MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va.—By the time Gaby Trujillo reached Hospital Hill, every step felt heavier than the last; her legs ached, arms heavy, dizziness set in, and with only two miles remaining in the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon, the first-time half marathoner began wondering whether she could finish at all.
“… I was tingling and everything was flashing, and all I kept saying was, ‘God, I ain’t stopping,’” Gaby said in an Instagram Reel following the race. “I shuffled most of the race, but once I got to those hills my body did NOT like the walking at all. There was a point where I honestly thought I might have to throw in the towel.”
At her lowest moment during the race, a U.S. Marine stepped beside her and helped guide her through the final miles.