3:20 GOAL FINISH TIME (7:38/Mile) Pace Team Leader Name: Pacer Mike Occupation: Educator
Home: Bay City, MI
Age: 44
First marathon: Columbus, Ohio 2000
Fastest marathon: Nashville, Tennessee 2004 (2:49)
Marathon most proud of and why: My first Boston marathon. Why- It is the pinnacle of marathons and it took a lot of discipline, devotion, and hard training to qualify for it. What a tremendous experience.
Hobbies: cycling (road and mountain), tennis, paddleball, and soccer. I also enjoy reading, playing classical guitar, and coaching kid’s soccer and basketball. When it comes to relaxing I enjoy some cinema therapy with my girlfriend Molly (watching movies).
3:30 GOAL FINISH TIME (8:01/Mile) Pace Team Leader Name: Pacer Claudia
Home: Where ever my husband’s job takes us, currently St. Louis
Age: 51
Occupation: Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children in the Children’s Division care, full time volunteer.
First Marathon: Florida Festival in Orlando 1983, 3:31:45
Fastest Marathon: San Antonio TX 1999 and Chicago 1992 same PR 2:47:25
1996 and 2000 Olympic Marathon Trials
1995 Marine Corps Marathon winner
1997 San Antonio Marathon winner
2007 Tulsa Route 66 Marathon winner
Number of Marathons Completed: 39
Marathon Finish you are most proud of and why: Bermuda marathon 1996. I coached, and ran with the Virginia TNT group, we raised $50,000 for the Leukemia Society and ran in windy and rainy conditions. Hobbies: Golf, reading, travel., my 2 labs.
Anything else you think your pace group would like to know about you: 1st place woman at Marine Corps 1995, San Antonio 1998, Olympic Marathon Trials 1996 and 2000.
3:40 GOAL FINISH TIME (8:24/Mile) Pace Team Leader Name: Pacer Ron
Home: St. Louis, MO
Age: 37
Occupation: Litigation Attorney
First Marathon: World’s Second Smallest Marathon (4:13:00), a 2-man fundraiser for cancer research.
Fastest Marathon: Chicago 2002 (2:53.56)
Number of Marathons Completed: 14
Marathon Finish you are most proud of and why: Chicago 2002. It was the marathon for which I trained the hardest and one of the few in which I've managed to run negative splits. Hobbies: Reggae music, global travel, trout fishing.
Anything else you think your pace group would like to know about you: For the past 4 years, I’ve enjoyed coordinating and/or assisting with the Saint Louis Track Club’s Marathon Training Program.
My favorite quote: "If you are going through hell, keep going." Winston Churchill.
3:45 GOAL FINISH TIME (8:35/Mile) Pace Team Leader Name: Pacer Clark Home: Chesterton, IN
Age: 45
Occupation: Electrical Engineer
First Marathon: Chicago 1996, 3:32
Best recent Marathon: Sunburst (Notre Dame/South Bend), IN 3:09:34, 2007
Number of Marathons and Ultras completed: 25
Number of Marathons Paced: 6, pacing Chicago again in 2007.
Best Marathon Pacing: Goal 3:40:00 Actual 3:40:00 Chicago 2006.
Recent Marathon Pacing: Goal 3:40:00 Actual 3:39:58 Chicago 2005.
Other Hobbies: Like doing most anything outdoors from gardening to skiing. Church is another big part of my life as well as spending time with family and friends.
Running Goal: To be under 3:00:00 for a marathon
3:50 GOAL FINISH TIME(8:49/Mile) Pace Team Leader Name: Pacer George
Home: Valparaiso, Indiana Age: 55
Occupation: math teacher
First Marathon: Chicago LaSalle Bank Marathon (1998)
Number of Marathons & Ultras: (13); Chicago 9, Boston 1, Fort Wayne 2, Tecumseh Trail 1, and HUFF Ultra 1
Marathon PR: 3:15 in 2000 and 2001
Marathons Most Proud of and Why: Boston, 2002--first time to qualify. Fort Wayne, 2001--1st place in age group. HUFF Ultra, 2004--1st place in age group.
