Heidy Arellano Running Coach

Here I am in New York celebrating my 100th Half Marathon, while my daughter is running her very first one. If you had told me this moment would happen when I ran my first half more than 20 years ago, I would have not believe you.

Back then I had no big goals. No race counts. No spreadsheets. No “100 of anything.”

For the first few years I ran one half marathon a year, and that was enough to feel proud.

Then little by little I started adding a few more local races. I ran the ones that sounded fun. The ones that looked beautiful. The ones my friends were doing. I never planned to get here.

Last year, while talking with my friend Silvia, I casually mentioned that I was getting close to 100 half marathons. She immediately asked,
“Where are you going to run your 100th? It has to be somewhere special.”

That question stayed with me.

Because when you reach a milestone like that, you realize something important:
not every race feels the same.

Some races you simply run.

And some races make you feel seen, welcomed, and part of something bigger.

So I decided my 100th would be in a place where runners are truly celebrated. A place where even if you’re one of 35,000 people at the start line, you still feel like you belong.

That place was New York City.

And it did not disappoint.

But the most special part of all?
Standing on that start line next to my daughter, who was running her very first half marathon.

Twenty years of running… and somehow the most beautiful moment was sharing the road with her.

What started as “just one race a year” slowly turned into 100 half marathons, friendships all over the world, and memories I never could have planned.

And this weekend, 25 friends traveled to New York just to celebrate together.

Running has a funny way of doing that.
You start with one race… and before you know it, it becomes a life.

If you’re thinking about signing up for your first one, let this be your sign.

Because you never know where that first start line might take you.

Tomorrow I will run my 100th Half Marathon at the United Airlines NYC Half.

One hundred.

I keep saying the number out loud and it still feels a little unreal.

One hundred early alarms.
One hundred start lines.
Hundreds of miles of training runs that nobody sees.
Hundreds of moments when running gave me exactly what I needed.

Some races were fast.
Some were slow.
Some were joyful.
Some were painful.
Some were victories… and some were survival stories.

But every single one of them became part of the journey that somehow led here.

To 100.

And it feels strangely perfect that it happens in New York City — a place where dreams tend to grow larger than life and the energy of the streets makes you believe anything is possible.

Tomorrow I’ll stand at the start line feeling grateful, emotional, and probably wondering how a girl who simply loved to run ended up here.

One hundred half marathons later.

Still in love with the miles 🏃‍♀️✨

This weekend I have my official paw support for the United Airlines NYC Half 🐾

Mochi has already proven he’s pretty good at this job. He was there in Boston when I got my second Six Star medal, patiently supervising the whole operation like the professional good boy he is.

Now he’s back on duty for something very special… my 100th half marathon in the city that never sleeps. 🗽

Same runner. Same golden retriever. New milestone.

I’m not saying Mochi is responsible for my running career… but I’m also not not saying that.

Wish us luck this weekend! one of us will be running 13.1 miles and the other one will be providing elite-level tail wagging and moral support. 🐕✨

Most people know I’m close to finishing a marathon in every state. What many don’t realize is that alongside that journey, I’ve been building more. I’ve completed the Major Marathons twice. I ran my 21st consecutive Miami Half Marathon this year. And now I’m about to reach 100 half marathons.

When I realized I was only a few races away from 100, I chose NYC for that milestone. That meant being intentional. Holding back. Saying no to other races so I would not go over 100 before March 15.
Then life reminded me we are not in control of everything.

Two weeks before Half 99, I reinjured my back.
For a moment I thought, really, now?

But when you run this many races over this many years, you are rarely at your absolute best. To keep a 21 year Miami streak, I’ve run sick, pregnant, injured, undertrained, tired, and far from peak shape more times than I can count. From those 21, I can count on one hand the times I felt unstoppable.
This is not about running injured. It is about perspective.
Perfection is NOT a prerequisite for living your dreams.
If I had waited for the perfect season, the perfect body, the perfect circumstances, none of these milestones would exist. Consistency is not about motivation or feeling amazing. It is about showing up wisely and refusing to let temporary setbacks define a permanent outcome.
The first time I injured my back in 2019, it took nearly a year to recover. Today I know my body better. I recover smarter. I respect the process. The difference now is awareness. WYKYK.
You can come back stronger in ways that have nothing to do with speed but everything to do with who you become.
Half Marathon 99 reminded me how lucky I am. Lucky to know what I know now. Lucky to still be able to rebuild. Lucky to keep doing what I love.
This journey has never been a straight line. It has been peaks and valleys, lessons and comebacks. And maybe that is the gift. Not that everything goes my way, but that even when it does not, I still get to try again.
Half Marathon 99 was about perspective.
Grateful even when things do not go my way. Grateful because I still get to do what LOVE. Grateful for the ups, the downs, and everything in between.

Thank you G*d.