Utah prison hosts first half marathon

Inmates at the Utah State Prison in Salt Lake City completed a historic half marathon.

Medical staff Tiffany Snowball, Juanita Dye, and Scott Schultz cheer on the inmates.

The idea for the race came from Casey Vanderhoef, an inmate serving a 15-year sentence. Inspired by the documentary "26.2 to Life" about the San Quentin prison marathon, Vanderhoef proposed a similar program in Utah in 2023 as a method of rehabilitation and finding purpose after addiction.

45 inmates ran 39 laps around the prison yard, equivalent to a 21.1 km half marathon, on 18/7. This event marked a significant milestone in their rehabilitation journey. Local media were invited to cover the event.

The running club "Fit From Within" was subsequently established with the goal of improving inmates' physical and mental health by running 1,609 km annually. The club now has 70 members and managed the half marathon.

Among the participants were inmates with disabilities, including Howard Nelson, who has terminal cancer and cannot run on his own. Fellow inmate Jaime Salinas pushed Nelson in his wheelchair throughout the course, demonstrating a rare sense of unity in the often-isolated prison environment. Others used wheelchairs or supported each other to complete the race.

Howard Nelson, with a CTR (Choose The Right) tattoo on his hand, said, "I live my life this way", after being pushed in his wheelchair by Jaime Salinas.

State legislators Katy Hall and Paul Cutler also attended the event, showing their support for the rehabilitation program. This year, Utah approved private funding to provide running shoes, treadmills, and training equipment for inmates.

According to organizers, running in the "Fit From Within" club is a privilege awarded for good behavior. Psychologists report that after participating in regular runs, many inmates have shown significant reductions in anxiety, depression, and emotional instability. Many stated: "For the first time in years, I feel like myself".

Vanderhoef (bib number 28) won the race with a time of 1 hour 37 minutes, exceeding his personal goal. He is scheduled for release next week and aims to run the Boston Marathon in the future.

"I can't describe how I felt when I started running. But I started to feel better thanks to running," Vanderhoef said. "It's great to be back in this sport."

Inmates began training for the 21.1 km distance in 11/2024. The running club held its first one-mile (1.6 km) run in January and has organized monthly runs since then. Organizers plan to expand the program with the first prison marathon (42 km) scheduled for next November.