Dressed for Success
/
photo by shane darby
Pacer Kim Miller encourages racers in the Run the Line Half Marathon through costumes and camaraderie
By Baylor McLelland
Running in any kind of race can be a trying experience, with the temptation to quit always around the corner. However, races become much easier when shared with others. In her 12 years as a pacer for the Run the Line Half Marathon, Kim Miller has found a way to lift up her fellow runners with humor and spirit.
left to right: 1. In her youth, Kim competed as a sprinter for Bright Star School, near Doddridge, Arkansas. 2. With four friends, Kim debuted as a distance runner at the Baton Rouge Marathon in 2014. 3. Kim ran in the 2023 Boston Marathon. submitted photos
Kim began her running journey on a sawdust track as a Bright Star Tiger near Doddridge, Arkansas. In the seventh grade, she began as a sprinter. In 1994, she graduated from Bright Star High School and gave up her jersey, but Kim refused to quit running.
“Once it’s embedded in you, it’s always there,” she said. When she moved to Texarkana with her husband, Larry Miller, in 2001, she continued to run, jogging around her neighborhood as a way to keep herself active. One day in 2014, however, her mindset changed.
“[My running] wasn’t anything marathon-like, but then one day I thought I’d do a marathon, just to see what it’s like,” she said. Kim and four of her friends decided to run the Baton Rouge Marathon together. After months of preparations, she placed second in her age division, sparking a new passion. Later that year, she was asked by a friend to become an official 2:15 pacer for the annual Run the Line Half Marathon.
Kim’s job as a pacer means she has to lead any number of runners—all of whom aim to complete their journey in 2 hours and 15 minutes—throughout downtown Texarkana and across the state line during the half marathon, encouraging them not to slow down, not to rush, and, more than anything, not to lose faith in themselves.
“Through running, you have to learn a lot about yourself. It’s about what you can put your mind to.”
“The important thing is to have fun doing this,” Kim said. “I can be silly, I can be loud, I can be fun, so why not? The beginning of a race is typically quiet, but not with me around.” Since her first time as a pacer, she has become well-known among runners for her cheery attitude, sense of humor, and fashion sense, always pairing her run with some outlandish costume. Kim described the atmosphere at the beginning of some races as a bit intimidating, which is why the costumes were brought on as a way to help new runners de-stress.
She kicked off the trend in 2014 with a bright pink ballerina tutu. After that, she always wore some sort of costume—anything from a magical fairy to an Arkansas Razorback cheerleader. Her favorite is from 2018, when she dressed in a white wedding gown and veil with a bouquet of flowers—a runaway bride. Coincidentally, local lawyer Monty Murray ran that year, dressed in a black tuxedo and bow-tie, unintentionally complementing Kim’s character. “Whenever I’d pass people, I’d ask if they’d seen my husband,” she said. “Everybody, from runners to spectators, managed to get a kick out of that.”
Pacers like Kim are challenged not only to keep up a stated pace for 13.1 miles but also to keep a positive attitude throughout. Kim’s mental fortitude has only grown from this challenge. “Through running, you have to learn a lot about yourself,” Kim said. “It’s about what you can put your mind to.” If Kim can keep a crowd—and herself—happy while treading so much ground, she knows she has made an impact.
In her official role as pacer, Kim wears costumes for the Run the Line Half Marathon to bring joy to other participants. submitted photos
However, the emotional role of the pacer goes beyond providing laughs. During one race, Kim saw a man who had passed her group earlier getting sick on the sidewalk. The man was about to give up before she came over to him, helped him back on his feet, and finished the race with him by her side. “He said, ‘I want to run with you,’ and that just told me I was making an effect here,” she said.
Kim said her greatest racing accomplishment is helping others. To racing hopefuls, Kim offers her quintessential encouragement and support. “Don’t be scared,” she said. “At the end of the day, we’re all runners. I didn’t just go run a whole marathon one day; it took me time. Take yours.”