SALT LAKE CITY — For most runners, Saturday's Salt Lake Marathon is a one-day event, but for a group of students, it’s the end of months of training, early miles, and learning they can push farther than they thought.
“Before this program, I didn’t realize I could run more than a mile without running out of breath," admitted Abel Peterson.
Peterson is one of about 55 students running the marathon with Teens Run SLC, a nonprofit organization helping young runners who may not otherwise have an easy path to the starting line.
The students picked up their race packets Friday, reflecting on the months of training it took to get to this point.
“Some days it felt hard, especially with the heat, but we managed to do it,” said student Lucas Tison.
The program covers the basics, such as shoes, race entry, and training support, and pairs students with teachers and volunteer coaches who run beside them.
(sot amanda eiting, volunteer coach)
“Their confidence —[it's a] night and day difference from the beginning to now," explained volunteer coach Amanda Eiting. "They’re ready to do amazing things like run a half-marathon.”
Eiting teaches physics at the Salt Lake Center for Science Education, but on the trail, she said, students learn a different kind of lesson.
“Instead of just being a teacher, I’ve been able to run alongside them and get to know them as humans," she said.
For first-time runner Alondra Martinez, the training changed how she thinks about the race ahead.
“You take it slower, pay attention to your surroundings, and pace yourself,” Martinez said.
When the miles got hard, coaches broke them down, to not focus on the whole race or whole run, but simply on the next tree.
“We’d say, ‘Run to that tree’… then take a break… and keep going," Eiting said. "They always made it. We never saw a kid give up.”
On race day, the kids will join thousands of runners across Salt Lake City — some in the 10K, some in the half-marathon and some going even farther.
For Zachary Lozancich, the plan is simple.
“I’ll just keep going and tell myself, 'I can do this," he said.
