For anyone who runs, today is like the Fourth of July or Thanksgiving holiday for our sport. Today is our annual coast-to-coast celebration that occurs the first Wednesday every June when we reaffirm our love of running, encourage new runners to start their journeys and rejoice because we’re part of the greatest community in the world. Happy National Running Day everyone!

If you haven’t been already, today you will be serenaded with running discounts, running photos, multitudes of local running meet-up options and tips about running. You’ll be asked why you run, what you love most about running and where you want to run next. You’ll see a million awesome graphics and pin-worthy icons about running that make you smile, laugh and even lace up your shoes.

Today is a great day for running.

But this year, you won’t find any of the typical National Running Day fanfare here.

Today is about celebrating our community and each other. For me, today is about saying thank you and showing my gratitude to 10 amazing runners who inspire me on a daily basis. 10 runners whose character is equally as impressive as their guts, paces and race reports. 10 runners who know how to push through the hardest parts of a run or race and get comfortable with being uncomfortable. 10 runners of different abilities, ages, speeds, backgrounds and reach – some you know as household names and others you’ve never heard of and will likely never meet. 10 runners who make me want to be a better runner.

To them, I say thank you (in no particular order). Thank you for setting a strong example for what running is and what it should be. Thank you for embodying National Running Day in who you are and how you run. Thank you for inspiring me to run.

Saying Thank You to 10 Runners Who Inspire Me

1. Andrea Hillman

Andrea (pronounced “on-drey-uh”) is a superhero mom of 3 who works full time and is training for her second IRONMAN. Andrea and I met in 2012 when we were both training for the Augusta 70.3 IRONMAN. We trained with the same group and slowly started to bond during long training weekends and countless hilly bike rides. Not only is Andrea a kind friend and wonderful person, she is a complete rock star. Just more than 5 years ago, Andrea weighed 100 pounds more than she does today. After joining a local running club in Atlanta, not only did the weight start to come off, but Andrea blossomed into a marathon mama and one of the most driven and dedicated athletes I’ve ever met. Not only that, she has connected 300 runners and triathletes in Atlanta by creating a free training group on Facebook that encourages anyone looking for help, support and training partners to join. She is literally changing people’s lives and helping them achieve their goals. To you Andrea, I say THANK YOU!

2. Sarah Canney (aka Run Far Girl)

Sarah has become one of my favorite running bloggers, and she is an all-around wonderful person, runner, cheerleader, mom and friend. Sarah and I had the fortune to meet while running the Hood to Coast Relay with Nuun last year, but we had become fast friends on Twitter leading up to the race. When I think about Sarah, I think about strength. Not only did Sarah overcome a long battle with Bulimia and Anorexia, she has found an inner strength that has enabled her to reach incredible goals. She just ran a 3:25 marathon last month and has learned how to push through the hardest parts of runs to better her best. What I love about Sarah’s journey is she makes me believe I am capable of more. She and I have run very similar paces in the past. In fact, our marathon and half marathon PRs were quite similar for a while. And then with the right dedication, training plan and mental focus, she has just blown her own expectations out of the water. Additionally, Sarah has become an inspiring advocate for the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth, raising thousands of dollars to help families treated there and has organized a team running a half marathon this year to raise even more dollars. She’s also designed a shirt with the saying “Embrace the Hill” to raise donations. I’m excited to go on a road trip with Sarah later this month to Savannah for some fun, running and fitness. You can see Sarah’s interview from when she stopped by runladylike.com last year here. To you Sarah, I say THANK YOU!

3. Marie Boyle

When I think about the word “amazing,” I think about Marie. The words “thoughtful,” “lightning-fast,” “talented” and “disciplined” come to mind too. Marie is the kind of person who is always going the extra mile (literally and figuratively), and she is someone who makes you better by just being around her. Marie and I first met as colleagues several years ago, but our relationship soon blossomed into a great friendship. Marie and her husband are training for their second IRONMAN, and Marie has completed more marathons than I can possibly count, with a best time of 3:14. When I started my journey in 2013 to be a more disciplined athlete, Marie is the person who inspired that discipline. I’m grateful to have her as a friend and someone I look up to as a person and an athlete. To you Marie, I say THANK YOU!

4. Meb Keflezighi

2014 Boston Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi is an American running hero. But not because he won the most epic marathon during its most monumental year. Meb is a running hero because of who he is and what he stands for. Running and life have not come easy for Meb. He grew up in a country in Africa called Eritrea, where he and his family had no running water or electricity and were living in the middle of a war with Ethiopia. Thanks to the undying commitment of his parents and a tremendous amount of hard work, Meb and his 10 siblings have been incredibly successful. Meb became a US citizen in 1998 and symbolizes for many that we can make what seems impossible, possible. I got to meet Meb briefly at an event in January, and what struck me the most about him is his true belief that nothing is impossible if you’re willing to do the work. I also love that he tries to never take what he has for granted and he lives by the philosophy of always striving to be his best. I’m not sure if it is Meb’s running abilities or his character that inspires me most. Either way, Meb embodies that running is about always choosing to be our best self. To you Meb, I say THANK YOU.

