Jeremy Borling & Amy Thomas Elder

 

“I was completely surprised” is not something you typically hear from the winner of a marathon, but that’s exactly what Chicago’s Jeremy Borling thought after he was the first to cross the finish line at this year’s Austin Marathon.

The marathon was only his fifth ever and he had been preparing for only a few short months after recovering from surgery in late 2007. But it wasn’t like he was new to running. He has run competitively since junior high school. 

But even with the surprise victory, Borling wasn’t completely happy. He fell short of his time goal by a few seconds. He will run again and his advice to others is simple:
“Marathons only last one day, but training is nearly four months. You have to enjoy the process of training. You need to be excited.” 

Great advice from a local marathon champ. 

 

 

There are some athletes who just do well at a certain place. Michael Jordan was king at Madison Square Garden, Tiger Woods loves Augusta National and if the last two years are any indication, Amy Thomas Elder is the master of the Foot Pursuit 5K in Valparaiso, Indiana.

The Chicago native has won the race the previous two years. This year she was the first woman to finish and the eleventh overall.  But it isn’t the track or the air that she likes. It’s the soup that race organizers serve participants. That’s right, soup – the steaming liquid meal.

“They have four kinds of soup. I have never been to a race like that,” she says.
She had run in her younger years, but decided to return to the game shortly after the birth of her child. She has been improving ever since.  To her, someone who wants to improve their 5K time should incorporate intervals into their training. 

“Intervals get your body used to running faster than you think you can run,” Thomas Elder says. Her success validates her advice.