Mississippi Woman Loses 160 Lbs., Finds 'Joy in Running' Ahead of NYC Marathon (Exclusive)

Lee Anne Barnes weighed 297 lbs. before she discovered running — now she's completed 37 half-marathons — and even helped organize a hometown race for kids

A few years after her overweight father died of a heart attack at 64, Lee Anne Barnes — a single mom of 2 weighing nearly 300 lbs. — tossed out her deep-fryer.

“After my father’s funeral, I vowed that I would not leave my children parentless,” Barnes says.

It took a few failed attempts after his death in 2003, but by 2007 she found something that worked. She ditched the deep-fried dinners and started walking: first to her own mailbox, then to the next one — and so on, down the street. Over the next 18 months, she lost 160 lbs.

When her hometown of Tupelo, Miss., hosted a Breast Cancer 5K in 2008, the elementary school teacher figured she might as well try to jog in honor of her mother who had died of the disease. "I fell in love with running — the sense of accomplishment, the way it made me feel," she tells PEOPLE. "The next thing I knew, I was running half-marathons.”

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Now, Barnes, 59, tries to always have a race on her calendar to stay motivated. So far, she has run 37 half-marathons in 17 states and has a goal of hitting every state before she and her second husband hang up their running shoes.

On Nov. 5, Barnes will run her fourth marathon, the TCS New York City Marathon, which she imagines will be a “26.2 miles-long block party."

“Running has completely changed my life,” she says. “I consider each day I can run a gift.”

It's been a long journey for Barnes, who struggled with her weight for most of her life. Growing up with a minister as a father, her childhood was marked by frequent moves – 11 homes by high school graduation – which kept her isolated and lonely. She felt awkward and didn't have many friends. Battling depression, she turned to food for comfort. “I ate my feelings," she says.

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At 26 she married her first husband, but the relationship left her unhappy and depressed. They divorced 15 years later, and by 2006 she was ready to make a change.

That's when she started her mailbox walks. She also committed to planning out her meals a week in advance so she never had an excuse to hit the drive-thru.

Barnes carefully kept the weight off for a decade. But when she started to experience symptoms of menopause in 2018, her progress slowed — along with her motivation. She stopped running, and her weight crept back up to 235 lbs.

The following year, she opted for a vertical sleeve gastrectomy. “It’s a very good tool to have,” Barnes said of the operation. But she clarifies: “The surgery is not an easy way out.” 

Related: 26-Year-Old Woman Loses 110 Lbs. After Having Gastric Sleeve Surgery and Cutting Sweets

Following the operation, she had to change her fueling habits for long runs. Unable to consume much food or liquid at once, she couldn't even drink a full cup of water. These days she carries a water bottle to stay hydrated, taking small sips. She even splits her gels, which are used to boost energy during a run.

She also wanted to share the "joy of running" with others in her community, and helped to organize a city-wide, 1-mile “Ripple Run” race for students in 2023. She realized kids' races had fallen off during the pandemic and wanted to start a new tradition.

With the support of PE teachers, Barnes and other educators were able to bring together kids from all eight elementary schools in Tupelo for a fun day of running.

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Since then, she has run the Chicago Marathon, her the first since the surgery. But now, her eyes are on New York. “I’m so stoked," she says.

Barnes had entered the lottery for the New York City marathon eight times in 12 years. "Every year I held out hope that this year would be the year." But she never got in.

Then this year, Barnes, who has been an educator for 33 years, was selected as one of 50 teachers to run New York City as part of Team TCS Teachers, which honors teachers across the country. 

Bringing the love of running back to her hometown earlier this year made her stand out among the more than 600 teachers who applied to join Team TCS Teachers, and now the public school teacher is dedicating her New York City marathon to her students. She teaches 356 students – across 21 classes at Thomas Street Elementary School.

“My students inspire me every day, and they will continue to inspire me while running the marathon,” she says. She will dedicate a mile to each of her classes, thinking “of each student in that class and how my life is richer for having the opportunity to teach them.”

Mile 22 will go to her coworkers across the Tupelo Public School District. Mile 23 to the memory of her parents. Mile 24 to her husband, Os. Mile 25 for her children. “And Mile 26 – and the point-2 – will be a celebration of me,” she tells PEOPLE. “My journey to health, and the tremendous gift I have been given: to run.”

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