She Ran a Marathon With Scoliosis.

Cianna Santos

“A lot of the limits we have are temporary. They don’t define us until we let them. Whatever you’re working towards, you’re more capable than you think.”
— Cianna Santos

Most people learn about Cianna Santos through numbers. 5 hours, 48 minutes, 54 seconds. 26.2 miles. 16 years old. The youngest, and only, competitor to complete the 53rd Guam Running Club Marathon.

But the number that matters most to Cianna isn't on a race clock.

Diagnosed with scoliosis, Cianna completed the Guam Marathon in 2025. She took on the race as both a personal challenge and a fundraising effort to support children with scoliosis through Shriners Children’s Hawaiʻi.

“I wanted to give back in the small way I could, while showing others that a diagnosis doesn’t need to define you.”

During the race, she described moments of physical difficulty but emphasized persistence and focus on the purpose behind her participation.

“There were moments where I felt like stopping, where everything in me was telling me to quit. But I kept going, reminding myself why I started.”

That same instinct, to turn a personal obstacle into something that helps others, is exactly why Cianna is a founding member of Perihelion.

Follow her journey: @strides4scoliosis on Instagram