's entertainment ("They have live bands at the water stops."), but she likes to get around. She ran the 100th Boston Marathon in 1997, and ran that classic another time "on one of my honeymoons." Three years ago, she and some friends went to France for the Medoc Marathon, famous for costumes and wine at all the water stops. Running on very little sleep ("Too much partying--but then that's why we went!") her group all wore costumes, showing off such American innovations as Billy Bob teeth. "One of our guys ran as a bunch of grapes," she laughs, "but by the end, all his purple balloons had been popped by other runners." Carpenter rises at 5 a.m. on Saturdays to join her friends at the San Diego Track Club. "We start training in January, 6:30 a.m., Saturdays and a mid-week session after work." She runs mostly with 20- and 30-year olds. "They keep telling me I'm an inspiration." She recounts her worst running injury. "At the 20-mile mark, on the Third Rock 'n' Roll, I fell flat on my face, broke it open--you can imagine how it bled." She heard people calling for emergency personnel, so she picked herself up and ran away from the medics so she could finish the race. She crossed the finish line with blood streaming down her face and was hauled off to the emergency room for several stitches. But, she insists, it's not the race that matters. "It's the fellowship, the jokes, the fun that makes it worthwhile." Caption: Marilyn Carpenter in the costume she wore in last year's Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in San Diego--over the finish line and with the medal to prove it.