Two INTEGRIS Health caregivers turned race day into a powerful display of strength, resilience and heart at the 2026 OKC Memorial Marathon. Their stories, rooted in dedication to their patients, their families and themselves, highlight the extraordinary determination behind every mile.
Two INTEGRIS Health caregivers turned race day into a powerful display of strength, resilience and heart at the 2026 OKC Memorial Marathon. Their stories, rooted in dedication to their patients, their families and themselves, highlight the extraordinary determination behind every mile.
She ran for her daughter—and won
Maddie McQuirk, a registered nurse who has been with INTEGRIS Health for 10 years, took home the trophy as the winner of the 2026 OKC Memorial Marathon Women's
Race.
McQuirk's running journey began in high school when she ran cross country. While she didn't continue her competitive running in college, she still maintained her competitive spirit as she ran recreationally. Her love of the sport led her to compete in her first marathon in Tulsa four years ago—all while eight weeks pregnant. Impressively, she would later go on to complete a half marathon while seven months pregnant with her daughter.
In 2024, she ran marathons in numerous cities, including Oklahoma City, Boston and Sacramento. With the stressors of everyday life as a parent and an ICU nurse in the pulmonology department at the INTEGRIS Health Heart Hospital, running became her escape. Her training consisted of running 100 miles a week with intermittent rest weeks and weightlifting for injury prevention. Through it all, her motivation remained consistent: being an inspiration for her daughter.
"I hope my daughter can see that she can do hard things, and she can be involved with us," McQuirk says. "I run with her in the jogging stroller. Of course, I'm doing all the work, but she loves being active. I just hope it shows her that she can balance a lot of things in life."
During the 2026 marathon, McQuirk was surprised to learn she was in the lead around the 5K mark. She remembers thinking "I could win this," but she just needed to push through and hold onto her pace. McQuirk's family came out in support, cheering her on throughout the course. Her husband, Evan, who also works with INTEGRIS Health, and their two-year-old daughter waited for her to cross the finish line, a memory McQuirk will carry with her forever.
"I've never seen my daughter at a finish line before, so it was really special," she remembers. "The best feeling in the world is coming home and her running to me, and so it was like that mixed with the runner's high and winning the race. It was a great feeling."
Former champion runs for two at OKC Memorial 5K
Ashley Carreon, MS, RDN, LD, a registered dietitian with INTEGRIS Health Weight Loss Center at INTEGRIS Health Baptist Medical Center, ran in the OKC Memorial 5K, all while eight months pregnant.
Carreon started running when she was five years old, participating in local races while her dad competed in 5Ks. In middle school, she competed in cross country and track and field, leading her to earn a scholarship for track and field at the University of Nebraska. After graduation, she started dabbling in longer-distance races, but she didn’t run her first marathon until 2019 when she was 30 years old.
In 2025, Carreon would go on to win the OKC Memorial Marathon Women’s race. Later that year, she found out she was expecting her third child. While her training changed slightly as she navigated nausea and fatigue during the first trimester, she continued to train and listen to her body. Her motivation throughout her training was her love of the sport and her support system around her.
"I really love the Oklahoma City Memorial race," she says. "It's a big, family affair with my parents booking a hotel a year in advance and my sister traveling from Houston. My two kids do the children's marathon, and my husband did the quarter marathon this year. I was like, 'okay, I don't want to miss out.’”
As she crossed the finish line, Carreon was proud to participate and felt all the love as people cheered and encouraged her throughout the course.
"Last year, the marathon was super special," she remembers. "You spend so much time training, and to win the women's race, it was just a sigh of relief. For the 5K, it was equally as special, but surprisingly, I felt better running the 5K while eight months pregnant than I did at the end of the marathon. But it was really, really sweet at the finish line."
Carreon says she determined to keep running and stay healthy for herself and her daughter, and she hopes her story will serve as an inspiration for her children as well as other women during their pregnancies.
