Dawn Conley and her fiancé, Mike (left), cheered on Dawn’s son Alex as he hit a personal best in the Madison Marathon.

Travelling Associate Banker Dawn Conley shared a fun story about her son, Alex, who completed the Nov. 9 Madison Marathon in under four hours! His prior best time was around 4 hours and 15 minutes in the Chicago Marathon, which he’s run twice. 

“It is unbelievable to me that he ran for four hours! Back in the day, when I was athletic, I ran sprints and relays and completed some long jumping.  But running for 26 miles?  No way,” Dawn said. “I’m so proud of him!”

Getting around the route in Madison was much easier than it had been in Chicago, Dawn noted, and she and her fiancé, Mike, used an app to follow him as he ran. Thanks to the app, they could cheer him on from four different spots set up for spectators as he progressed through the run. 

Alex before the marathon’s start

Dawn and Mike enjoyed the funny signs people hold up along the route, too. Signs saying things like, “Run, Forrest, run!” from “Forrest Gump” or “Don’t dishonor your family!” Alex said the encouragement and cheers along the way kept him motivated.

After the run, Dawn, Mike, and Alex grabbed a bite to eat, which was especially necessary for Alex. He burned 3,800 calories on the run and logged 44,000 steps! Congratulations to Alex on hitting a personal best and completing the Madison Marathon!