Doctor. Runner. Trailblazer.

Huiwen Hao, MD, is achieving her goals, one stride at time.

In fact, this past July, the psychiatrist became one of only 46 women worldwide to be part of the Marathon Grand Slam Club, comprised of runners who have completed a marathon distance (26.2 miles) or longer on each of the seven continents and on the icy Arctic Ocean at the North Pole Marathon.

Dr. Hao earned this honor after completing the North Pole Marathon as one of the  91 runners who came from 22 different countries to participate.

“The trip was incredible,” Dr. Hao said. “When you run at the North Pole, marathon organizers and exploration specialists assess the safety of the sea ice and map out the running lap. The 844-meter lap was marked with flags and was just over one-half mile long. I had to run it 50 times for the full marathon.”

Participants arrive aboard a cruise ship.

“We saw about 15 polar bears from the cruise ship on our way to the event,” said Dr. Hao. “This experience offered a deep interaction with nature. Plus, I met some incredible, talented people.”

Dr. Hao said it was challenging to run on snow.

“You get wet. It’s uneven and unsteady running ground,” she said. “The ice floated about one-half mile while we were running on it.”

Runners wore a life jacket because the ice is only several meters deep. Underneath the ice is anywhere between 3,000 to 5,000 meters of ocean water.

Dr. Hao has run prestigious marathons in Boston, New York, Chicago, London, Berlin, and Tokyo. While each experience is memorable, Dr. Hao considers the North Pole Marathon the most challenging one.

Slow and steady

Despite her running accomplishments, Dr. Hao doesn’t consider herself an athlete.

Aside from running in the fifth grade, Dr. Hao didn’t take up the sport until she was 50.

“I got busy with work and life, and raising my three boys. When the kids got older, I decided to try it again by participating in a KP-sponsored running program for the Two Cities Marathon,” she said.

“Getting started is the hardest part,” Dr. Hao said. “But you do it, and it feels good. “

Dr. Hao started small. She began by running for one minute and then walked for one minute. She slowly built her endurance.

“When running long distances, I learned that it’s important to run at a pace where you can hold a conversation and to not overdo it and risk injury,” she said. “Taking baby steps and sticking with it helped. I enjoyed it so much.”

After running a half marathon in Fresno’s Two Cities Marathon 9 years ago, Dr. Hao set more goals. She ran nine additional half marathons that first year and then ran a full marathon a year later. She started combining family vacations with marathon locations.

She admits that it’s a challenge to run while working, so she focuses on running during her days off. She incorporates weight training and other activities she enjoys, like swimming.

While running will remain part of her routine, Dr. Hao plans to learn a new sport like pickleball, tennis or golf, and to develop her swimming skills.

“What started me on this journey was to be healthy and inspire other people,” she said. “I encourage others to start small and listen to your body. Set goals and enjoy the process.”