Team Member Spotlight

Meet Penny Wilbanks, a vibrant Texas Beef Team member from Arlington, Texas, who brings energy, grit, and a great sense of humor to everything she does—whether it’s running a marathon, coaching new runners, or relaxing at the lake.

Penny’s journey into endurance sports didn’t begin until adulthood. While she did play in league soccer from age 10 through her thirties, once she returned to college at age 35 to finish her degree, she stopped being as active and found herself 40 pounds heavier by graduation day. Searching for a new fitness outlet, Penny did an internet search for “solo sports,” which led her to a local running program—and she never looked back. Now, with a whopping 71 marathons under her belt, including one in all 50 states, Penny is on her way to 100 marathons, a goal she’s tackling one start line at a time.

Despite a full-time career in medical sales, Penny finds time for her passions—running, boating at her lake house, and volunteering on the Texas Wesleyan Alumni Board and with the University of Oklahoma Fort Worth Alumni Club. She’s also a proud grandmother of five, dog mom to three, and shares life with her boyfriend David Nugent, also on the Beef Team. Fun story about Penny and David – they first started dating at age 18 and 22, respectively and then parted amicably their separate ways. Unbeknownst to them, for almost a decade, they lived just a few streets away. Finally, they were reunited a couple of years ago via a Facebook connection and a post softball game meet-up, and the rest is history! 

A couple of her favorite recollections since joining the Beef Team two years ago, “Working side-by-side with fellow Beef Teamers Jim and Brenda Case,” Penny says. “Too much laughter and memories to list.” She also loved dressing up in 1920s glam at the Prime Cuts retreat earlier this month. Her favorite beef-sponsored race is the Houston Marathon, where she recently PR’d with a time of 5:13:51, narrowly beating her NYC 2021 time.

Penny has learned firsthand how nutrient-rich beef supports her performance. She regularly fuels her training with Filet and Sirloin, and sticks to a tried-and-true pre-marathon meal of steak and spaghetti. “Growing up, my parents made me eat a lot of beef because they said I needed the protein to grow. I’m only five feet tall, so I guess it kept me from being shorter—LOL,” she jokes.

Her go-to beef recipe today? Grilled steak with grass-fed butter, sea salt, and pepper. Simple and satisfying.

Over the years, Penny has coached many new runners and currently helps the “back of the packers” with the running group Cowtown Trailblazers. She’s faced challenges too—from severe plantar fasciitis to juggling a demanding job—but she listens to her body and always comes back strong. Her favorite piece of advice? “Forward is a pace.” And when she crushes a goal? She rewards herself the old-fashioned way: junk food.

Penny’s favorite type of race? Half marathons. “You don’t need a lot of training to complete one,” she says. But don’t let that fool you—this woman has conquered Boston on a charity bib and paced half marathons across DFW. She’s not currently training for a single race, but keeps a consistent 3–4 day-a-week schedule so she’s “always race ready” and currently has her sights set on the Tri-State Challenge (New Jersey/New York this June.