Many Lipscomb students will compete in the 12th annual Country Music Marathon this Saturday. Lumination Network spoke with three of them.
Katie Connell, Julia Shrewsbury and Jordan Lewis will all be running the half marathon– some as first-timers and others as veterans.
Shrewsbury, a sophomore in organizational communication and public relations, said this is her first time to participate in a marathon event.
“I’m very nervous,” Shrewsbury said. “I’ve never actually run the full 13 [miles] yet. The most I’ve run is 10, and at 10, I’m hurting.”
Connell, a senior psychology major from Knoxville, Tenn., thinks that the training is the hardest part of running the marathon.
“[Training] is definitely the hardest part, and making sure you stick to it,” Connell said. “If you don’t [train], then you won’t perform well at all in the marathon and you will be miserable.”
Connell and Lewis ran the half marathon last year and are hoping to finish with a faster time this year.
“I enjoy setting a goal and accomplishing it,” Lewis said. “I really just love being outside and exercising.”
The two said they hope to finish the race in two hours. Shrewsbury, from Lake Placid, Fla., has a different goal in mind being a first-time half marathon runner.
“I just want to be able to say that I did one,” Shrewsbury said. “I don’t have a set goal, I just don’t want to walk.”
The race boasts more than 20,000 participants each year, and Lewis, a junior in nursing from Chattanooga, Tenn., said that’s one aspect she really enjoys.
“It was just really beautiful to watch that many bodies being used and working for one goal,” Lewis said.
Connell enjoys running half marathons because of the feeling she gets when she crosses the finish line.
“I run marathons because it’s an awesome feeling of accomplishment, that you’ve worked so hard and been able to finish,” Connell said.
Shrewsbury and Lewis both said that running helps them deal with stress.
“I enjoy long distance running because it’s just you and the road,” Shrewsbury said. “It’s such a stress reliever, especially right before exams.”
The event, which begins at Centennial Park, will have 50 local bands performing on 28 different stages along the course. The race ends at LP Field and will be followed by a concert with Montgomery Gentry in the evening at Bridgestone Arena.
Shrewsbury said she’s most looking forward to seeing the finish line and then going to the concert that evening.
Prior to last year, Lewis said she had never run more than three miles, but now she said she thinks almost anyone could participate in a marathon race.
“Anyone can do it,” Lewis said. “If you put your mind to it, you can do it. I think everyone should try it!”