ERIN AZAR IS CROUCHED OVER THE starting line, feet firm against the blocks, fingertips grazing the track, muscles trembling. Next to her is Aleia Hobbs, who was part of the team that took silver in the 4x100meter relay at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, and who recently set the North American indoor record for the 60-meter. Erin turns her head slightly to look at Hobbs as she springs to action, then says, "Oh, my god. I think I'm going to face-plant."
Erin is not a professional athlete. And she's not competing against Hobbs. Clad in a royal blue hoodie and orange shorts over black tights, her hair pulled back into a messy ponytail away from her signature oversized glasses, she's filming a video for her popular TikTok channel, where she goes by the handle @mrs.space.cadet. It's part of an ongoing series where she attempts all the events of a heptathlon; in a previous installment, she jumps hurdles with Olympic silver medalist Trey Cunningham while exclaiming, "Oh, my crotch!"
Despite three marathons under her belt, multiple brand endorsements, and an actual position with USA Track & Field (where her title is Official Hype Woman), Erin is the first to admit that she's out of her league here. "But," she says, "I just did a campaign for Nike, which is so surreal." It is surreal that a 39-year-old mom of three from a tiny Pennsylvania town so remote that the internet service goes out during a thunderstorm, a woman with no special athletic prowess, who doesn't even know her own personal best on a mile, has netted a deal with a world-renowned sports megabrand and regularly gets recognized by elites at races.
Esta historia es de la edición Issue 04, 2023 (Fall) de Runner's World US.
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Esta historia es de la edición Issue 04, 2023 (Fall) de Runner's World US.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
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Twenty-One Years Ago, He Incarcerated Was for Life. Last Year, He Ran the NYC Marathon a Radically Changed Man.
Rahsaan Thomas rounded a corner.
100 WOMEN. 100 MILES. ONE HISTORIC RECORD.
On June 3, 2023, a group of 100 women came together to reclaim the 100x1-mile relay world record. | It reminded her of what she loved about running in the first place: a tight-knit community of women.
CAN YOUR GARMIN WATCH REPLACE A COACH?
Artificial Intelligence continues to rapidly creep into seemingly every facet of our daily lives. While no amount of computer learning will ever be able to do the actual running for you, there are aspects, like coaching, where AI could have a meaningful impact. In every debate about Al, the conversation almost always includes this question: Is it better than what humans can accomplish? In the case of running, would Coach AI be better than, say, Ed Eyestone, a two-time Olympian and coach of Conner Mantz and Clayton Young, the top two men at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February?
A SHORTLIVED AFFAIR WITH A WALKING BOOT
“Usually, engage in all kinds of activities when start a relationship. With you, Fiking, dancing, and running are clearly of the table.”
HOW TO (NOT) COMPETE WITH YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER
Our first race together was a 5K Color Run. I'm not sure why we signed up, because neither of us was a runner, but in May 2016, my boyfriend of three years, Jonathan, and I showed up to run around the parking lot at Citi Field. It was fun, but I didn't think it would amount to anything.
GAMIFY TRAINING TO MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU
Instead of sticking to an iron-clad structure and numbers, I've tailored it to what motivates me, borrowing from the community around me and learning from their training.
THIS KITCHEN GADGET IS AN UNHERALDED TRAINING TOOL
Not only would the rice cooker help me meal-prep and pile on the carbs, but it was a badge of honor, a commitment to serious training.
REASONS TO RACE BEYOND CHASING A TIME GOAL
It's the determination, joy, and pride I see shine on everyone-a unique light that seems to illuminate most when running races-that brings more meaning to the miles.
A LIFETIME JOURNEY OF FUELING MISTAKES
DURING THE 2023 New York City Marathon, Runner's World set up shop in an empty storefront on West 57th Street with Adidas and hosted three days of inspiring talks, shakeout runs, and shoe demos.
THE ACCIDENTAL JOY OF RUNNING WITHOUT HEADPHONES
I'M FUMING. I rummage through my work tote, turn my workout bag inside out, lift every notebook on my desk, go through the pockets of every piece of clothing in my zone of vision, then my tote again... It's 5 p.m. I'm standing in the middle of the office dressed for a run, but my AirPods are nowhere to be found-and I can't possibly leave without them!
