2:45:01 and Beyond: Shawanna White

I am not sure Shawanna needs an introduction!  If you run and you use social media, I bet you already know her.  I dare you to watch her Instagram stories without breaking out in a smile, or to not chuckle about her “sexy pace” miles on Strava.  This women is an inspiration to a very wide range of runners and is well-deserving of all the accolades to her name, including being the fifth fastest African-American born marathoner at 2:45:19. Seeing Shawanna’s consistent killer race performances, I know the OTQ is in her, but more importantly I know she will keep showing the world just how much fun running is.

Name:  Shawanna White

Age:  40

City/State:  Columbia, SC

Occupation:  Elementary/ Middle school Physical Education Teacher 

Hobbies/interests outside of running:

I am a super run nerd so when I am not running then I am probably watching running lol.  I do enjoy reading and hanging out with family and friends when I am not running. 

When did you start chasing the OTQ and what inspired you to try?

After running a PR of 2:52:42 at City of Oaks in 2012, it gave me the confidence and belief that I could qualify for the 2016 trials. The B standard at that time was sub-2:46, but I had to put a hold on that goal due to a hip injury that required surgery in spring 2013. Learning how to run again was struggle, but I was eager and determined to try make it to the starting line in 2020.

Tell us about the races you attempted to OTQ at and the outcomes.

I ran so many marathons that I lost track. The two that stand out the most are 2017 Rocket City Marathon 2:49:26 and 2018 Newport News One City Marathon 2:45:19.

What did you gain from this journey?

New friends online and IRL..... 

What are you most proud of about your OTQ pursuit?

Running my fastest marathon ever 2:45:19 and becoming the first African-American woman to run 14 marathons under 3hrs.

Do you have any regrets or things you wish you’d done differently in your OTQ pursuit? 

No regrets!! Just happy I was able to try and can’t wait to chase an OTQ for 2024. 

What message would you like to send to those following your running pursuits?

I like this quote from my friend who’s an Olympian for Jamaica, Charmaine Howell: “take what you get, until you get what you want”. Just keep showing up y’all because you are AWESOME. 

Tell us something unique about yourself. 

I didn’t learn how to drive until I was 25 years old. 

What’s next for you?

Run all the races and have a good time!!!! 

I am currently trying to break all the 40-44 road state records in South Carolina.  

I broke a 30-year-old record for the 15k on February 2, 2020.

I want to run a PR at Boston and at the Indy Mini this spring.  

I’ve listened to a couple podcasts with Shawanna and highly recommend them:

I’ll Have Another with Lindsey Hein

The Rambling Runner

I haven’t listened to these but also found them:

Strong Runner Chicks

Chasing Bravery

Runified

The Run Duo