Getting Back to 26.2 with Seattle Runner Ashley Davies

Ashley Davies, Seattle runner, training for the 2025 Eugene Marathon. Photo: David Oh

Last year, getting back to the start line of a marathon was something 15-time marathoner and new mother Ashley Davies knew would be in her future; she just didn’t know exactly when or how it would happen. Sticking to a strict training schedule wasn’t working, so Ashley drew up a flexible training plan that balanced the responsibilities of being a mom with her love of running in community — specifically with the Seattle run club that she helped found eight years ago: Run CSRD.

Now, with her crew alongside her and her husband and almost two-year old supporting her, Ashley will be taking on 26.2 miles in Eugene this April and she cannot wait to get back to running the race distance that she loves most.

Here’s Ashley’s Start Line Story:

Name: Ashley Davies

Age: 36

Where are you from and where is home now?

I’m from New Jersey (born in New York City) and have lived in Seattle for the past 10 years. 

What’s your local run club or training group and tell us about it?

Our local group is called CSRD, which stands for Club Seattle Runners Division and we just celebrated our 8th year. We started right before the big boom in running clubs and when we started our desire was to be a place in which people — no matter where they are in their running journeys — could come and have a safe environment to train. We’ve grown over the years and now we get 200+ people at our weekly runs. We like to say that we’re a community group before a running group, and that’s the way we structure everything — by putting community first.

Why Eugene 2025? 

I’ve had folks in our group run Eugene in the past and they had such a great experience. And the energy I’ve seen on social media, finishing on the track … it just seems like a  really exciting race! And it’s great that it’s driveable for me. My whole family is coming to watch, including my husband and almost 2-year-old. Eugene will be my first marathon in four years and the first one since giving birth. I’m so excited to see my little one come and watch me do what I love. There’s also a bunch of excitement about Eugene amongst our running group and I’m so excited to be able to share the racing experience with my crew.

Current Total Marathon Count: 15

Favorite road race or racing experience?

My favorite was probably the NYC Marathon in 2013. The energy in New York is just unmatched! And I was born there, so everything about that made it so special. 

What kind of training plan are you following and do you have a specific goal on race day?

I’m following my own training plan. I’ve run many marathons and I ran competitively in high school and college, but since giving birth, I’ve had trouble committing to a training plan. I had a wonderful coach postpartum, but I just felt like I couldn’t commit and that I was letting her down, so I decided to just do it myself and relieve some of the pressure. I put together my own plan, based on total weekly mileage, along with some speed workouts and it’s been really great. It gives me the flexibility to jump into workouts with friends who are also training for Eugene or doing Boston this year.

Finish the sentence: What I love so much about running is _____

The community! 

I also love how it makes me feel strong, confident, and accomplished. With running, you get out what you put in; maybe not every workout, but over time; and over the course of my journey, I’ve seen that whenever you put in the work, and you’re patient and stay disciplined, you’re going to get out what you put in.

Why the marathon?

Oh, I just love the marathon! I don’t even know how to explain it, I love it so much! Maybe I’m just a distance runner at heart? I just love being out on the roads for hours, to get locked in, to not feel rushed. I really enjoy running, and in a marathon it takes me a good seven miles to warm up, then I get in the zone, I start to race, and by the end I get to see what I’ve got left. 

What started your running journey?

I’m so anti this mindset now, but the reason I started running was from a weight-loss perspective. It wasn’t a healthy place to start, but over time, I fell in love with the sport, with the community, with the sense of purpose, accomplishment, and focus, and it became fun and healthy and transformative. Over the years, running for me has always been community-focused — running on teams in high school, in college, and then finding community through running groups in new cities. It’s one of the reasons why I love Seattle so much.

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Ashley will be at the Start Line in Eugene with a big Run_CSRD crew from Seattle. Make sure to give her a follow on Instagram at @dreambig_davies and a big high five on race morning.