![\"Kevin-cover-1\"](\"http:\/\/www.runkevinrun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Kevin-cover-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nIt looks like that only goes to the “current” spotlight so in August the page will be moved to an archival one. In case I forget to come back to this entry and update the link, here’s the prose and a rough approximation of the images they used:<\/p>\n
Kevin Hanna<\/strong><\/p>\n I recently asked Kevin if he would be interested in being this month\u2019s spotlight runner. In his humble way, but without hesitation, he said yes. His responses were full of wit, humor, and most of all humility. I simply could not tell his story as well as he can. So, though I rarely do this, here are his responses in his own words:<\/p>\n How\/when did you get into running?<\/strong><\/p>\n As origins stories go, it\u2019s fairly mundane. I wasn\u2019t bitten by a radioactive turtle; I wasn\u2019t gifted a pair of alien running shoes designed to make me run; there wasn\u2019t a solar eclipse that somehow mutated my genes. Instead, I had just always wanted to run a marathon and finally decided at age 26 that I wanted to run my age. I bought a book from Amazon, The Non-Runner\u2019s Marathon Trainer by David Whitsett, Forrest Dolgener, and Tanjala Kole. I picked it because I was most definitely NOT a runner and the guide virtually guaranteed a marathon finish. Using their extended six-month training program, I started off on November 1, 2003 with week 1, which was something like \u201cget off the couch and walk around the block.\u201d I thought, \u201cI can do that!\u201d And the program built from there, with the opening two months designed to get my body accustomed to the mileage and stress of running, wherein I was ultimately able to go out and traverse 3 or 4 miles in one go \u2013 not necessarily running the whole time, but covering the distance. The following four months methodically built up the mileage before the last big taper to run my race. It was all part and parcel of a New Year\u2019s Resolution, so the full 4-month training meant I would be ready to run a race in late April 2004 \u2013 and Salt Lake City was doing their inaugural race at that time. It seemed like fate, karma, kismet. Their first marathon, my first marathon. And besides, I\u2019d never been to SLC so it made it a fun adventure to boot. As I said above, my very first official race was the Salt Lake City Inaugural Marathon in 2004. In the ensuing years, I\u2019ve occasionally had people ask me why I didn\u2019t start with a 5K or a half marathon, if only in my training regimen leading up to the marathon. The truth is that never even dawned on me. I had set a goal of running the marathon and so that\u2019s what I went about doing. I think that weird laser focus is true of most runners \u2013 we get it into our heads that we\u2019re going to do something \u2013 whether it is a 5K, a 10K, a marathon, an ultra, or a multi-day series of events \u2013 and we figure out a way to make it happen. Runners are an inspiring and crazed lot \u2013 we don\u2019t know the meaning of limits or of giving up. A setback is just that \u2013 a step back to re-evaluate what was going right and what went wrong so we can build upon what we\u2019ve done to do something more in the future.<\/p>\n What are some of your accomplishments in your running career?<\/strong><\/p>\n One of my favorite things about running is that it\u2019s an incredibly personal thing done in an amazingly supportive, communal atmosphere. Random strangers cheer you on at a race, hoping you do your very best. Nobody is hoping you trip and fall so somebody else can beat you. Your only real competition is with the clock and yourself. Sure, sure \u2013 there\u2019s the podium standings and age group awards and all that. But I\u2019m not sure real runners are truly motivated by accolades and awards. I think true runners are motivated to achieve their own personal best, to strive to push their own personal boundaries and see just how well they can do individually. What are your future goals?<\/strong><\/p>\n I have this crazy idea in my head that I want to run wherever Bob Hope and Bing Crosby went in the classic \u201cRoad\u201d pictures. So far I\u2019ve done five of the seven. I\u2019ve been on the Roads to Singapore, Morocco and Utopia (which was set in the Yukon). I\u2019ve hit the Road to Rio, and traveled the Road to Hong Kong. The Roads to Bali and Zanzibar are all that remain \u2013 and though I\u2019m really struggling with finding a still-active marathon for the former, I\u2019m sure before too long I\u2019ll make it happen. Thus my current \u201cpersonal\u201d goal is by 2018 to finish my self-proclaimed \u201cRoad To\u2026\u201d Marathon Series. I continue to seek out strange, new, different, unique, beautiful, challenging marathons \u2013 I\u2019m always up for an adventure and an excuse to visit some place, be it big or small. As part of that, I\u2019m hoping to one day do the famed Marathon run in Athens, Greece. I think we all want to prove we\u2019re in better shape than Pheidippides. After all, too many of our friends like to remind us that the first guy to do this crazy event died. Not to get all Braveheart or Steel Magnolia on you, but everybody dies \u2013 it\u2019s how you live that really matters, right? There\u2019s something inherently pure about the Mainly Marathon experience. Part of it is that I feel like it perfectly embodies my own aspirational philosophy of running \u2013 the MM team is a chief proponent of the notion that \u201cno runner gets left behind.