“He’d Be Proud of Every Mile”: Tegan Marrs Runs to Remember
Tegan Marrs can still remember the exact stretch of road she ran the day after her family received the knock at the door. She was 14. Her dad, Tech Sgt Steve Johnson, was gone.
“Something in me just knew I needed to run,” she says. “And from that moment, movement became my safe space—a place to talk to my dad, to grieve, and eventually, to grow.”
Today, Tegan is a mother of three, an REI team member, and a wear blue athlete training to run the Marine Corps Marathon as part of the Gold Star and Survivor Endurance Program. It’s a journey filled with early morning runs, toddler cheers from the side-by-side, and deep personal reflection.
Tegan was first introduced to wear blue during the Seattle Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon. “I remember seeing the tribute posters—row after row—and I had to stop. I was sobbing. It was the first time I saw so many heroes honored like that, and it made me feel less alone.”
From that moment on, she began running for others, too. She’s carried names of fallen service members on her bib. She’s mailed medals to families whose loved ones she’s honored. And in 2017, on Father’s Day, she crossed the finish line pregnant with her first child—Stevie, named for her dad—alongside a best friend from REI.
Through her work at REI and as a leader in the Warrior Inclusion Network (WIN), Tegan helps foster awareness, education, and support for military families. “You don’t know what you don’t know,” she says. “That’s why sharing these stories—my dad’s story, my story—matters. Because it inspires action.”
Her mantra while running? A simple one passed down by her father: SIU — Suck It Up.
“When it gets tough, I hear his voice and smile. He’d be proud of every mile.”
Tegan has been running for years, but her journey hasn’t always been easy. Through pregnancies and postpartum depression, she kept showing up. This photo captures a powerful milestone, her fastest half marathon yet, achieved after welcoming her third child.
Cohort Update: Midway Milestones and Meaningful Miles
As summer winds down, our 2025 Gold Star and Survivor Endurance Program athletes are reaching a powerful point in their training. Long runs are getting longer. Motivation is shifting from nerves to purpose. With less than three months until race day, the team is rallying around one another—through text threads, coaching calls, and the unspoken bond of shared loss and shared goals. Their October finish line isn’t just about 26.2 miles; it’s about honoring lives, building strength, and standing united in remembrance.
