Photo submitted by Kate Bucher: Kate Bucher poses with her medal after finishing as the runner-up at the Fargo Marathon in Fargo, N.D. on May 31, 2025.

MARSHALL — Local runner Kate Bucher started her career as a marathoner just three years ago. Now at 23 years old, she’s hoping to be in the top 10 youngest female finishers of all the major marathons in the world. 

Bucher ran track and cross country in high school and ran for a semester in college at Mankato State in fall of 2020. 

“But with COVID, everything was different and I just didn’t end up loving it there and it was making me lose my love for running,” Bucher said

So she moved back home to Marshall and took time off from running to give herself a reset. But it wasn’t long before she was back at it. 

In high school meets, the longest race is five kilometers, or just over three miles. In college, four miles. But this time when Bucher started running again, she found herself running longer distances.

Bucher eventually made the decision to register for Grandmas Marathon in Duluth in 2022 in order to have a goal.

“Ever since then, I have been in love with long-distance running and marathon training,” Bucher said. Her goal for her marathon debut was to qualify for the Boston Marathon.

The Boston Marathon, the oldest annual marathon dating back to 1897, is widely regarded as the world’s most prestigious marathon. To qualify you must meet a time standard based on age and gender. For Kate that would be under 3 hours and 30 minutes. 

She ran a 3:11, submitted an application to run in the Boston, and several months later, she headed to Boston for the race of her dreams.

“I had always dreamt of running the Boston Marathon one day,” Bucher said. “Never in a million years did I think I would be running it at 21 years old but I did.”

While more than 800 marathons take place every year, only 7 have the title of “World Marathon Major,” the most prestigious and sought after races in the world: Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York City, and Sydney. 

“After completing that major marathon, I was determined to run all the majors. My second major marathon I ran was London in 2024, and then I did the Chicago in October of 2024 too. This year I have 3 on my schedule, which is crazy. I will be running Sydney, Berlin, and the New York City Marathon.” 

She’s run in seven marathons in total, three of which have been major marathons: Grandma’s Marathon; Boston; Des Moines, Iowa; London; Chicago; Mesa, Ariz. and, most recently, in Fargo, N.D.. 

Her Fargo race was on May 30, and she finished 2nd in her division and 17th overall out of 1,293 runners with a time of 2:52:17. The performance was her second under three hours and set a new personal record by six minutes.

“I felt strong the whole time and fueled during the race well,” Bucher said. “I was thankful to have a bike guide near me for the entire race which helped push me to keep going. I kept my eyes on her back the entire run and chased her down.”

“I think I am getting into a routine of what works for my body. It took me a few races to figure out my strategy but I am confident that I am getting it down now.”

Bucher runs 100-120 miles a week, with Sunday always off as her rest day, and prioritizes lifting four times a week to build strength and prevent injury. 

While chasing down new goals is part of what Bucher loves about racing, it’s also about how she feels

“I love pushing myself to my limits and seeing what I can do; my goal always is to get faster and stronger but to also just have fun and enjoy the journey,” Bucher said. “Having fun is what it’s all about.” 

Up ahead this year are three major marathons ahead: Sydney on Aug. 31, Berlin on Sept. 21, and the New York City Marathon on Nov. 2. 

While working two jobs, running a hundred miles and week, Bucher also takes online classes at Winona State University, studying Health and Wellness.   

She will be running the Sydney race as a charity runner for the World Cancer Research Fund. She was one of 5 people chosen from around the world to be part of the team. She will also run the New York Marathon with the Shoe4Africa campaign which is working to build a children’s cancer hospital in Africa, a cause that’s close to Bucher’s heart; her father had his own case of colon cancer several years ago. 

Her goal is to raise $3,000 for the campaign before her race in November, and donations can be made on the Shoes4Africa. 

With the next three majors done this year, she’ll only have one left: the Tokyo. Which she’s hoping to find a way into for the March 2026 race. If she can do so, she’ll be in the record books.