Erika & Cayley Bowling’s Golden State Challenge Journey
When Erika Bowling laces up her running shoes, it is not just for herself anymore. It is for the miles, moments, and memories she shares with her daughter Cayley. This mother and daughter duo from Fontana is proof that running can be both deeply personal and beautifully shared. Plenty of families start races together, but few actually run stride for stride and cross the finish line near the top of their age groups. Erika and Cayley do.
This mother and daughter have found something special in the miles they share. This is their first year taking on the Golden State Challenge, but their story stretches much further.
Erika’s Running Roots
Erika has always been an athlete. She ran track in college at Cal State Northridge, earning a scholarship as a sprinter, and stayed active through six different sports over the years. After her kids were born, she played in a women’s soccer league. Then the pandemic hit, and like so many others, she found herself needing an outlet while facing empty fields and quiet gyms.
“Everything shut down, so I just started running outside,” she says. “One of my coworkers looked at me and said, ‘You look like a runner, come join our run club.’ That’s how it started.”
From there, Erika was hooked. Her first race was the Laguna Hills Memorial Day 10K, and she hasn’t stopped since. She has completed Surf City 4 years in a row, Santa Barbara, Malibu, and Long Beach, and this year she and Cayley are earning their first Golden State Challenge medals together.
“I sign up for it because it gives me something to look forward to,” Erika says. “It keeps me motivated, keeps me training, keeps me improving. Every race I try to get a new PR, and that feeling when you finish and they put that extra medal around your neck—who doesn’t love that? And you get two medals at once!”
Cayley’s Turn to Run
Cayley grew up watching her mom stay active, but running for fun never really appealed to her. “Mom ran track and tried to get me into it,” she laughs, “but I thought, who runs just to run?”
That changed earlier this year when she saw the Nike After Dark Half Marathon and decided to enter. “I figured, why not?” she says. “When I got the email that I got in, Mom made me a training plan, and by June I ran my first half.”
Since then, she has been all in. She has already run Santa Barbara, Surf City 10, Long Beach and her times keep improving, helped in part by growing support she’s received from sharing her journey online. “I’m still a beginner runner, but the Golden State Challenge gives me something to work toward,” she says. “Even if you are not the fastest, you are completing a goal, and that is something to be proud of. It gives you something to look forward to every few months and keeps it fun.”
Running Together
What makes Erika and Cayley unique is that they are not just mother and daughter runners. They actually race together, right around the same pace.
“You don’t see that a lot,” Erika says. “It is motivating for me to run with her, and I know it pushes her too. People in our run club always comment, ‘Wait, your mom runs? And she’s fast!’ It feels good to be able to do this together.”
Cayley agrees. “It’s nice having someone who really understands what you are going through,” she says. “She gets the training, the pain, the early mornings. She knows exactly what I mean when I hit a wall. She texts me during races, helps me stay focused, and reminds me not to let my mind quit before my body does.”
Taking on the Golden State Challenge
This is the first time Erika and Cayley have taken on the Golden State Challenge series, and they are already proving themselves among the top of the field. Erika placed eighth in her age group at the Surf City 5K, fifth in Long Beach, and she and Cayley took second in their division in the Santa Barbara Half Marathon relay.
“The Santa Barbara Half was no joke,” Cayley says. “It was super hard mentally, but finishing it was such a good feeling. It pushed me to keep going and reminded me why I love doing this.”
For Erika, that race stands out too. “Santa Barbara was a game changer,” she says. “It was hilly, it was tough, and I didn’t want to let Cayley down. But we did it, and it made me proud of both of us.” Next year they plan to switch relay legs…
When asked what she loves about the Golden State Challenge, Erika doesn’t hesitate. “I like that you can choose your distance,” she says. “You are not stuck doing a half marathon every time. You pick your distance, and that flexibility keeps it fun and doable.”
For both of them, the Challenge is about more than medals. It is about motivation, connection, and improvement.
“After you complete that second race, you realize you are halfway there to the Golden State Challenge medal,” Erika says. “It keeps you running, strength training, and getting better.” Each race builds on the last.
Cayley nods. “It is something we can share. We run together, we push each other, and we both see how far we have come.”
Two runners. Two generations. One finish line they keep crossing together.
Erika and Cayley Bowling are living proof that running together is not just about fitness. It is about family, grit, and the miles that bond you closer with every stride.
