Woman Runs 14 Marathons After Losing 40% of Lung Function

At 22, Elizabeth Obih-Frank lost 40 percent of her lung function to sarcoidosis, a rare inflammatory disease that attacks the organs. Doctors had no cure and couldn't explain what caused it.

A decade later, she needed open heart surgery to repair a congenital heart defect unrelated to her first diagnosis. Recovery took over a year, and out of caution, she stopped running completely.

For 25 years, Elizabeth stayed active through yoga, hiking, and dance. But when her mother passed away at Elizabeth's 60th birthday, she felt pulled back to the sport she loved as a way to honor her mom's values around health and movement.

With just 60 percent lung capacity, Elizabeth signed up for the 2020 New York City Marathon with Team for Kids. Her first workouts were humbling—she could barely run for a minute without stopping.

A coach introduced her to the run-walk-run method, where she alternated timed intervals of running and walking. At first, she walked more than she ran, but gradually her running intervals grew longer as her confidence rebuilt.

When the pandemic canceled the 2020 marathon, Elizabeth kept training anyway. In 2021, she completed her first marathon—the virtual Boston Marathon—tracking all 26.2 miles on GPS.

Crossing that virtual finish line, she broke down in tears of gratitude for the heart and lungs that carried her forward. The achievement represented far more than distance—it was proof of her body's resilience after years of medical challenges.

Why This Inspires

Elizabeth didn't let her limitations define her ceiling. By breaking her goal into manageable intervals and trusting the process, she discovered that even compromised lungs could carry her across marathon finish lines.

Her story proves that adapting your approach matters more than perfect conditions. The run-walk method transformed an impossible goal into 14 completed marathons across seven continents.

Now 66, Elizabeth continues training and has completed seven of the eight Abbott World Marathon Majors. After a recent health scare left her hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis during the 2025 Boston Marathon, she's focusing on low-impact exercise while her body heals—but she's not done yet.

Last month, with her doctor's approval, she returned to Boston to run a 10k. For Elizabeth, movement isn't about perfection—it's about showing up for herself, one interval at a time.

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