Yolanda Holder
Upon turning 50 years old, Yolanda Holder decided to do something different for her birthday. While others in her circle of family and friends opted for elaborate parties, expensive experiences or trips, or even purchasing long desired goods, Yolanda, on the other hand, set out to walk 50 marathons in 50 weeks. And she didn't just meet that goal—she crushed it, completing 66 marathons in 52 weeks. And she never stopped.
Now 67, Holder has become one of the most accomplished ultra-endurance athletes in the world. She has set Guinness World Records all while breaking barriers as a race walker in a runner's world. Yolanda is also the first African American woman to achieve numerous milestones in multi-day racing.
Holder's journey has been marked by extraordinary achievements and equally extraordinary resistance. As a power walker competing in running events, she has faced criticism, taunting, and outright discrimination and bullying throughout her career. "I had someone once tell me, 'You are an apple in a basket of oranges, and the oranges don't want you there,’” Holder recalls.
Yolanda has faced relentless criticism. People have repeatedly dismissed her accomplishments with comments like "anybody can walk" or "all she's doing is walking." Facing this constant negativity led Holder to question herself at some points, even as she was racking up impressive performances. In 2010, seeking validation, she looked up Guinness World Records and discovered the record for most marathons undertaken in a year stood at 100. She set out to break that record by power walking every single one. Holder went on to complete 106 marathons that year, setting a new world record. But instead of celebration, she faced more criticism.
Feeling defeated by all the pushback she received in response to her accomplishment, the following year, in 2011, Holder only completed 30 marathons. After taking that year to regroup, and refocus, in 2012, Yolanda broke her own record—completing 120 marathons, including three 100-milers. "I just basically said, bam, in your face. Now, leave me alone!” Holder recalls.
While Holder's marathon achievements are impressive, her true mastery shines in multi-day ultra races. After completing four six-day races, each over 400 miles, she was invited to attempt the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3,100 Mile
Race—widely considered one of the most difficult footraces in the world. Participants have 52 days to complete 3,100 miles around a half-mile block in Queens, New York, in the scorching summer heat.
The race director first tested her in a 10-day race, where she completed 626 miles and came in second place overall. Satisfied with her performance, he invited her to the 3,100.
The race was transformative. Holder got sick three times, fell behind by 43 miles, then rallied when someone reminded her, "It's just a 100K"—a distance she'd completed many times. She had to complete 62 miles to catch up, and she did. Days before the finish, she fell three times on the same knee due to worn-out shoes, nearly getting pulled from the race. With blisters covering her feet and possibly fractured toes, she finished with less than an hour to spare. "Out of all the 500 and something marathons that I've done, that was the only one that I cried," Holder says. She became the first African American woman to complete the 3,100 mile race and one of only a handful of people to finish on their first attempt.
As a Black woman in ultra-endurance sports, Holder has faced racism and sexism throughout her career. She's experienced taunting and harassment at races, been physically grabbed by competitors, been denied services and subjected to racist remarks. In one particularly egregious incident at a race in Milwaukee, a competitor grabbed her shoulder violently, and she later learned he was making "the most vile and most horrible, racist and sexist things" about her to other participants.
Despite these overwhelming challenges, Holder continues to compete and excel using incidents like these as fuel rather than as obstacles. At 66, she came in second place in a six-day race, nearly catching the first-place finisher who had a full crew while Holder raced alone. "At age 67, girlfriend, you are badass," she told herself after that race, finally letting go of the negativity that had plagued her for years.
"I'm literally really setting world and American records," she says. "Stuff that 20-year-olds are doing, I'm doing it at 67."
After losing both parents to Type 2 diabetes, Holder founded “Extreme Walk for Diabetes” to advocate for walking as a powerful tool for health. To honor her
parents and to raise awareness and funds, in conjunction with the American Diabetes Association, Yolanda completed multi-day walks from Corona, California to Oakland and from Laguna Beach to San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.
"You don't have to run, you don't have to ride your bike," Holder emphasizes. "Just get up off the couch and move your body."
Her message extends beyond physical health. "Age is just a number," she says. "You're unique, whatever your goals are. You can do it. It may not happen today, tomorrow, even next year. Never ever give up."
Holder didn't discover her purpose until she was 50 years old. Now at 67, with plans to compete in the 3,100 again at age 70, she continues to inspire countless people to move their bodies and pursue their dreams—no matter their age, pace, or the obstacles in their path.
"I didn't ask to be an inspiration," Holder reflects. "But God has put me on this beautiful journey." And she's determined to keep walking it, one step at a time.
Note about the author: Pilar Arthur-Snead is an Abbott World Major marathon finisher, a four time ultramarathon runner and a Road Runners Club of America Level 1 Certified Coach. She is based in Albany, NY.
