Let's make this birthday one to remember.

51 years old (Born on August 13, 1973)

Happy Birthday, Mara Yamauchi! You're the only person I know who can celebrate another lap around the sun by casually running 26.2 miles. Your incredible sixth-place finish at the 2008 Beijing Olympics marathon still leaves us breathless—mostly because we can't even jog to our mailbox without needing a snack break.

May your birthday be filled with fewer blisters than your training days and more cake slices than kilometers you've conquered. Keep inspiring us all with your determination, humor, and endless stamina—because let's face it, you're probably already planning tomorrow's run while blowing out today's candles!