Chicago Marathon: Stellar Performances From All Lifelong Endurance Athletes
The Chicago Marathon, one of the World Marathon Majors, attracts runners from around the world. This year, the Lifelong Endurance team was heavily represented, hosting seven athletes and one coach-all with dreams of running their best race.
Athlete: Joe Guarino
Coach: Andrew Simmons
Time: 4:39:15
Race Accomplishments: Joe not only ran a 26 minute personal best, but he also ran a negative split race! According to Joe, "My goal was to be more consistent and improve speed and time. I stayed true to Andrew’s plan and it got me there. I had my fastest marathon. I ran the whole distance and finished strong."
Training Success: Joe explains that it was his long training miles, getting at least one run at 20 miles, that gave him the confidence to finish the race strong.
What is Next: The New York City Marathon
Athlete: Steve Burrows
Coach: Andrew Simmons
Time: 3:06:59
Chicago Accomplishments: Steve ran an almost 2 minute personal best and a negative split race!
Training Success: Steve struggled with an injury early in the season and had to take a long term approach to training. His hard work paid off with a strong and consistent race.
Athlete: Ajay Nagpa
Coach: Andrew Simmons
Time: 3:25:59
Chicago Accomplishments: Ajay took down his personal best by 18 minutes while running a negative split race!
Training Success: Ajay kept up with his training plan and worked hard to reach his goal
Athlete: Graham McMahon
Coach: Andrew Simmons
Time: 2:53:56
Chicago Accomplishments: Graham cruised through his home course of Chicago. He had a personal best time of almost 5 minutes, and finished with a big smile.
Training Success: Graham has been racing and training hard all season. He went into the race strong and confident.
Athlete: Michael Jovel
Coach: Andrew Simmons
Time: 4:26:14
Chicago Accomplishments: Michael ran a strong race and worked hard to stay consistent throughout!
Training Success: Michael dealt with a challenging summer filled with tough temperatures and changing schedules. He maintained his training with a diligent work ethic.4
Athlete (and Coach): Andrew Simmons
Coach: Nicole Camp
Time: 2:59:07
Chicago Accomplishments: Andrew ran his goal time of sub 3:00 and found the enthusiasm to encourage many other runners along the course. Andrew also ran his 1,000th Marathon Mile during the race!
Training Success: Andrew was flexible in his training as his focus was on both his adult athletes, and well as the youth team. This was Andrew's best race coming back from a previous injury.
Athlete: Jeremy Judge
Coach: Lexi Miller
Time: 2:47:55
Chicago Accomplishments: Jeremy ran a 12 minute personal best, as well as a negative split race.
Training Success: Jeremy was committed and consistent in his training, despite a busy summer of travel and a demanding teaching schedule. Jeremy has a positive attitude to life, which makes his approach to training fail-proof.
What is Next: New York City Marathon
Athlete: Garrick Chan
Coach: Andrew Simmons
Time: 2:34:13
Chicago Accomplishments: This was Garrick's first marathon, and he absolutely crushed it! He ran an incredibly consistent race, running his second half a few seconds faster than his first!
Training Success: Garrick has been making the transition from a collegiate track athlete to a road runner with some amazing success. According to his coach, he is a consistent and hard worker who always follows through and trusts the plan.