Running down a dream | Tidelands Health team member chasing goal of completing half marathons in all 50 states

March 18, 2025 

Contact: Dawn Bryant 

Tidelands Health  
(843) 652-1636 

dbryant@tidelandshealth.org 

News for Immediate Release: 

Running down a dream | Tidelands Health team member chasing goal of completing half marathons in all 50 states  

When Lisa Hadwin’s adult daughter set out to run a half marathon in every state, Hadwin figured she’d tag along for a few. 

Hadwin enjoys running, and the races give her the opportunity to spend quality time with her daughter, Madison Crowe, 27, an administrator of an outpatient surgery center in Dallas. 

But Hadwin’s nonchalant approach to the 50-state goal turned serious after getting the ultimate runner’s gift from her husband, which sparked her determination: a display rack for her race medals. This unique rack featured a white map of the United States, each state just begging to be colored in as Hadwin checks it off her list.  

Game on. 

“Now, I have to do it,” Hadwin said. “It is my goal now.” 

Off to the races 

Hadwin, director of food/nutrition and environmental services at Tidelands Health, is pursuing her goal much like she runs her races: slow and steady. 

She aims to run four half marathons a year – timed around University of South Carolina football season when she cheers on her Gamecocks – and finish all 50 by 2033, when she turns 60. 

She’s nearly halfway there, completing 18 races with several more already scheduled. 

The journey started at home, with a half marathon in Myrtle Beach in 2017. Color in South Carolina on the map, and hang the finisher medal.  

She’s continued to color in most of the southeast states, completing races and making memories in New Orleans; Nashville, Tennessee; Charlotte; Paducah, Kentucky, and more.  

The 13.1-mile routes have taken her through the streets of Las Vegas at night, the historic squares of Savannah and the sprawling corn fields of Nebraska. 

“Things I would have never, ever even thought about,” Hadwin said. “It opens your eyes to other parts of the country. We’ve done a lot of cool places.” 

Despite the breathtaking scenery of new places, it was the familiarity of her hometown that’s earned first place on her list of favorite races. 

Family and friends cheered her on as she crossed the finish line of her one and only full marathon in Buffalo, New York, with pre- and post-race celebrations at some of the same places she enjoyed while growing up there. 

“Nostalgia, because it was personal,” Hadwin said. “Going to my favorite chicken wing place to celebrate – Duff’s Chicken Wings.” 

Like in many other races, the community also embraces the event and the runners, with cheerleaders and marching bands performing and residents lining the race route to cheer on the runners. 

“I just love the signs and love the people,” Hadwin said. “It makes such a difference. It just keeps you motivated, keeps you laughing along the way.” 

In between races, Hadwin stays in shape with a loose running routine. She typically makes time for two runs of between two and four miles during the week and a longer five- to 10-mile run on the weekends. But don’t call it training. For Hadwin, it’s welcome exercise with physical and mental benefits. 

“It’s just easy,” she said. “I can go anytime, so it fits in my schedule. And it gives me time to decompress. Plus, it gets me out in the fresh air.” 

Enjoying the moments 

As you can tell, the race experience and the quality time with her daughter are the priorities for Hadwin – not coming in first. 

Still, she averages an impressive pace of about 11 minutes a mile, often pausing to snap photos of the scenery along the route. She scored her personal record, or “PR,” in Naples, Florida, finishing in two hours and 27 minutes. 

“I don’t push myself too hard,” Hadwin said. “I’m there for the good time. I just want to finish and enjoy it – enjoy the moments.” 

And regardless of her time, she’ll earn that coveted medal when she crosses the finish line. 

“My goal is that bling,” she said. 

When she’s back home unpacking, that bling quickly finds its place on the special display rack that sparked her racing journey, and Hadwin finds even more joy coloring in that state. 

“It’s one of my favorite moments when I do that,” she said. 

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About Tidelands Health 

Tidelands Health, in collaboration with MUSC Health, is the region’s largest health care provider, serving the Carolinas at four hospitals and more than 70 outpatient locations. More than 2,500 employee, physician and volunteer partners work side by side with our communities to transform the health of our region – promoting wellness, preventing illness, encouraging recovery and restoring health.