Sandia manager Don Gillich has completed a marathon in all 50 states. From Maine to California and every one in between, plus Alaska and Hawaii, Don has covered at least 26.2 miles per state across the nation in his trainers.

“I’m not some world-class or superfast runner,” Don said. “I’m just a regular dude.”

A regular dude and an official member of the 50 States Marathon Club.

Don is not only consistent; he’s also driven and focused, having figured out how to make something truly challenging sound almost fun.

“One thing you quickly learn about marathon runners is that we can’t stop talking about marathoning,” Don said. “It becomes such a big part of your life and finds its way into most conversations, especially when you’re training.”

Amid all the talk about long runs, blisters and chafing, Don hopes to model something more inspirational for those around him, particularly with his team.

Future-ready

Don has spent eight of his 11 years at Sandia managing research and development teams. Currently, he leads a group in phenomenology and signatures. This work is a critical part of improving early warning systems that enable quicker responses to potential threats.

“One of our Labswide goals this year is focused on having a future-ready workforce,” Don said. “As managers, one of our performance goals is literally to develop people and healthy teams. I believe that promoting wellness within my department and modeling healthy habits for my staff has been a powerful way to achieve that.”

Zoning out

Don started running as a kid and quickly learned about the positive effects of physical activity and endorphin release.

“Running is therapy; it relieves stress and anxiety, but it also helps me zone out and reach a different mental state,” Don said. “In school, I’d get stuck on a problem, obsessing over it. I’d step away, go for a run and get into that zone where the subconscious takes over. I can’t tell you how many times I’d finish a run and think, ‘I figured it out. I got the answer.’”

Don believes this kind of zoning out is especially important in research and development.

“I think part of the process in challenging R&D work is being able to clear your mind and let your subconscious figure things out for you,” Don said. “Sometimes, you need to step away from the problem to get closer to it.”

And then there’s the marathon.

“There are so many mental benefits to running, but when you’re running a marathon, at some point, it’s all mental. You can train as much as you want, but during those last five to six miles, it’s your mind you have to convince to keep going,” Don said.

The juice is worth the squeeze

Don ran his first marathon on a whim in college, without any training, just a nudge from his cross-country coach and youthful bravado that tells a 20-year-old they can do anything.

“The first 23 miles felt pretty good but then I hit a wall. It was awful. I staggered to the finish line, bloody and chafed,” Don said.

Determined to improve, he decided to run the same marathon the following year, this time with proper training. He finished in just under four hours, his best time to date.

Over the next several decades, Don completed a dozen marathons. A couple of years after turning 50, he set his sights on joining the 50 States Marathon Club.

“2019 was my ‘Year of the Marathon,’” Don said. “I ran 13 marathons that year, and in one race I came pretty close to that personal record I hit when I was 21.”

From 2020 to 2025, Don ran 34 marathons, and on Oct. 11, 2025, he crossed the finish line in Hartford, Connecticut, officially becoming a member of the 50 States Marathon Club.

“The marathon is a tough distance. It will never be easy,” Don said. “But the hardest part is just getting to the start line. Once you’re there, if you respect the distance and have the mental capacity to push through, it’s worth it.”

Leading by example

Running marathons has shown Don that he is capable of hard things, not only finishing the race but also getting to the starting line.

The process is twofold. The running aspect is about investing in himself, something he does for his mind and body, promoting his physical and emotional well-being. It keeps him focused, motivated and healthy. The marathons, while related to running, are about proving to himself that he can set goals, commit his time and energy and achieve those goals.

Don doesn’t expect everyone on his team to sign up for a marathon or even take up running. However, he hopes that somewhere in all the marathon talk, his team feels encouraged to invest in themselves and pursue goals that may lie outside their current comfort zone.

“I always ask my team, ‘What’s the hard thing you can do next?’” Don said. “I hope to encourage others to pick something they’re passionate about and go for it. Don’t stop until they’re done.”

And if that happens to be running, a half-marathon specifically, Don is down to tag along.

“Now I want to run a half-marathon in every state but this time with somebody,” Don said. “Who’s in?”

Next up

Don turns 60 this year and is already working toward his next hard thing.

On April 19, Don will lace up his trainers, strap on a 35-pound rucksack and step onto the starting line for his 60th marathon, the ToughRuck in Boston.

“I know I can run a marathon, but a marathon with 35 pounds on my back? That’s a different story,” Don said.

Don insists he’s just a regular dude and maybe that’s exactly what makes him so inspirational for the rest of us.