Other Pacing Experiences: Chicago, 2002-present at 3:30
Other Hobbies: Marathon Running Coordinator for OE Running Charity in Valparaiso, cycling instructor, triathlete, co-host of a local radio show in Valparaiso on Wellness, and race director.
4:00 GOAL FINISH TIME (9:10/Mile) Pace Team Leader Name: Pacer David
Home: Pittsburgh, PA
Age: 51
Occupation: Trucking company manager
Number of marathons and ultras: 40, inc. 9 as a Pace Team Leader
Most recent marathons: Knoxville '07 (#1 Grand Master), Buffalo '07, Akron ‘07
PR: 3:06, Richmond 2002
Reason for pacing: To make enough of a difference to two or three runners to help them accomplish their goals.
Marathon or ultramarathon finish of which you are most proud and why: Frederick Marathon 2003, finished 15th in brutal weather conditions when about a fourth of the field either did not start of DNF'd. Pacing philosophies: Have fun; tell jokes; offer practical advice during the race; offer motivation the 2nd half of the race; thank the volunteers; remind everyone to smile as they cross the finish line- they just accomplished something most people couldn’t!
4:10 GOAL FINISH TIME (9:33/Mile) Pace Team Leader Name: Pacer Paul
Age: 49
Occupation: Public Relations agency owner and college instructor
Home: Columbus, Ohio
First Marathon: Columbus Ohio, 1981
Favorite Marathons: Walt Disney World & Detroit Free Press
Fastest Marathon: 2:36:00 (Detroit, 1987)
Number of Marathons Completed: 82
Marathon Finish you are most proud of and why: Ohio Wolfpack 50KM Champion and course record holder, 3:16:07. Ran alone the last six miles to break course record.
Anything else you think your pace group would like to know about you: Doctoral Candidate at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado. Enjoy almost any form of music. Worked on the Internet in late 1970s before the Internet was the Internet.
My Favorite Quote: “Mongo only pawn... in game of life” Alex Karras as Mongo in the Mel Brooks classic movie Blazing Saddles.
4:20 GOAL FINISH TIME (9:55/Mile) Pace Team Leader
Name: Pacer Jerry
Home: Clinton, Iowa
Age: 54
Occupation: Quality Lab Tech
First Marathon: 1997 Lakefront Marathon Milwaukee,WI (4:09:59) Had no idea what I was doing.
Fastest Marathon: 2006 Boston Marathon (3:32:52) Starting to figure out how to run a marathon.
Number of Marathons Completed: 17
Marathon Finish you are most proud of and why: Tie between the 2006 Houston Marathon and 2006 Boston Marathon. I was able to qualify for Boston at the Houston Marathon. My wife, our son and his girlfriend were there to witness this event. This happened to be my son’s birthday also. I then went out to do Boston and had a PR. My son also met me in Boston and observed the marathon.
Hobbies: I enjoy playing softball, basketball and golf. I also like to hunt. I just haven't found much time do much of any of them since I've been putting more time into running. Previous Pacing Experience: 2006: Des Moines Marathon (3:50); 2007: A1A Marathon Ft. Lauderdale (4:45); Quad Cities Marathon, Moline, IL (4:00); Des Moines Marathon (4:15); 2008 Houston Marathon (4:15).
4:30 GOAL FINISH TIME (10:18/Mile) Pace Team Leader Name: Pacer Kathryn
Age: 40
First Marathon: Tenneco Houston Marathon, 1994
Number of Marathons/Ultramarathons Completed: 81
Marathon PR: 3:26:01 Philadelphia Marathon, 2001
Marathon You Are Most Proud: Chicago Marathon, 2004. I was trained and fit enough to run below 3:20 which would have been a PR. Three weeks before the marathon, I bent down to pick something up and severely ruptured both the L4 and L5 disc's in my back. I had severe pain and loss of strength in one leg to the point that the calf of that leg was about half the size of the other leg. Not that it won't happen sometime down the road, but I have never signed up for a marathon that I did not start and finish. Determined to make a go of the PR on my way I went. I maintained below PR pace for about 9 or 10 miles after that by necessity I changed my strategy to just finish. It took everything I had to finish, which I did an hour over my goal time. At that moment, I realized that up to that point that running had been easy and I was proud to have pushed beyond what I thought were my physical and mental limits to do something that most people would have considered impossible or sad. My darkest running moment had turned into one of my most significant accomplishments.
