Published: Feb 03, 2025 5:03 PM EST 2025 Houston Marathon, Brie Murray was “steps away from bonking,” she says in a TikTok she posted about the experience. She’d gone into the race hoping to qualify for the Boston Marathon, but at that point, it was uncertain whether she’d meet her goal. That’s when she met Skyler Baird.
They’d been running together side by side for about a mile when Baird reached over and fist-bumped Murray. The 26-year-old Dallasite (who works on the A Stranger Sacrificed His Race to Help Her Qualify for Boston social media team) was struggling—her pace kept slowing and she was falling behind—but when she got within a few steps of Baird, he waved her up to him and asked what her goal was.
“I told him it was to qualify for Boston, and I needed to maintain an eight minute mile for the rest of the marathon to be able to do that,” Murray says in her video.
Baird then told Murray that his only goal for the rest of the race was to ensure that she accomplished hers.
“He selflessly paced me, cheered me on, and got me through the last eight miles of the race, which I couldn’t have done on my own,” she says.
At one point, Murray took her gloves off, and Baird, a 36-year-old residential real estate developer from Utah, offered to carry them for her. “He said that the only way I would get them back would be if I made it to the finish with him,” she says in a follow-up TikTok.
When he noticed that she kept looking at her watch, Baird counseled Murray to keep her eyes up, look forward, and let him handle the pacing. “So basically, not only did Skyler cheer me on and pace me to the finish, he also removed any possible obstacles that could get in my way from getting there.”
Later, Murray learned that her new running friend had planned on running a sub-three hour marathon, but when he had some injuries flare up on the course, he made a decision to find a runner who needed some help and dedicate the remaining miles to that goal. He helped Murray accomplish her BQ dream, Sha’Carri Richardson Misses Out on 200 Final at USAs qualifying standard of 3:30.
When the pair crossed the finish line, Murray gave Baird “the biggest hug” and then asked what his name was.
“I think that that’s a testament to the running community,” she says. “Humans have been running forever, and I think it’s beautiful how such a simple form of exercise can unite people with all kinds of different backgrounds, from different locations, of different ages. It really doesn’t matter, because at the end of the day we’re all just running—one foot in front of the other—and I am so thankful that Skyler helped me do that.”
“Skyler really taught me that even though every day can’t be your day, that doesn’t mean you can’t help make it someone else’s,” Murray says, “and I’ll carry that with me for the rest of my life.”
Abby Carney is a writer and journalist in New York. A former D1 college runner and current amateur track athlete, she's written about culture and characters in running and outdoor sports for Runner's World, How to Master the Marathon, Sha’Carri Richardson Misses Out on 200 Final at USAs, and other outlets. She also writes about things that have nothing to do with running, and was previously the editor of a food magazine.
