Kate Gosselin Finishes Chicago Marathon In Less Than 30 minutes! Gosselin Summer Plans

Kate Gosselin Runs Chicago Mini Marathon, Finishes 184th

Kate Gosselin ran the Rock 'n' Roll Mini Marathon in Chicago on Sunday with her Coupon Cabin co-workers. The mother of eight finished the three-mile race in 29 minutes, 54 seconds.

An avid runner, Gosselin referred to the event as a “fun run” and a good way for her to spend some time with her co-workers. Kate, 37, finished 184th out of 1,126 total runners and 94th out of the 763 women running. Oddly, Kate's hometown on the marathon's official website is listed as Beverly Hills, California. Is there something you're not telling us, Kate???

EXAMINER.COM: Former reality TV star Kate Gosselin, who recently completed her first full marathon, will run a 5K race in Wyomissing, Pa., this fall to benefit the Special Olympics.

In a radio interview with Y102 (Reading, Pa.) hosts Scott St. John and Jackie Hoffman, Gosselin revealed she has a stacked schedule in the coming months. "I do a lot of different runs, and what better run to do than a local one that benefits a great cause?" Kate said of the Y102 'Yes I Can' 5K, which takes place in Grings Mill park in Wyomissing, Pa., on Sept. 8.

Gosselin, who set a personal best time at the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll half-marathon last month, says anyone can become a runner if they try.The mom of eight, who had never worked out regularly until 2006, is in the best shape of her life now, thanks to daily runs and strength-training. When she started, Kate, 37, couldn't run for more than five minutes at a time. She slowly built up her stamina and speed, working up to an hour daily on the treadmill, and then began running outdoors in June 2010.

"I believe in pushing yourself, pushing your goals, pushing what you think is possible," says Gosselin. "People need to give themselves a chance and really put forth the effort. "Honestly, I never set out to encourage people directly (to run), but I just started tweeting and blogging about my experiences, and I think it's given people--especially moms and women--the encouragement they needed."Kate never imagined she'd be able to cover the distances she now does, and underscored that anyone can become fit if they're committed. "Nobody's born a runner," she says. "You walk, you run for two minutes...you build up slowly and then you realize, 'Oh my gosh, I did it!' "

These days, Gosselin sometimes runs with her kids, some of whom have become running enthusiasts because of her daily regimen. "Any parent that's a runner, you wind up with a few [kids] that are interested in it," says Kate. "I'm very into nutrition and fitness, so the kids and I started running together. They are very encouraging to me. They used to ask me when they got off the school bus, 'How many miles did you run?' It really helps to have a group of people encouraging you."

While Gosselin wouldn't reveal exactly which races she'll participate in (could the NYC Marathon be in the cards?), she has a full schedule this fall, including a full marathon, a 1/2 marathon and a 10k race, all within a four-week period. "If you make the time to exercise or run, it is possible (to get in shape)," she says. "People shouldn't give up on themselves." Check out more information on the Y102 'Yes I Can' 5k here or listen to the entire radio interview here.

Kate Gosselin's Kids Keeping Busy This Summer: Gather.com

Kate Gosselin's eight children are keeping busy this summer. Maddy, Cara, Alexis, Hannah, Colin, Joel, Leah, and Aaden haven't been lounging around the house, according to their mom's Twitter account.

Kate says her children have had a busy, yet fun summer so far, and it's been full of activity. This week, the Gosselin eight were occupied with going to the orthodontist, as Kate revealed one of her kids has gotten braces, and vacation Bible school.

Gosselin has always been a very hands on mother, and making sure her children have plenty of interesting, and fun, activities to do is just one of her goals.

Meanwhile, Kate has been busy herself. The former reality TV mom has been working for coupon cabin, and continues to focus on her health. Gosselin is an avid runner, and runs nearly every day, in addition to eating healthy.

It looks like Kate Gosselin's kids are having a fun and happy summer. Hopefully, they continue to enjoy their break from school when they're in the custody of their father, Jon Gosselin, as well.

Jon Says "Im Sorry" To Kate Via People, To Little To Late? G8Kate: 1 Woman's Perspective

Jon Gosselin to Kate: I'm Sorry..

Jon Gosselin

Bobby Bank/WireImage

People.com: Three years after his headline making,acrominious divorce, Jon Gosselin says he and Kate are getting along now – and he's sorry for the way he behaved post-split, he tells PEOPLE in a new interview. 

"I am sorry, because I did stuff I wouldn't want done to me," he says, referring to the steady stream of women he dated after their split. 

He also accepts his share of responsibility for the divorce. "I was passive-aggressive," he says. "Then I'd get mad, but I was the one who wasn't communicating." Now, he says, times have changed. 

"I'll call [Kate] up and say, 'Mady's sick. What do I do?' And she'll tell me," he says. "She's a great Mom. We just have different parenting styles." 

Gosselin, 35, moved back to Berks County, Pa., in 2011 after two years of bouncing around the country. He recently took a new job as director of sales and promotions for Gameface Int. and started dating single mom Liz Jannetta, 27. Time – and therapy – has given him a different perspective on things, he says. 

"I used to talk Rabbi Shmuley Boteach (Michael Jackson's rabbi) a lot when I lived in New York," he says. "He said, 'There are two things you can do with your fame – sell out or take it and use it for good.' I didn't grasp that at the time." 

Now he does. Which is why he says he'd consider a return to the entertainment world, but only for the right gig. 

"I've been offered a lot of stuff," he says. "Crazy stuff. It wasn't the right fit, then or now. I don't want [my kids] thinking I take every show just to make a buck." 

For more on Jon's new life, and his new girlfriend, pick up this week's issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday

The "G8Kate" By Kellie at PeaPod.com

The crowd of runners in this race is huge (1,700!), and they all kind of blend together at certain points, but I was able to pick out Kate. God bless that woman for the sheer fact she has the stamina to do this race. It's on the top 10 list of hardest small town races in the country, with a killer hill at the end. She was holding her own in that race -- not just using her celebrity, she was using her muscles and sweat.

Kate waves to me & my twins-plus-one!
On her left is NYC marathon champ Rod Dixon, who invited her to the race.
Kate appeared at Dixon's KidsMarathon children's race event 
on the previous day with her brood.

We cheered her on twice, on her way by and then later on her way back as she headed toward that final evil point called Gallows Hill. She didn't just blindly wave, but totally made a point to seek out our faces when she heard our cheering, and smiled and waved both times. And here in small town Connecticut where celebrities are commonplace and this race is really about running -- not reality TV -- those sitting nearby didn't even give her a second glance. 

Big Girl was thrilled to see someone who she has watched on TV for a while, which made the adventure worth it. And I was inspired to see her run, believe it or not -- as someone who would like to get in shape, it's always good to find a little inspiration somewhere, especially from Kate, who once said that moms "get a pass" on their appearances until all their young children are in school. That one statement took a lot of my "the twins are 2 and I still have baby weight and feel unfashionable" guilt away when I read it last year. Thank you, Kate!