Run Hard Marathon is ‘the big show’ for Columbia runners

In distance running, the marathon is a pinnacle achievement. It’s what leads people to train for months and push their bodies to the absolute limit, just so they can say, “I ran 26.2 miles.” Then, they might proudly slap a “26.2” bumper sticker on their car, and if they’re crazy enough, sign up for another one.

Jesse Harmon is one such runner. He’s completed seven marathons. But his craziest idea wasn’t to sign up for more races – it was to take over organizing a marathon in Columbia.

When the 2014 Columbia Marathon was canceled due to lack of leadership, Harmon was determined not to see the city’s hometown marathon end.

“Within the running community, the marathon is paramount. We’re the Capital City, we should have one,” he said.

So he jumped in, thinking, “I’ll give it a shot if it saves it.”

The rebranded race, the Run Hard Marathon, enters its third year on Saturday, March 5. In addition to the marathon, there is a half marathon, a marathon relay, a 5K and a kids’ run. The name “Run Hard” comes from the after-school running and life-skills program for boys that Harmon founded in 2011. Proceeds from the race go to the nonprofit Run Hard program.

Although Harmon had never organized a race longer than a 5K before, he took over as race director. As a runner, he knew what runners wanted. He kept the original two-loop course that snakes through downtown Columbia, winds in and out of residential areas, and skirts the University of South Carolina campus. He increased activities at the start and finish lines, so runners feel more pumped up when they first hit the pavement and when they come down the home stretch.

It’s a hard course with lots of hills, Harmon admitted, but like any veteran marathoner will tell you, “The pain is worth it.”

Before the runners, volunteers and cheering crowds assemble on Saturday, we spoke with three competitors about their race prep and love of running.

The two-time champ

Justin Gillette won the last Columbia Marathon in 2013 and the first Run Hard marathon in 2014.

The northern Indiana runner estimated he has finished 170 marathons. He’s won 85 of them.

“It might sound silly, but I try to envision myself as a wild animal and take on the persona of a wild animal,” during a race, he said. “Maybe I’ll mentally say, ‘I’ll fly like an eagle up the hills, not be slow like a turtle.’ ”

The mantra comes in handy on Columbia’s course, he added. “Who put that Gervais (Street) hill in? Come on!”

Gillette is unsure whether he’ll make the race this year, as his wife is expecting to deliver a baby any day.

“The pros of going: It’s a great race. The cons: My wife would be mad if I missed the birth. So I’m waiting it out,” he said. “I enjoy it, and I’ll miss it if I don’t make it this year.”

The precision man

Ken Lowden is the guy who makes sure runners are running exactly 26.2 miles – no more and no less. The Columbia runner and former Ray Tanner Home Run race director also works for USA Track & Field certifying race courses.

That requires him to measure the race on a bike with a distance counter. He has to measure the course three times (the equivalent of 78.6 miles), and each measurement has to be within .008 of the previous measurement, he said.

Lowden also runs in the marathon and volunteers with his running group, Columbia Long Distance Runners. They’ll be manning the packet pickup at the expo this year.

Lowden’s favorite part of the race is the finish, he said. “Coming down by the State House is spectacular.” Having people cheering at water stations is also a big help during tough miles like 18 and 22, he said.

“No matter what your fitness level, it's a challenge. Anything that takes your mind off it and makes you smile is really important.”

Having a marathon in Columbia is something the city can be proud of, he added.

“For runners, it's the big show.”

The comeback queen

Saturday will be Lexington runner Meg Huggins’ first 5K since she was diagnosed with breast cancer in June. She finished chemotherapy in September, had surgery in October and ended radiation in January.

“Exercise has always been an outlet and stress reliever. Not being able to exercise was hard during my treatment,” Huggins said.

Huggins will be the official starter of the Run Hard 5K. She and her husband, Alex, have run the race in the past and often train together for distances of 3 miles to 13.1 miles.

During a race, Huggins said her mantra is, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

“I say it over and over in my head, especially during half marathons. That became our mantra in the race against cancer as well,” Huggins said.

She’s curbed her expectations for her first 5K post-treatment because she’s still trying to get her strength back, she said, but she’s excited.

“I’m literally just taking it one step at a time.”

This story was originally published March 1, 2016 at 4:16 PM with the headline "Run Hard Marathon is ‘the big show’ for Columbia runners."