Other pacing: 16 marathons paced from 3:40 to 4:45. Marathons paced: Houston, San Antonio, Oklahoma City Memorial, St Jude Memphis, New York, Chicago, Tulsa Route 66, and Miami. Other information: 15 marathons in one year, including other 36 hour adventure and relay races and local 5k and 10k races. 50k ultramarathon and marathon in same weekend (marathon in Boston qualifying time). 190 mile (10 person) relay race and marathon in same weekend. 42 marathons in the State of Texas, 13 marathons in the State of Oklahoma, 3 Boston Marathons, and 19 in various states. 20 marathons towards goal of all 50 states. Longest continuous streak of a marathon are Houston (14) and Oklahoma City Memorial (6). Greatest number of times not streaking is Austin (8, 9 after 2/18/07), Dallas White Rock (8), and San Antonio (7).
5:00 GOAL FINISH TIME (11:38/Mile) Pace Team Leader Name: Pacer Molly Occupation: student/ coach
Home: Bay City, MI
Age: 23
First marathon: Traverse City, MI 2003
Fastest marathon: Detroit, MI 2005 (3:34)
Marathon most proud of and why- Detroit was most memorable because at the 17 mile mark I was on target for a 3:20 finishing time; sounds awesome, right? Well the weather was chilly and I stopped to use the Johnny on the Spot. When I tried to resume my running, my knee wouldn’t bend. I continued running straight legged, all 9.2 miles until I reached the finish. The best thing about that day was that I ran my PR, hurt and all.
Hobbies: Next to running I enjoy biking (road and mountain), taking my dog, Springer, for long walks and of course runs. I am currently coaching girls’ basketball at the college level as well as a 6th grade boys’ team. I love spending time with my family; I have 5 sisters and a bunch of little nieces and nephews. I love spending time with my boyfriend, Mike, who is also a Pacer.
6:00 GOAL FINISH TIME (13:44/Mile) Pace Team Leader Name: Pacer Betty
Home: St. Louis area
Age: 54
Occupation: Medicare supplement sales
Date and name of first marathon: Chicago, 1998
Number of marathons completed as of 1/26/06: fifteen
Marathon PR: 5:22, Philadelphia 2000
Marathon awards: Finished in daylight without injury 15 times!
Ran Boston 2003
Pacing experience: Chicago 6 times: Knoxville in March of 2006
What my pacing team might like to know about me: I hang with the back of the packers. Consequently I get lots of novices and help them to finish their first marathons! What a treat! Where else does anyone get that kind of joy? Can't wait to meet you.
PACE TEAM DIRECTOR Name: Pacer Jim
E-mail: PacerJim@hotmail.com
Home: Pittsburgh, PA
Age: 54
Occupation: Consultant
First marathon: Pittsburgh, 1981, 3:14
Number of marathons or ultras completed: Fortysomething
Last Marathon Raced: 3:24:56 at Richmond Marathon, 2003
Marathon finishes of which you are most proud and why: Bayshore Marathon, Traverse City, MI, May, 2001, where I qualified for Boston.
Pacing Experience: Air Force, Detroit, Akron, Pittsburgh, Columbus, San Diego Rock N Roll, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Twin Cities, Flying Pig, Chicago, Salt Lake City, Carlsbad, Tampa, Palm Beaches, St. Louis, Nike Women’s, Fargo, Madison
Hobbies: I've gone on mission trips running through tea fields of Malawi in Africa, around Mt. Vesuvius and on mountain trails in Haiti.
Anything else you think your Pace Group would like to know about you: If you wanted to run 26.2 miles alone you could have just walked out your front door and started running. When you’re with a pace group you’re running with a team and have lots of teammates to support you in your effort.
