Local runner unofficially claims Guinness Book of World Record in Missoula Half Marathon

Polson runner Lauren Arnold was inspired to break Ashlee Eskelsen’s Guinness Book of World Records record time of pushing a three-capacity stroller through a marathon.

Eskelsen, a Montgomery, Ala. resident, still officially holds the record time of pushing a stroller with a time of 1:47:29, something that could potentially change.

Unofficially, Arnold, equipped with a camera in the stroller while she was running, shattered the mark currently held by Eskelsen, recording a time of 1:29.09 seconds.

“Breaking the record was kind of a big deal and we talked about it a lot,” Arnold said. “My husband Louis and I talked about it a lot and we decided to go be in the race. Breaking the record is kind of where it came from.”

Arnold said she was “confident” she could break the record.

“I felt like I could probably run faster than Eskelsen’s time,” Arnold said. “Breaking it seemed like a really neat thing to do with the kids and we would have a great memory for them in the stroller. We broke the Guinness Book Of World Records for the half marathon. I did it to do something because it was a family activity. It allowed me to train, run the race and involve my kids. It was special.”

Arnold, who has unofficially broken Eskelsen’s record, still expresses trepidation because of the red tape involved with making the Guinness Book Of World Records official.

“I haven’t gotten all of the paperwork and that hasn’t been approved as the record,” Arnold said. “I ran a time that beats the previous time. However, in order to make it official, you have to have witness statements, videos of the race, and a camera in the stroller. It’s up to them whether they approve it or they don’t.”

Arnold said she runs with a stroller all of the time that carries her three children in it including Marguerite (6), Simon (3) and her 11-month old Asha.

“I run with a stroller a lot of times and I have three little kids so we have a triple stroller this summer,” Arnold said. “We started running with it when Marguerite was out of kindergarten. I felt like breaking the record was a neat thing to for the kids and it will be such a great memory for them in the stroller. Breaking the record at the Missoula half marathon is also a great memory. Running is something of a family activity that has allowed me to train and run a race that involved my kids. Unofficially obtaining the world record was pretty special.”

Arnold, who ran at a small liberal arts college in Danville, Kent., ran cross country and just continued her running career after college.

“I just kept running after college and I also did trail running and road running,” Arnold said. “I really just liked to run. Running is a big part of my life. I am very competitive and it wasn’t something that I wanted to stop just because I had kids.”

Arnold said she was also inspired to continue running to set a good example for her children.

“I wanted to set an example for my kids to be healthy, stay active and exercise,” Arnold said. “Running is most directly collated to how hard you work at it. It’s not like a ball sport where you have to have super skill sets and a great amount of coordination, (running) is very simple. You just need a pair of running shoes. You can do it right out of your back door. You can quiet your mind and it is good for overall health and longevity.”

Arnold, who has lived all over the country including Utah, Kentucky and Colorado, has gotten to see several things throughout the country.

“We got to see a deer sitting along the bike paths and the kids got to socialize and see the different seasons,” Arnold said. “I put them in sleeping bags and go in the winter, and use a rain cover so we can run in the rain and observe nature. It’s better than a car ride. It’s a little buggy ride.”

Arnold said she was “emotional” about the experience of unofficially breaking the record.

“I was emotional about the whole thing,” Arnold said. “I worried about how we were going to race. We tried to do our best with the kids to experience the race atmosphere because they didn’t get to go before.”