If you’ve ever hit mile 20 of a marathon and questioned all your life choices, imagine looking over and seeing a tiny Chihuahua cruising along, completely unfazed.
That’s Jellybean—a nine-pound running machine who has defied expectations (and probably a few veterinarians) by becoming a long-distance runner.
Jellybean’s running journey started in an unexpected place: a California animal shelter. She was adopted from Mather’s Bradshaw Animal Shelter in Sacramento, Calif., by Andrew Owens, an avid runner who quickly noticed that this little dog had an unusual amount of energy. She wasn’t just excited for her daily walks—she wanted to run. And not just a quick dash around the block. She wanted to keep going.
So, Owens started taking her along on his training runs.
At first, it was just a couple of miles, but Jellybean showed no signs of slowing down. As the weeks went by, the distances got longer, and before long, she was keeping up with full-fledged marathon training (track workouts and all).
By 2020, she had officially joined the big leagues, and since then, she’s completed six marathons and three ultramarathons. Her fastest marathon? A very impressive 3 hours and 47 minutes at the Garmin Kansas City Marathon—faster than plenty of human runners.
Of course, running marathons isn’t just about showing up and hoping for the best (even if that does work for some people).
Jellybean follows a structured training plan, just like any serious runner.
She puts in miles during the week, mixes in speed workouts and hill training, and builds up to those long weekend runs—sometimes up to 20 miles. Rest days are also important, since recovery is key, especially for a dog whose legs are only a few inches long.
At races, Jellybean turns heads everywhere she goes. People assume she’s just there for fun or maybe running a short leg of a relay. Then they see her keeping pace for miles.
Owens says people regularly come up to him after a race and admit they never thought they’d be beaten by a Chihuahua. And yet, here she is, proving that endurance running isn’t just for long-legged athletes.
She’s also become a bit of a local legend in Davis, Calif., where she regularly joins group runs and has earned unofficial mascot status among fellow runners.
And while she’s already accomplished more than most people (and dogs) will in their lifetime, Jellybean isn’t done yet. She and Owens are now working toward setting Guinness World Records for the fastest small dog to complete a half marathon and a full marathon.
Want to follow along on Jellybean’s running adventures? You can find her on Instagram at @Jellybean26.2