\u201d There\u2019s an unparalleled esprit de corps\u2026 actually an esprit de famille\u2026 at a Mainly Marathon event. It is always a very personal achievement to run with them, and it is done in the most supportive setting ever imagined. Run a race with them and support staff will customize aid and fluids to individual specs, no matter how seemingly superstitious or crazed. I suspect that if I mentioned I didn\u2019t like blue M&Ms the next day I\u2019d have my own personal cup of chocolate candies with nary a blue one in sight (this is just an example \u2013 I actually love ALL M&Ms\u2026 but you get the idea). Anything else you\u2019d like the world to know about you?<\/strong><\/p>\n One of the best and hardest questions to pose to someone is, \u201cWhat else would you like the world to know about you?\u201d Rolled up in that query are things like \u201cWhat do you want to be remembered for?\u201d \u201cWhat do you hope people take away from meeting you?\u201d And of course the age old pizza commercial question, \u201cWhat do you want on your Tombstone?\u201d I was incredibly honored to be asked by Mainly Marathons if I was okay with being featured in the July 2016 Runner Spotlight. Okay? I’m thrilled to be included in such amazing company. George Rose sent me a message with some questions to answer that he was going to use for the piece. I was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/runkevinrun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3712","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/runkevinrun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/runkevinrun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runkevinrun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runkevinrun.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3712"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/runkevinrun.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3712\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/runkevinrun.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runkevinrun.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runkevinrun.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Kevin](\"http:\/\/mainlymarathons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Kevin-7-174x300.jpg\")
Having run 100-plus marathons and other races of varying distances,<\/strong> I\u2019ve seen A LOT of people running. Most are out to have a good time and accomplish their goals, whatever they may be, and just take in the atmosphere of the race. Some you look at and say, \u201cThey\u2019re natural runners,\u201d because their running seems so effortless; often, these runners are very focused, and don\u2019t seem to look around them and smell the roses. Kevin Hanna is rare in that he falls into both categories, and is one of the friendliest people you will ever meet\u2014-on the course or off\u2014-to boot.<\/p>\n
\nI was pretty sure I was going to be a one-and-done marathoner\u2026 but my brother saw me during my training having an entire slice of cheesecake at Cheesecake Factory without ANY guilt as that was the day I had run 20 miles for the first time ever. He whispered he too had always wanted to run a marathon and I said I\u2019d love to train with him \u2013 and thus a second marathon came to pass at the Los Angeles 20th Marathon in 2005.
\nI was in a pretty stressful job situation at the time and running was my one chance to disconnect from phones, email, memos, face-to-face encounters in the hallway, etc. Plus, I had begun to enjoy having an entire slice of cheesecake to myself now and again\u2026 thus my choices were to cut back on the food and drink or, ya know, keep on running. So option B won the day, week, month, year, life.
\nFrom there I was tempted by the original Rock N Roll Series of races. At the time they only had 5 or 6 races but if you ran them all they\u2019d give you a special \u201cRock Star\u201d medal and I thought, \u201cI can do that!\u201d
\nAnd then somebody mentioned this 50 States Marathon Club thing\u2026 and I thought, \u201cI don\u2019t know if I can do that\u2026 but it sure sounds like a fun thing to try!\u201d
\nAnd thus a mild mannered guy who was never that athletic became a marathoner. I don\u2019t always run the whole way\u2026 but I traverse the distances. I don\u2019t always enjoy the run \u2013 it\u2019s never easy to run 26.2 miles but some days are definitely easier than others. But I ALWAYS enjoy HAVING RUN.
\nRunning and marathoning has redefined me as a person\u2026 I am a better person today for having run the races I have, and for having trained to run those races, than I was before I started.
\nI\u2019ve been incredibly lucky and fortunate to do the things that I have done as a result of my running hobby\/obsession\u2026 and I hope I always remember that I AM lucky and fortunate.<\/p>\n![\"Kevin](\"http:\/\/mainlymarathons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Kevin-10-156x300.jpg\")
What\/when was your first marathon?<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nI generally shy away from going into great detail about how many races I\u2019ve done or what all I\u2019m trying to do for my goals. Usually if somebody asks me how many marathons I\u2019ve done I typically just err on the side of saying I\u2019ve run the 50 states or that I\u2019ve run the 7 continents. I\u2019m sheepish because frankly I\u2019ve been incredibly fortunate to be (mostly) injury free, to have had opportunities and time to go on some crazy \u201cruncation\u201d adventures, and I never want to have anything I do in any way make someone feel they should say, \u201cI ONLY am running a 10K today\u2026\u201d or \u201cI\u2019m ONLY doing a half-marathon.\u201d I think everybody is amazing who gets up off that couch and walks around the block as a means of pursuing their own goal, their own finish line. It\u2019s never ONLY a 10K. It\u2019s never ONLY a race. It\u2019s YOUR event. YOU are amazing and are achieving something many people only talk about, something they wish they were doing. YOU are not ONLY talking about doing it \u2013 YOU ARE DOING IT.
