FAIRFIELD, Conn. —

Most runners chase personal bests, but Fairfield native Elizabeth Pehota just ran her way into the record books while battling a disease that tries to slow her down at every step.

Pehota, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2022, is a former Fairfield Warde High School cheerleader turned serial marathon runner.

"My first one was in 2020, so since then, in those five years, I've run 15," Pehota said.

Five of those 15 came just in 2025, but the first one was the 2020 "backyard" Boston Marathon.

“I trained the year the pandemic hit,” Pehota said. “I didn’t get to run it and I ran it in my backyard. When you sign up to run the Boston, you’re signing up to do it in person with the crowds and that’s a part of the experience. I made it my goal to become faster

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