Training for a marathon can be grueling and overwhelming. Lucky for Natalie Waite, her family is behind her every step of the way.

Waite, who grew up in Thatcher, ran the world-renowned Boston Marathon on April 21. She ran her first-ever marathon in Catalina, Calif., in March 2005.

It was the first time Waite had visited Boston, and nearly her whole family was able to attend and stay a week in the city.

Natalie Waite is greeted by her daughter at mile 21 of the Boston Marathon on April 21. Waite, a former Thatcher High School track athlete, finished the 26.2-mile race in 3:28.55. Contributed photo

The Boston Marathon was massive compared to the other marathons Waite had raced — 22,377 people started the race, and 21,948 crossed the finish line.

“I could not believe how big it was,” she said. “It was an amazing experience.”

She was also surprised to see how many locals came out to support the runners. They offered runners water and snacks at various checkpoints throughout the race.

Waite was especially excited about having so many family members share her experience. The family walked the Freedom Trail and saw many of the historical sites in Boston during their stay.

The training was even more arduous than usual for Waite to prepare for the Boston Marathon. She trained on some steep hills in Ohio, where she lived at the time, to get ready for the famous “Heartbreak Hill” in Boston.

Strength training was another big part of her training. She lifted more weights than usual and also did a lot of upper-body workouts in addition to working her legs.

Lisa Lunt, Waite’s oldest sister, had custom T-shirts made for each family member to wear at the race. They signified what relation each family member was to Waite. The red shirts made an impression on Waite as she app-roached Heartbreak Hill.

“I saw a big blur of red, and I got a rush from that,” she said, adding that it helped give her the extra push she needed to overcome the hill.

When Waite qualified for the Boston Marathon in April 2007 in Kentucky, she ran the 26.2-mile race in 3:40.09. Her goal in Boston was to finish the race in less than three and a half hours. She achieved that goal when she crossed the finish line in 3:28.55.

“I was thrilled to death,” Waite said of the time she posted.” She broke down in tears when the race was over. “Just finishing was a huge accomplishment because I had been thinking about it for a year,” Waite said.

She hopes to get her time down to 3:23.00 or 3:20.00 in her next race.

Some of Waite’s family members who came to Boston hadn’t been together for 10 years.

She talked about how special it was to have them with her and how the entire experience brought the family closer together. Waite said she couldn’t have achieved so much without the support of her family.

Max Phillips, Waite’s father, was a track coach at Thatcher High School. He is proud of his daughter’s accomplishments, and Waite wants to make a display of the shoes she wore in the Boston Marathon for him.

Even though she is moving back to Arizona, she wants to run in Boston again.

“I have what they call the marathon bug,” Waite said, laughing.