\nBut when pressed, the accomplishments I sometimes list for my running career are:
\nI\u2019ve run the 50 states twice\u2026 and in fact I\u2019m a 50 sub 4 finisher.
\nI\u2019ve run the seven continents\u2026 and even though to the best of my knowledge there\u2019s no such club I had a shirt printed that says I\u2019m a 7+7 For the first time ever, I qualified for Boston this year in May 2016. I ran for Boston Children\u2019s Hospital in 2012 as a charity runner and raised money for them as it was my 50th state. But this year was a first for me \u2013 a PR, BQ, and a quad killer all rolled into one (it was a mostly downhill event after all \u2013 gotta take your advantages where you can!)
\nBut perhaps my proudest accomplishment is that I continue to run \u2013 even on days when I really, really don\u2019t want to. I\u2019m not a streak runner like some folks I greatly admire as there are days when time and space just don\u2019t allow me to run. But I run ALMOST every day \u2013 it continues to be a stress relief and a gateway to new places, new adventures, and meeting up with both new and \u201cclassic\u201d friends and family. It sounds a little cheesy, but my best accomplishment is that when things are really bleak and rough, when it\u2019s cold or rainy or miserable, I still try and rally and lace up my shoes and get out there and run. And every time, I\u2019m glad I did. I\u2019m proud to say that regardless of time or conditions, I remain happy to have done a run. It\u2019s so much better than NOT having run. And that\u2019s a feeling I think only a fellow runner can truly appreciate.<\/p>\n
\nSo my biggest future running goal? To keep on running and living. To hopefully convince family and friends to at least occasionally come with me for the adventure. To stay healthy and positive. To live and run and hopefully be happy. A bit touchy-feely and mushy but it is what it is.<\/p>\n![\"Kevin](\"http:\/\/mainlymarathons.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Kevin-2-215x300.jpg\")
What do you like about Mainly Marathons, and what keeps you coming back?<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nAdded to the fun is that there are no prizes for finishing first; there is however a prize for finishing last each day: the coveted custom caboose toy, a badge of honor for the runner who endured the longest, struggled the mightiest, and emerged victorious. That\u2019s a spirit of the marathon that I think we all can get behind.
\nThe organizers and staff have grown over the years but the regulars are folks who were there at the beginning in some capacity, including timing officials, chefs, photographers, and safety crew. It\u2019s a lean, efficient machine that is best described as a family. There is no better food at any race event; there is no more personal concierge running experience for non-elites. The Mainly Marathon crew treats every runner as a VIP\u2026 and it\u2019s that feeling that keeps bringing folks back day after day, loop after loop.
\nI\u2019ve had the privilege of running a number of series with Mainly Marathons the last few years but I\u2019d been MIA for a few of the recent ones. In 2016, my first event back was at the Independence Series and I was welcomed back like a long-lost relative. I can\u2019t think of a more positive, supportive environment for runners in all my racing experience.
\nAfter running just one event with Mainly Marathons, you can show up the next day or at another series and it\u2019s like a high school reunion; you\u2019ll be catching up and trading stories in no time.\u00a0 It\u2019s a homecoming. Kate and Cathy are at the timing booth; Hanne will be manning the early morning PB&Js. Clint will catch up with you to ask how things were going. Norm will be cooking or prepping something that we can enjoy as he gears up to run with us. George will be shooting photos \u2014 I love these people who love making running dreams come true. And not just for me, but for every person out there \u2014 whether it\u2019s a person running their first 5K, a half-marathoner, marathoners, or the latest addition \u2014 those hardy 50K runners.
\nOutside of MM events, I very often cross paths with some of the \u201cclassic characters\u201d or \u201cnew faces.\u201d It really is like \u201cCheers\u201d \u2014 everybody knows your name, they\u2019re happy to help you in any way they can to help you take a break from all your worries and help you achieve whatever your goal is. That\u2019s true of the organization and the runners themselves.
\nSo what keeps me coming back to run round and round that black cone Clint uses as the turnaround point for the out-and-back loops? It\u2019s the people. All the people.<\/p>\n
\nIt\u2019s something I\u2019m not sure any of us can answer definitively as it changes with time and distance\u2026 just like any marathon or any race for that matter. But as I sit here collecting thoughts, reflecting on what has come before, what may be coming in the future, I hope beyond all else that people know this about me \u2013 the best parts of me come from family and friends who have supported me, have challenged me, have been there for me both in the best of times and in the worst of times. Life and marathons are very personal and yet they do not exist in a vacuum, they do not exist without other people. So the one thing I hope people know is that I\u2019m lucky to know them \u2013 to have them in my life and to share some time, some miles, and some adventures together.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"