THE 36TH ANNUAL Seattle Marathon shoves off this morning with about 14,000 runners (up from 13,274 last year and 9,656 in 2000). Most will run 13.1 miles. Some will walk and/or run. Others will go the whole 26.2. At the starting line, when they dash off in a blob, they seem the same. But they all are propelled by their own reasons. Perhaps you can relate to some:

"I decided after turning 30 that I had to turn my health around. I needed to stop smoking. I decided something like this would make me quit. I joined the training program for the Seattle Marathon the day after my 31st birthday, the last day I smoked."
Queena Yi, 31

"I feel I have a gift. There are people out there that would do anything to walk, let alone run/walk 26.2 miles."
Al Miller Jr., 51

"I think I do better with other aspects of my life (work, time management, eating well, sleep, etc.) when I am running."
Eric Hanson, 38

"August 5th, 2005, the love of my life and husband died in a devastating plane accident, and the only way for me to release some of the pain was by running. I started the day after he died, just to get out and pound the pavement. It hurt so bad inside my shattered heart that I thought that having a sore foot would be no problem. I wanted to try a race to prove to myself and my family I am strong enough to get through anything."
Bridgett Harkins, 39

"I'm a fairly big German who is actually more of a linebacker than a wide receiver, so running great distances is very difficult. But I like pushing myself. I'm running with my brother, and it's a great opportunity for us to spend time together on 'the pain train.'"
Curt Boechler, 36

"Seattle was my first marathon in 1983. Twenty-one years in the Army has brought me back to Washington, and I have an opportunity to go back to where I started."
David Millet, 43

"To get in shape after baby boy No. 3 without giving up ice cream and the occasional glass of wine."
Kelly Zarling, 35

"At first it was a singular challenge I wanted to face. But after my first marathon, I found that preparing for one or two a year keeps me in a consistent and relatively high level of fitness, and I really enjoy the scenery, company and occasional solitude of the long training runs."
Tim Fonken, 39

"My dad. He walked the Beat the Bridge many years ago and watched me run across the finish line. He said, 'I want to do that next year!' Now he does. What better way to spend time with my dad than to run with him?"
Cynthia Pang, 33

"It gives me a reason to keep training with these goals: Improve my time over last year; improve my comfort running this distance (or more); and prepare for a Half Iron distance triathlon when I turn 50."
Karen Buttram, 48.

"I am running the marathon for my friend and co-worker, Barnaby Craig. We worked at Harborview Medical Center together for five years until he broke his neck in a motorcycle accident this past year. I am fundraising for him. I'll keep the goal of finishing in mind, when I start complaining that it's too hard."
Matt Harrington, 36

"I have just finished two body-building competitions and wanted a new challenge. I am not a runner, but I know it is important to have challenges. I tell my students never to sell themselves short of their goals."
Jamie Oleson, 34

"I am doing this for God. He gave me this body, and I figure it is just another way to glorify him. It might be a weird way to glorify God, but God has changed my life. There is a line of a song that says, 'Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for thee.' He is my motivation, so my hope is that my feet will not let him down."
Stefanie Dye, 20

"Running is my meditation. I like to run races because I have a competitive spirit. It also gives me a feeling of connection with other people who also like to run."
Cheryl Meyers, 35

"To participate with my wife, who is tackling the event as part of her battle to live with rheumatoid arthritis."
Lawrence Bradley, 50

"It is what my dentist and I refer to as being a true Northwest athlete — running the Seattle Marathon, riding the Seattle-to-Portland and climbing Mount Rainier, for starters."
Melinda Irvine, 42

"There is a definite mental and physical challenge, with a nice boost to the soul. Overriding reasons are the people I come in contact with and the courses I have chosen to run."
Bill Dubay, 62

"Training for a marathon allows me to eat just about anything I want without having to worry about fitting into my uniform."
Christopher C. Fowler, 36

"Why not?"
Asela Gunawardana, 30

Richard Seven is a Pacific Northwest magazine staff writer. He can be reached at rseven@seattletimes.com.