SCU Law student JT Service recently qualified to compete for a spot on the 2008 Olympic Marathon team on November 7, 2007 in New York City’s Central Park. On June 16th, as a participant in the Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth Minnesota, he took 8th place amongst a very competitive field of 10,000 runners and finished in a person best time of 2:21:31. This victory redeems his previous effort last March when his time in the L.A. Marathon was 2:24:50, barely two minutes shy of the required qualification time (Read previous article at
The 26.2-mile marathon borrows its name from Grandma’s, a popular bar and grill in Duluth whose friendly service is representative of the warmth of this typical Midwest town. Before the race, JT knew that the "warmth" of this town was going to acquire a new meaning as he prepared to brave the high demands of a summer marathon under extremely humid conditions. He could only hope for the best, since Grandma’s represented his last chance to qualify for the Olympic Trials next November.
On the day of the marathon, the weather turned out to be worse than expected, with heat ranging from 70 to 80 degrees with significant humidity that is sometimes worse than the heat and poses a great physical risk for runners. They must put these thoughts aside, however, because runners know that once their feet start to sizzle on the starting line there is nothing to do but give it their best shot. JT decided that he would run as conservatively and as calmly as possible to give his body its best shot at survival. There were about 90 other Americans shooting for a fast time, but this hot, humid day would not allow such rewards.
When the race started, about 50 runners shot to the lead pack at an Olympic-Trials-qualifying pace. JT held back with a few guys that he had been training with, and they ran conservatively for the first 10k. The conditions were very harsh, and they made a point to hit every water stop in order to maintain their fluids – this becomes crucial on days when the body perspires more. The problem then becomes stomach cramps as the body is not used to running at a fast clip while drinking 16 ounces of water every 3 miles. Luckily, they had practiced this task throughout their training and so they were able to concentrate on the race itself.
By around the 10th mile many runners were already dropping out of the race, exhausted and dehydrated. Others were slowly falling off the pace, but JT was passing entire groups while simply maintaining the same 5:20 miles. At about mile 15, JT found a good, strong group of five guys who started to work together with him. In major marathons, organizers allow elite runners to pick up special water bottles during their course. Unfortunately, the 60-some bottles are all on the same table, and once in awhile an athlete may not be as lucky to get one, entirely missing the precious relief. However, given the harsh conditions of this race, competition turned into solidarity as JT and his ad-hoc team started to work together against the heat by sharing water bottles. While there was minimal encouragement amongst them, there was a mutual respect for braving the heat at such a fast clip. As the race continued, at around the 18th-mile mark, 2000 Olympian Nick Rogers caught up with JT’s pack. Nick, a giant distance runner at 6’4", sparked the group and went to the lead as JT and the rest began to chase down the well-respected African athletes ahead of them. The five of them began the toughest stretch of the marathon together as they entered the City of Duluth. JT sensed that his body could crash under those conditions at any time, so he turned inward, as he had trained, remaining as calm as possible by concentrating on the slowing rhythm of his breath. He knows that in these conditions the calmer you are, the less energy you use – and he desperately needed every bit of energy he could muster.
In the last four miles their pack broke up and then it was every man for himself. JT held his own as he began to pass numerous African elites. Qualification, however, was far from being a sure thing. It was not until the last half-mile that he realized that qualification was within reach, when another coach yelled at his athlete that he had a chance to make it. In the last 400 yards, JT caught a glimpse of the clock and knew that only a disaster would cause him to fail. In the final stretch he pumped his arms as the crowd’s encouragement propelled him to cross the finishing line with a smile that spoke of pure, diligent achievement. JT got what he went there for: a spot in the qualifying race to select the US Olympic Team.
Congratulations, JT !
Last March, while preparing for the LA marathon, JT was able to start a charitable effort for the Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center called ‘Swift Justice.’ Thanks to his fundraising activities in connection with his running engagements, the Law Center and its clients continue to benefit in our collective effort to educate law students and achieve justice for the less fortunate members of our community. In this same spirit, JT has graciously agreed to help establish a summer/fall training program for those wishing to participate in the upcoming Rock and Roll Half Marathon in San Jose, to be held on October 14, 2007. His expert program would tentatively include written training materials, two in-person advice sessions, nutritional orientation through a sponsor, and different running paraphernalia. The individual contribution when signing up for this program is yet to be determined, but rest assured that such contribution would be wisely invested by the Law Center as it pursues its dual mission to educate law students and help the disadvantaged members of our community with competence, conscience and compassion. Stay tuned for upcoming information regarding this great opportunity!
