ARLINGTON, Va. (7News) — Arlington veteran distance runner Mike Wardian will be joined by his son Pierce, who will run his first marathon at the 49th annual Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday.

Pierce Wardian, 18, is a high school student at HB Woodlawn in Arlington and a cross-country runner.

His father Mike, 50, is a Teva-sponsored athlete who has won several races at various distances, including ultramarathons. He is a past winner of the Marine Corps Marathon 50K and a podium finisher in the Marine Corps Marathon.

Mike completed his first marathon at the 1996 Marine Corps Marathon with a time of three hours, six minutes, and fifty-four seconds. In 2022, he completed a coast-to-coast run of three thousand two hundred miles in sixty-one days. On October 1, he completed a north-south traverse of the Appalachian Trail, nearly two thousand two hundred miles long, in sixty days.

TRAFFIC ALERT | Road closures for the 49th annual Marine Corps Marathon

Having previously run one hundred and seventy-four marathons, Mike expects an emotional finish line at the Marine Corps Marathon.

“This will probably be the most extraordinary marathon I have ever done,” said Mike Wardian. “Being able to share a marathon with Pierce and hopefully more races in the future is just a dream come true and something I really wanted to do.”

When Pierce was just ten months old, he helped Mike set a Guinness World Record. In 2007, Mike completed the Frederick Marathon in two hours and forty-two minutes while pushing Pierce in a jogging stroller.

“Definitely excited. Yes,” Pierce said. “I feel great. The practice went well. Also cross-country skiing season. Just ready for Sunday.”

Pierce was more extravagant about his intentions for the end of the marathon. While Mike admitted it would be a very emotional moment for him, Pierce announced his intention to ride with his father to the finish line as soon as it was in sight.

Marathon running can humble even the most advanced runners. Pierce followed a training plan in which 18 miles was his longest run. So, like many teenagers, would he avoid his father’s advice or benefit from his vast experience?

“I’ll probably have to follow his advice. He carries all my stuff,” Pierce said, laughing.

Sunday’s Marine Corps Marathon will feature approximately 30,000 runners and travel through Arlington and D.C. before ending at the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington.