Dan Myers and his daughter, Olivia Myers, hold colorful signs while cheering on runners at the 2023 Eugene Marathon on Sunday, April 30. Photo by Maddie Lang.

By Maddie Lang

Dan Myers and his daughter, Olivia, waited on the curb Sunday morning with colorful signs sprinkled in glitter and pom poms. Olivia’s hot pink sign had the words “Go mommy. You can do this. Finish strong.” Dan’s neon yellow one read, “This is a lot of work for a free banana.”

The first few runners in the Eugene Marathon sprinted past while father and daughter prepared for their shining moment. As soon as they saw Kellie Myers, they held their signs up proud and took a deep breath. She ran by, and for 30 seconds Olivia and Dan yelled their loudest cheers and waved their signs in support. They had traveled all the way from Chico, California, to support Kellie as she attempted to qualify for the Boston Marathon and they let no second go to waste supporting her.

Kellie Myers from Chico, California smiles after running a Boston Marathon qualifying time of 3:23:57 at the 2023 Eugene Marathon on Sunday, April 30. Photo by Maddie Lang.

A few hours later, on the concourse at Hayward Field, Kellie was wrapped in a foil blanket and proudly holding her trophy, a banana.

She had a wide smile as she was surrounded by her husband and daughter. She had just run a 3:23:57 marathon, qualifying for the Boston Marathon next April.

She said she wanted to prove to Olivia that she can accomplish whatever she puts her mind to. The mantras on the signs of “you can do this” and “finish strong” are important mindsets that she wants to teach Olivia through example. She said she wants her daughter to know it’s “OK to do what you’re afraid of.”

The supporters and their signs were part of what made the Eugene Marathon experience so unique and special.

The course winds through the city of Eugene all the way from Amazon Park, across the Willamette River, up to the Owosso Bridge and back to the finish on Hayward Field. Its primarily flat terrain is what attracts athletes from across the country and outside the United States who come to run Olympic and Boston Marathon qualifying times.

The high hopes of the runners give the fans much to cheer about. Their cheers and cowbells can be heard from blocks away, giving the whole city of Eugene something to cheer about on the cloudy Sunday morning.

Other signs had inside jokes written on them like, “Half-marathon today, Netflix tomorrow,” or, “If you’re not first, you’re last,” which is a reference to the popular movie, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

At another spot on the course, Jay Puffinburger, his golden retriever puppy and his mother, Cheri waited for their turn to cheer on his fiancée, Dayu Aryanthi, and her friend Molly Bineham. Jay held a sign covered in confetti and pom poms that told his fiancée she is amazing.

Cheri rang a cowbell a friend had brought her from Switzerland and held a bright green sign reading, “This was a great idea 6 months ago.” Emphasis on the “was.” The early runners commented on her sign, saying, “That’s so true,” “You’re so right” and “There’s a lot of truth to your sign.”

The two chuckled at the popularity of their sign. Their pup lay flat on the ground, but as soon as Aryanthi was in sight, she perked up, excited to say hi to such a familiar face. Jay and his mother began their cheers for Aryanthi and Bineham. Aryanthi stopped for a quick hello before she continued on to finish her first marathon in 4:31:46.