Tracey Stearns, shown after completing the New York City Marathon last fall, will run her first Boston Marathon this month.

Tracey Stearns, a native of the Baltimore area, didn’t become an active runner until she was in her mid-30s. She is making up for lost time, running the Boston Marathon on behalf of the South Asian Circle of Hopkinton as part of her quest to complete the world’s seven major marathons before she turns 50.

“I really only got into running as kind of like a social runner,” Sterns explained, noting that her focus had been on golf.

Stearns is the director of retail for a nationally recognized retailer at the Congressional Country Club, a private golf and country club in Bethesda, Maryland. She is very involved in the Association of Golf Merchandisers and is married to golf professional Dustin Stearns.

She enjoyed running in the D.C. area for leisure, immersing herself in the historic atmosphere. But after completing some turkey trots and 5Ks, Stearns decided to step up to more demanding experiences.

“I had always had a great fitness life,” she said. “But there was something missing. I decided that by the time I turned 40 that I would run a marathon.”

She sought advice from her boss, who had run marathons in Boston and New York. He advised her to train for at least five or six months.

The Congressional Country Club had a group of runners who would use the golf course with her. It sponsored the Marine Corps 5K and the Marine Corps Marathon in D.C., which crystalized her decision.

“I was watching these people run for fallen soldiers and like their names on their back,” she said. “And it was just so inspirational. That’s kind of what prompted me to want to run a marathon.”

The pandemic shutdown in 2020 gave Stearns a window of opportunity for focused training. She joined the Montgomery County Road Runners Association to prepare for the Marine Corps Marathon.

“I knew the way that I work out, I couldn’t do the training alone and run for that long of distance alone,” she said. “The Montgomery County Road Runners Association actually had a program called the First Time Marathon (FTM) Program. This was exactly what I needed.”

Stearns participated in group runs, a Wednesday track workout and longer runs on the weekends. She also ran individually two or three days a week. This experience helped her “fall in love with running.”

“I kind of have adopted this new lifestyle of running because it was just such a great community of people,” she said.

That marathon was canceled due to the pandemic. But that didn’t quench Stearns’ desire to participate in a marathon somewhere. The Philadelphia Marathon in November 2021 had an opening for Stearns.

“I had always wanted to be in a bigger marathon,” she shared. “I wanted to have that camaraderie of people, the onlookers and the people cheering for you with their funny signs.”

‘Domino effect of marathons’

Stearns thought she would be “one and done,” but the excitement of her Philly finish propelled her to a larger goal.

“I turned 40, so I figured I checked off my goal,” Stearns said with a laugh. “But then I sat there and thought I still needed to do the Marine Corps Marathon, which I did in 2022 and 2023. That decision started the domino effect of marathons I’ve been running.”

She decided to compete in the World Marathon Majors, a championship-style competition for marathon runners that started in 2006. It includes the seven major marathon races recognized as the most high-profile on the calendar: Boston, New York City, Chicago, London, Berlin, Tokyo and Sydney.

Said Stearns: “My goal is to run them all before I turn 50 in five years.”

Since her first marathon, Stearns has completed New York City and Berlin in 2023 and Chicago in 2024. Boston will be sandwiched between these and the final overseas leg of her marathon movement.

“What I really did is I saved the ones that left me training in the winter because they’re spring marathons,” she said. “Although I’ve been in Maryland for a long time, I do not enjoy the cold at all.”

Joked Stearns: “So I guess I just gotta, you know, put on my big girl pants, heated gloves and heated vests.”

She anticipates Boston becoming her new favorite course after Berlin because of the history and intensity of the event. She also has an aunt who was born in Boston and finds the Boston accent endearing. The only aspect of the race she fears is the hills, particularly Heartbreak Hill.

Stearns wanted to run on behalf of a smaller Massachusetts nonprofit. When she heard about the opportunity to run as a fundraiser for the South Asian Circle of Hopkinton (SACH), she jumped at the chance.

“The CEO of my company ran for them last year and had a wonderful experience,” she said. “I was very fortunate to be selected by them. When I was interviewed by the SACH board, there were several runners among the members.”

Added Stearns: “It gave me goosebumps to see the support I got.”

Late friend provides inspiration

The death of her best friend from brain cancer at age 45 also motivates every step Stearns takes.

“She’d always been one that ran with me, and she had always been my big supporter,” Stearns said. “Obviously, I made the decision to run a marathon before she had passed, but she had always been cheering me on.

“Just the battle that she was having for five years gave me more inspiration to be able to truck through it and get these marathons done,” continued Stearns. “Before she passed, I said to her that every marathon that I will run will be in her honor.”

She encouraged others to “find their passion and that fire,” no matter their stage in life.

“I changed my mentality to not saying that I have to run today, but that I get to run today,” she shared. “I thank God every day that I’m able to do this.”

Stearns fell this past year during the New York City Marathon. A fellow runner helped her to her feet, avoiding a potentially severe problem.

Said Stearns: “There’s nothing more frightening than being on the ground and 50,000 runners literally jumping over you.”

Stearns said she is excited participate in the Boston Marathon for SACH and to explore the Boston area afterward.

Added Stearns: “It’s the Super Bowl of marathons.”