Couples Who Run Together, Stay Together
Valentine’s Day is often associated with flowers, chocolates, and candlelit dinners—but for many runners, love is also found on the roads, trails, race courses, and gyms of Northeastern Pennsylvania. This Valentine’s season, the Wyoming Valley Striders are highlighting our own members—celebrating couples within the club who run together and the unique bond that forms when miles and life are shared side by side.
Running Side by Side
Sometimes, love grows because someone is willing to hit the road just to be close.
Sarah’s running journey was already well underway when she met her now husband Matthew in the spring of 2023. Training for the Steamtown Marathon, running took up much of her time—so he jumped right in. “He was trying really hard to impress me,” she said with a smile. She remembers that he went out and bought a pair of Brooks and said, “I can run with you!” He quickly increased his mileage, running up to 14 miles with her, and completed his first race—a half marathon. “He was clearly a keeper.”
From First Run to Forever
For some, running is how love begins.
Shelby recalled how a shared love of running sparked her connection with Tom. “Running brought Tom and me together, as a mutual running friend introduced us—on a run,” she said. “Not long after, we began dating, and a year and a half later Tom proposed to me in Boston after I ran the marathon.”
Now, this married couple’s story has come full circle. They’re currently training for the Boston Marathon again. What began as shared miles became a shared life, built one run at a time.
A Journey of Passion and Partnership
For others, running becomes a way to reconnect or rediscover a passion together.
Paul credits his wife, Sandy, with getting him back into running after he retired from the Army Reserves. She and a friend decided to start running, and Paul joined them. “The rest is history,” he said.
While they don’t always run at the same pace, Paul says their time together on the run strengthens communication. “Even though we have different paces, we communicate more when we run together.”
He admits encouragement doesn’t always land perfectly—“her least favorite is when I try to encourage her when she’s running hard”—but pride outweighs everything. “I’m very proud of how far she’s progressed over the last 10 years, and maybe I can talk her into a marathon… which she said she’d never do,” he added with a laugh.
Miles, Memories, and Community
For Sarah, running together has grown into something deeper over time. What she values most is the time it gives them. “We’re about the same pace and rarely leave each other’s side. We don’t run to compete or chase times—we run to be together.” Having a built-in running partner also brings accountability and shared motivation. While race registrations now cost double, she jokes it’s “money well spent.”
Running together has opened even more doors for them, from serving on the board of the Wyoming Valley Run to traveling to races and reconnecting with running friends. “We also love seeing familiar faces at annual races, especially the Striders ones, which always bring out the best in the running community.”
“I can hardly remember running life before my favorite partner was next to me,” Sarah said, hoping for many more miles together—both literally and figuratively.
Love in Every Mile
This Valentine’s season, the Wyoming Valley Striders are proud to spotlight couples who prove that love really can go the distance. After all, in running and in relationships, it’s not about matching pace—it’s about moving forward together.
Whether you’re running side by side with a partner or cheering from the sidelines, there’s a place for you in our Striders family—find out more about upcoming races, including our Winter’s End 4.5 Mile Run on Sunday, March 22, on our website.
Featured image: Matthew and Sarah run the 2025 Winter’s End and later that year complete the Vince Wojnar Triple Crown Series as a married couple.
