Two members of the ACU faculty are putting their fitness training to the test next month in the Boston Marathon.
Kevin Kehl, executive director of the Center for International Education, and Libby McCurley, assistant professor in the department of kinesiology and nutrition, both qualified for the 116th annual Boston Marathon.
“I want to finish, feel good, run a good race, enjoy the crowd and enjoy the experience,” Kehl said.
Kehl said the inspiration to begin running more seriously came from people he encountered while living in Kenya for eight years. Running was a serious part of their lives and it motivated him to make it a bigger part of his life.
“I enjoy being outdoors and I enjoy pushing myself,” Kehl said.
Kehl has qualified for the Boston marathon three times previously, but this year is the first he will have an opportunity to travel to Boston and run the race.
Kehl trains two or three times a week with McCurley. They have been running together about 8-10 miles two days a week.
The upcoming Boston Marathon will be McCurley’s fourth marathon. McCurley, like Kehl, has qualified for the Boston Marathon previously, but has not had the chance to run it until this year.
“First and foremost, my goal is to finish, but a personal best would be nice,” McCurley said.
McCurley views marathons as a good motivation to be active and stay fit.
“It’s a great way to be a good example to the kids I teach and my family,” McCurley said.
Both McCurley and Kehl both plan on running in future marathons.
“I’d kind of like to run marathons in the cities that I’ve lived,” Kehl said.
According to their website, the Boston Marathon, with approximately 500,000 spectators annually along the 26.2 mile course, is New England’s most widely viewed sporting event.
The marathon is traditionally run on the third Monday of the April. This year it falls on April 16.
To find out more about the Boston Marathon, check out their website at baa.org.
