Run to Read Paved Her Way to the NYC Marathon
By Karen Dickhut
When local marathon runner Rachael Leslie stands up to speak to the crowd at our Run to Read 5K Run/Walk this Saturday, Oct. 14, it will bring her running experience full circle. She credits running the Run to Read 5K about 10 years ago with awakening the competitiveness that has led her to complete more than 20 marathons, including the Chicago marathon this past Sunday and, next month, the New York City Marathon.
Rachael had been a runner when she was a student at Union High School, a member of the track team. The school didn’t yet have a cross country team, she said, but she ran both the 1- and 2-mile races for the UHS track team. After graduation, though, she put away her running shoes until her daughter was at Washington High School running cross country. Rachael was just getting back into running when she learned about the Run to Read 5K, so she signed up.
“I wanted to see how I would do in a 5K, to see if I could complete a 5K,” Rachael said.
She did more than just complete the race; she won a medal — third place in her age bracket. It was the first medal she had ever won for a race, and she hasn’t looked back since.
Looking for a bigger challenge, she signed up for the Go! St. Louis half-marathon. For the first 10 miles, she was motivated and exhilarated. Completing a distance of double digits comes with a natural high, she said. But the last 3 miles were torture.
“I said I would never run that distance again in my life,” Rachael said. “I felt like I wanted to die. My body wanted to stop, I wanted to walk, and everything in me hurt. So for about 24 hours, I was proud of myself, and then I signed up for a marathon.
“I wanted to push myself harder to see if I could figure this out,” she said.
And she did. It wasn’t easy, but she found a way to persevere and be successful.
“With my first marathon, I was just so proud of myself for completing that distance, but I hurt for days. It wasn’t about getting a time; it was just about completing the distance.”
Now, even with 23 marathons under her belt, Rachael is still looking for challenges. She usually runs two marathons a year, and this year she decided to run three (Boston, Chicago & NYC) — and two of them (Chicago and NYC), just four weeks apart.
Even with all of the elite running that Rachael does, she has never stopped supporting Run to Read. She has been a regular participant since that first 5K.
“Run to Read will always be close to my heart because it’s the first race where I got a medal,” she said. “There might have only been three people in my age group . . . but it didn’t matter. It was something that I never thought I could do.”
The accomplishment gave her the confidence and encouragement to keep running. And the emphasis on reading only made her support the event that much more.
“I love that everybody gets a book and that you get to sit down to socialize with other runners afterward,” she said.
This Saturday after the race, Rachael will talk with participants about her experience and share some advice — about believing in yourself, that you can achieve your goals if you keep trying, not giving up on yourself, and surrounding yourself with a supportive group of family and friends.
Still Time to Register
Registrations for Run to Read will be accepted right up until the event begins. Online registration will close on Wednesday night, but race day registrations will begin at 7 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14 at the Washington Public Library. The event offers something for all ages and abilities — a short Baby Dash for ages 5 and under, a 1-mile Story Stroll, and a 5K Run/Walk. Runners take off first around 8 a.m., followed by walkers, then Story Strollers and Baby Dashers.
Everyone who registers takes home a new hard-back book of their choosing from tables full of various titles.
The Run to Read is organized this year by the Community Literacy Foundation with support from Neighborhood Reads, Washington High School Cross Country Team and the Four Rivers Family YMCA. Sponsors include Michael Wood & Associates, NuStar Energy, Bank of Franklin County, Cochran, Washington Care Clinic, Ms. Rosie’s Little Achievers, Washington Public Library and Union Furniture.
Registration is free for educators, $5 for children and $10 for everyone else. A link to register online can be found at NeighborhoodReads.com or registration may be made in person in the bookstore.