Monday, January 26, 2009

'Cause a sister has a right to brag....

Below is an article about Keith from the Fort Worth Star Telegram. I am so proud of all that he has accomplished. You can also check out Keith's blog here.
Cowtown Marathon champion Keith Pierce going for three-peat
By WILLIAM WILKERSON
Special to the Star-Telegram
http://www.star-telegram.com/376/story/1164129.html


And to think, Keith Pierce used to be a miler.


The 28-year-old Krum High School coach of all trades has become a prominent fixture in marathons nationwide since he turned his attention to running 26.2-mile races in 2003. It was a drastic change of pace from the mile runner he started out as on the Rice University track and field team.


The Krum boys cross-country coach, head boys track and field coach and the (breath) junior varsity boys basketball coach’s name is nowhere more well-known than at the Cowtown Marathon. Pierce has won two straight, including 2007’s dominating performance in which he won by 12 minutes. He’ll look to become the race’s first three-peat champion on Feb. 28.
"It would be something really special," Pierce said. "I’ve enjoyed running the Cowtown Marathon. It’s always fun to run a race that you have a chance to actually win. To win three in a row would be really cool, especially because no one has ever done it."


Ricky Cox is the only three-time winner, winning the race in 1982, ’83 and ’86.
Momentum certainly seems to be on Pierce’s side. He set a personal record of 2 hours, 23 minutes, 7 seconds at the Steamtown Marathon in Scranton, Pa., in October, finishing 17 seconds behind the winner. He hasn’t run a marathon since.


Although the Cowtown remains the only marathon he has won, that’s not to diminish what he’s accomplished in his short time in the sport.


Take, for instance, his participation in the 2006 Boston Marathon, the world’s oldest annual marathon (that year was the 110th annual running) and one of the most respected races in all the land. Competing in the race just three years into his marathon trials, he was rewarded with an "elite entry" for the time he submitted from the 2005 Steamtown Marathon (2:25.01).
"I was lucky enough to get an elite entry so I got to be right next to the great Kenyans, Ethiopians and even some of the great American runners at the starting line," Pierce said. "It was really special. The time I submitted gave me bib number 43."


The "elite entry" bibs were given out to runners who posted the 100 fastest entry times. With nearly 1 million people lining the course that traveled through eight cities and towns, and with 22,000 participants in the race, Pierce finished an astounding 36th.


"It was incredible. I didn’t have any great expectations of running a personal record or shocking anybody," said Pierce, who finished with a time of 2:27.17. "I really went up there for the experience. I mean, there were 20,000 people at the start."


He’s managed to accomplish all of this while coaching three teams and fitting in time to run between 60 and 90 miles per week.


"When I first met him I thought he was crazy," said his wife, Stephanie, a Krum kindergarten teacher he’s been married to since March. "I can’t even imagine running that far."
She’s gotten used to it now, just as he’s grown accustomed to finishing first at the Cowtown.

4 comments:

Bruce and Amanda Baird said...

WOW!!! That should give us all motivation! He has done an excellent job and has a lot to be proud of.

KP said...

Haha. Thanks for posting it, sis. Hopefully, I will be able to win.

Stacy said...

Goodness! I feel all warm and fuzzy! I can't even run down the block, so this is truly impressive to me! I would be so proud!

Liss and MOMMY said...

Monica that is great! You should be proud... You should also want to run with us now.