Here's a patriotic shot from Sarah Palin's Runner's World photo shoot ...

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin says she would come out ahead if she went one-on-one in a race with President Barack Obama - a race, as in a long run.

"I betcha I'd have more endurance," she told Runner's World magazine.

"My one claim to fame in my own little internal running circle is a sub-four marathon" in Anchorage, she said, referring to a 2005 race. "What I lacked in physical strength or skill, I made up for in determination and endurance."

Palin, 45, a former beauty queen and the first woman to be Alaska's governor, is featured in the August issue of the magazine for running aficionados.

She was dubbed the country's "hottest" governor when she stole the show as Sen. John McCain's running mate in 2008. The mother of Bristol Palin says running isn't just a body thing, as it helps keep her emotionally and mentally in shape.

"I feel so crappy if I go more than a few days without running. No matter how rotten I feel before or during a run, it's always worth it to me afterward," she said.

"Sweat is my sanity," Palin tells the magazine.

The second woman ever to be the Vice Presidential nominee of one of the two major parties likes that when she's out, she's just another mom in running shoes.

"When I run, I'm incognito because I'm not wearing a trough full of makeup. I can go running through a mob of tourists and they don't recognize me," Palin said.

Click to enlarge more Sarah Palin pictures from Runner's World ...