5. Kristin McQueen

If you’ve been reading runladylike.com for a while, the name Kristin McQueen is probably a familiar one to you. I’ve shared her story several times (like here and here), but every time I think of it I get more and more inspired. Kristin has been battling cancer for more than 10 years, but she has not let that stop her from continuing to compete in marathons and Ironman races. Despite complications that have forced Kristin to re-learn to walk, run and ride a bike and forever live with vertigo and balance issues, this stronger than strong women keeps attacking life head-on, all while raising money to fight cancer. More than $130,000 to be exact. When I am struggling during a race or a run, I often think of Kristen. I think of her running a marathon 3 weeks after brain surgery and completing her 10^th Ironman the day after a phone call where she heard the news that there was no way to treat her ongoing pain. Kristin is simply amazing. To you Kristin, I say THANK YOU!

6. Jen Leonard

My relationship with Jen started in a most peculiar way – during mile 1 of the ZOOMA Florida Half Marathon this past January. As the race started, I heard a friendly voice say hi and tell me she reads my blog. (I was wearing my rUnladylike visor and I of course nearly died of happiness that someone reads my blog and recognized me. That was my 15 minutes of fame. Ha!) We shared a few words and then I didn’t see Jen again. Several months later, she reached out and asked me to be her coach. She is doing her first half Ironman and first marathon this fall, and I’m working with her to help her reach her goals. Jen is the kind of athlete that every coach dreams of. She is so goal-driven, yet she understands balance. She is eager and hungry to learn, and she doesn’t make excuses. She has a deep passion for achieving her very best and seeing what she is capable of. Yet it wasn’t always this way. Which is the most inspiring part. Jen started running less than 2 years ago. She has lost 50 pounds and has done some pretty incredible things, like running a 1:44 half marathon practically her first time out of the gate. I am honored to be Jen’s coach, and I am inspired by her discipline. As I’ve felt a bit inconsistent the past few weeks, I find myself taking a page from Jen’s dedication. She is a rock star. To you Jen, I say THANK YOU!

7. Katie Edwards (aka MsFitRunner)

Katie leaves me speechless. She is just that kind of runner. Katie is as fast as lightening but as humble as they come. She wins nearly every race she enters and placed among the top 40 women at this year’s Boston Marathon with a PR of 2:45, but she does it with grace and gratefulness. She is a mom of 3 beautiful kids and somehow finds time to juggle being a businesswoman, mom and elite athlete without missing a beat. You may remember Katie from when she stopped by the blog earlier this year. Although I don’t really know Katie in real life, we did get to meet in 2013 at the Hood to Coast Relay. I think what impresses me most about Katie is her ability to push. She can push through pain and the mental demons and the dark parts of a race and still come out victorious. That is something I am still trying to figure out … how to keep pushing when I don’t think I can. How to take it up a notch even when I don’t think it’s possible. Katie proves it is. To you Katie, I say THANK YOU.

8. Kara Goucher

All you have to say is “Kara” in the running community and we all know exactly who you’re talking about. Kara is an Olympic marathon runner and an incredible elite athlete, but what I love most about her is that she is a real person. From the photos she posts on Instagram and Facebook hanging out with her husband and son to the down-to-earth words she shares, I think Kara is an amazing role model for runners anywhere. I can’t wait to see all she does as she bounces back from an injury, and all the people she will continue to inspire along the way. To you Kara, I say THANK YOU.

9. Tere Zacher

When I think about positivity, motivation and being mentally strong, Tere is the person I think of without question. I met Tere at the Hood to Coast Relay last year when we were randomly paired up to share a hotel room together. I remember getting the assignment and telling my husband that I couldn’t believe I was sharing a room with someone who runs a 2:40 marathon instead of one of the other bloggers like me. It turned out to be the best thing that could have ever happened. The few short days Tere and I got to know each other changed me. She helped me break through some mental barriers I had been facing with running for a long time and she put me on a completely equal playing field. She has since become a great long-distance friend who motivates and inspires me daily. She knows what pushing through pain and competing at the highest level is like. Not only is she an elite runner but she is also a world-champion swimmer who has an even more impressive heart. To you Tere, I THANK YOU.

10. Dick and Rick Hoyt (aka Team Hoyt)

You have probably heard of the incredible story of Dick and Rick Hoyt – the dynamic father-son duo that has raced in some 255 triathlons and more than 70 marathons together. But not side by side. One behind the other. Team Hoyt began in 1977 when Rick – who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy after his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck at birth – asked his dad (Dick) if they could run in a race together to benefit an athlete at his school who had become paralyzed. He wanted to show him that life went on even if you had a disability. At the time, Dick was not a runner. Today, all of that has changed. As of April 2014, the Hoyts had competed in 1,108 endurance events, including 32 Boston Marathons and 6 Ironman triathlons. Did I mention Dick has run a sub-3-hour marathon while pushing Rick? After their first race, Rick told his dad that when they are running together, he doesn’t feel like he is handicapped. What a gift. To all of us. To Team Hoyt, I say THANK YOU.

Who are the runners you want to thank for inspiring you? How are you celebrating National Running Day this year?