Running

Running and Racing

Background & Foreground

Mark has been an avid runner since he joined his high school cross country team, and ran his first half marathon during his undergrad in 2002. Since then, Mark has run or paced nearly fifty half marathons. In 2022, raising money to help resettle Afghan refugees in Nebraska, Mark ran the “Kandahar Marathon” in which supporters pledged him by the mile. He ran more than two thousand miles and five full marathons that year.

Mark was a cross country coach at Omaha North High Magnet School for eight years, four as an assistant, and four as head coach. In addition to coaching, Mark has been pacing half marathons for more than a decade, and has recently begun pacing full marathons. Also recently, Mark has joined the Achilles International team, guiding visually impaired runners throughout races in the Midwest.

Today, Mark races frequently, and is hoping to run every full marathon in Nebraska as well as completing the fifty-state challenge, finishing a full marathon in every state. Below is Mark’s race calendar for the coming year. Feel free to reach out if you’re running the same race, have questions about pacing, or are in need of a guide for the visually impaired.

Training and Support

You were born to run. So was I. When I coached cross country, my runners used to joke about my “TED Talks”–the lengthy speeches I’d give, often on this topic. There’s a whole raft of research to support my thesis, as well as anecdotal evidence galore. Humans are bad climbers, slow swimmers, even slower sprinters, and we can’t fly at all. We’re also the world’s only water-cooled animal with an achilles tendon, a neck that swivels 180 degrees while the body remains in forward motion, with a brain that can regulate our oxygen intake. In short, we would have died out long ago, save for the fact that we evolved to be the greatest endurance athlete imaginable. The opposable digits help, too. My point is, I was born to run and I know it. You were born to run, but you may not realize it–yet. And if I can help you, I want to do that. If you want to train with me or just need some tips, you’re always welcome to reach out. Shortest TED talk ever, right? I’ll see you at the starting line. 
                                                                            ~Mark

Philanthropy and Fundraising

In recent years, Mark has turned his love of running into a way to raise money for causes that he champions.

Coaching

“Make sure that team members know they are working with you, not for you.”
                                                              ~John Wooden