Happy International Women’s Day! While I love so many things that are stereotypical of being a woman - feminine dresses, high heels, statement jewelry - I also really like doing things outside of the female stereotype. In high school, I used to go deer hunting with a bow and arrow. I know how to change a tire and jump a car battery. I know all about football and love beer more than wine or fruity cocktails. And I love running marathons.

Did you know statistically speaking, marathon running is a male-dominated sport?

According to a recent Global Marathon Running study done RunnerClick, the world average of women runners is 34.8% Even here in the United States, which has the highest proportion of women runners, that number is 45.7%. On the other hand, of the countries analyzed, the smallest proportion of female runners is in Greece - 9.8%.

If you’ve been following me for awhile, you know that I ran my third Chicago marathon this past October. It wasn’t my best time, but it was an amazing experience. I ran it with my dad and sister as a way to raise money and awareness for Schleroderma research. Even in the cold and the rain, running through Chicago is always fun. Each neighborhood has its own flavor, its own points of interest. The fans are some of the best in the world!

And apparently, I’m not alone when it comes to loving Chicago. According to the report, the most popular events are New York, Boston, and Chicago in the USA, with London and Berlin holding that title in Europe. More than 25% of all of the runners in the world ran these marathons.

Have you run a marathon? Be warned - it’s something that gets in your blood. I remember the first time I ran Chicago, almost 10 years ago. While running I kept thinking this is the stupidest thing I’ve ever done. I thought about quitting and the only thing that kept me going was pride - I didn’t want to admit failure to my family who was there cheering along the way. I vowed around mile 22 that I would never, ever do this again. And then I crossed the finish line, got that banana and free beer and wanted to do it again.

Fast forward 10 years and I’ve now run 3 full marathons, and 3 half marathons. I’m not sure if there will be more full marathons in my future but there will certainly be numerous half marathons. And I just got new adidas kicks to start training again.

The post was sponsored by adidas. Learn more about the company’s She Breaks Barriers movement. Thanks for supporting brands that make ModlyChic possible.