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Martin Hehir Will Go From COVID-19 Front Line To The Marathon Project Starting LinePublished by
Fourth-Year Medical Student Spent Several Weeks Working In An Intensive Care Unit With COVID-19 Patients, But Found Training Time To Keep Pursuing Goals
By Theresa Juva Brown for DyeStat
Photo by John Nepolitan
Martin Hehir wants to end a turbulent 2020 the same way he began it: with a remarkable race performance.
Hehir, who ran 2:11:29 to finish sixth at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February, just before the COVID-19 crisis hit, is aiming for the top of the podium Sunday at The Marathon Project, an elite-only marathon set to begin at 10 a.m. EST in Chandler, Ariz. with 98 men and women.
“It’s going to take a special race and special time to win,” said Hehir, adding that he believes the champion will have to run 2:09. “There is no reason why I can't be one of the guys to win it.”
Hehir will have plenty of speedy company, including Eritrea’s Amanuel Mesel Tikue, a 2:08 marathoner with the fastest personal best in the field, Jared Ward, a 2016 U.S. Olympic marathoner, Canadian Olympian Cam Levins and fellow American Scott Fauble, a 2:09 marathoner.
WATCH USATF.TV LIVE WEBCAST SUNDAY | MEN'S ENTRIES | WOMEN'S ENTRIES Unlike many elite distance runners, Hehir, a member of Reebok Boston Track Club, isn’t solely focused on his running career. In addition to being the dad of two girls, including a daughter born in July, the former Syracuse All-American is a fourth-year medical student at Sidney Kimmel Medical College in Philadelphia and plans to start his residency in anesthesiology next year. When he learned about the Marathon Project last summer, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to fit in demanding marathon training on top of his medical school duties. But with many commitments changed from in-person to remote due to the pandemic, including his residency interviews, Hehir realized he could seize the race opportunity to run the third marathon of his career. Still, it wasn’t a quick or easy decision. As a medical student, he worked for several weeks in an intensive care unit, where most of the patients were gravely ill with COVID-19. “Being someone who sees COVID in all its seriousness, it's definitely something me and my wife (a pediatric nurse practitioner) take very seriously,” he said. "Moral of the story. It's just as scary as it is hyped up to be. (The ICU) is a bleak place to be." Traveling to Arizona for Sunday's racing comes with risks, but Hehir studied the protocols closely and came to the decision that it was worth it. “I feel like the race did a great job making sure everyone who is racing has been tested multiple times,” he said. "A lot of extra thought went into this decision to race. Ultimately these opportuites are far and few between. As long as they're being doing in a safe way, we're going to want to be there." Hehir's grind has been different than others racing this weekend. Three months ago, Hehir woke at 5 a.m. to run his workouts before beginning hospital shifts at 8 a.m. With an opening in his school schedule this fall, Hehir spent a six weeks in Charlottesville, Va. training with Reebok teammates Tim Young and Colin Bennie, who are also competing in Sunday’s marathon. Calling his buildup to Sunday “flawless,” Hehir added that half the battle is getting to the start line without injury. He's accomplished that. “The stars aligned, and I got just as good a training block as I did going into the Trials,” he said. “It’s really exciting.” It was the Olympic Trials performances of Hehir (sixth) and Bennie (ninth) that helped inspire fellow Syracuse alum Paige Stoner to train for the marathon. All three are coached by Chris Fox, who guided the Syracuse men's team into to the 2015 NCAA title before eventually making the move to working with post-collegiate athletes with the Reebok Boston Track Club. "Finishing sixth and ninth was incredibly inspiring and I think probably was partly what motivated us to jump on the marathon bandwagon," Stoner said. "We know coach Fox is great at coaching, and it's probably his favorite event." Stoner will make her marathon debut Sunday in a loaded field, seeking a sub-2:30:00 performance. DYESTAT DISCUSSIONS More news |
