9 pounds, 26.2 miles: Meet Jellybean, Davis’ marathon-running Chihuahua

The Sacramento region’s smallest ultramarathon runner is 6 years old, weighs 9 pounds and fuels on a veterinarian-approved diet of Chipotle Mexican Grill chicken and cheese.

She’s Jellybean, Fleet Feet Davis’ unofficial mascot and Davis resident Andrew Owens’ Chihuahua mix. Since Owens adopted Jellybean as a pandemic pup in 2020, she’s become a fixture at local races and an inspiration for human runners — once they get over their initial shock.

“She doesn’t look like the typical half-marathoner, let alone a marathon finisher. But as she sprints past runners or crosses the finish line, she challenges every stereotype and assumption,” Owens said. “Jellybean reminds us that potential isn’t defined by appearances. It’s about heart, determination and the work we’re willing to put in.”

Owens was a semi-casual runner with a German Shepherd named Kodie when he first met Jellybean in the halls of Mather’s Bradshaw Animal Shelter. He had never owned a small dog, and didn’t see the two of them as a fit at first. But he slowly changed his mind and returned for her a few days later.

Jellybean tore up the house those first few days, and planted her heels when Owens tried to take her for an initial run with Kodie. But she whined when Owens’ brother tried to take her back to the house, and given a second chance, she proved to be a happy runner.

She and Owens kept adding more and more miles, eventually outpacing Kodie and building the stamina to run Fleet Feet Davis’ unofficial marathon course in December 2020. Her paw pads are remarkably soft for any dog, let alone such an active one, and she usually runs out in front of her human companion.

As social distancing restrictions eased, Jellybean and Owens embedded themselves in the Sacramento-area running community. They became a regular sight at Fleet Feet Davis’ popular Tuesday night Run Crew, as well as more intensive marathon training courses.

An Instagram page Owens set up on Jellybean’s behalf (@jellybean26.2) has attracted more than 1,000 followers. Runners and spectators can’t believe their eyes at races, and use Jellybean as motivation for their own endurance goals, Owens said.

“It’s disbelief and then it’s awe, and then ‘you inspire me,’” Owens said. “Runners at races (say), ‘no way, he carried the dog, that dog’s not going to make it.’ And then people will come up after and say, ‘Did that dog do all of it?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, she did every single step.’ And they’re like, ‘No way. If that dog can do it, I want to go from a 5K to a 10K, a 10K to a half, a half to a marathon.’”

Owner and dog have run four marathons together, the fastest being 3 hours and 47 minutes at the Garmin Kansas City Marathon in October (8:40 min/mile pace). They ran a pair of 50-kilometer ultras in 2022, the Berkeley Trail Adventure and San Lorenzo River Trail Run, then went back to do the latter again the following year.

The duo befriended runners like Derraugh Dawson, Jellybean’s “godmother” who now brings her favorite treats on runs. Doling them out can be difficult, though: Jellybean has pushed Owens from Dawson’s 11-minute mile pace down to a seven- or eight-minute mile, her head lilting slightly to the left as she bounds down the path.

“She does this kind of sideways, gentle trot. It’s like it’s almost effortless. She just glides along,” Dawson said.

Sarah Pitfield met Jellybean as a Fleet Feet running coach, her side hustle for 10 years until November. The Chihuahua mix with some dachshund and Sheltie thrown in doesn’t look like a super athlete, but her body is primed for distance running, Pitfield said.

Jellybean has small legs, yes, but they don’t need to move very far for each stride. She’s “all muscle” in a way that human physiology can’t imitate, said Pitfield, a science teacher at Douglass Middle School in Woodland. Bigger dogs (and humans) put more impact on their joints each time they hit the pavement; Jellybean often doesn’t even have her mouth open at the end of a marathon, Owens said.

“A lot of people are like, ‘Oh man, that’s a little dog, there’s no way.’ And at the end, Jellybean has more energy than any of the humans,” Pitfield said. “It’s kind of like she’s skipping as she’s going. She never looks like she’s putting forth any effort. She just really loves it.

“And if there’s a squirrel that she sees, you’re getting pulled behind her because she goes for it — it doesn’t matter what mile we’re on. She just has endless energy.”

Every time Owens sucks down an energy gel, Jellybean gets a handful of Blue Buffalo Chicken Bits training treats to fuel her as well. She drinks only a few licks of water at a time but enjoys having some squirted on her in the summertime heat, Owens said. The Chipotle kids meals are add-ons to her usual kibble diet, and she’s been known to scarf down half a charcuterie board when allowed.

Jellybean’s love of running has pushed Owens to go all-in on the sport, sometimes leaving his canine companion at home during rainy conditions or the deeper parts of 100-mile race training. Outside of those occasions, though, she’s upset if she doesn’t get to run as well, he said.

She’s shown her fans that size isn’t a barrier to speed. When Owens’ friend Peter Blando went looking to adopt a dog, he sought out an active companion that could keep up with him on runs.

He ended up with a Chihuahua mix named Bacon.