Ready to run
Dave Johnson, a mentor with Students Run Philly Style, is looking forward to Sunday’s Philly Marathon.
Like other serious runners, Dave Johnson of Folcroft has been training diligently for the annual Philadelphia Marathon, which will be held Sunday and feature an estimated 28,000 runners.
By the way, nearly 1,500 New York runners whose race was canceled when Hurricane Sandy devastated the route have been given a second chance with entries into the Philadelphia Marathon.
Johnson will surely feel a sense of accomplishment from meeting this challenge. But he will feel an even deeper satisfaction from something else.
He’s a mentor for Students Run Philly Style, a unique program that offers marathon training to help students ages 12- 18 accomplish a major goal of running in a marathon.
The students train two to three times a week, from March to November. They are guided and encouraged by their mentors, who are called running leaders. The culmination of the program is the Philadelphia Marathon.
“I’m excited not so much for myself but for Alex,” said Johnson. Alex, who just turned 16, is one of the students on Johnson’s team. The two have formed an especially close bond.
“He’s a great young man, and now we have a big brother, little brother relationship,” said Johnson. Running is the core of this bond. With Johnson’s encouragement, Alex first tried a half marathon.
“He got through successfully,” said Johnson. “Then he said, ‘ I’d like to try the full one.’ But at first, he was hesitant.”
But with Johnson’s support, Alex continued his training.
“He gained more confidence, and now he’s really fired up,” Johnson said.
The program organizes students into teams affiliated with schools or organizations. Each team has several running leaders. So Johnson has guided other students as well, including Aaron from Upper Darby.
Some members of the team will aim to do a half- marathon on Sunday. That, too, is a big accomplishment for young runners. And that’s the goal of the program — to help students set a goal and achieve it, proving to themselves they can do more than they realized.
Since its start in 2004, Students Run Philly Style has served more than 2,500 youngsters, ages 12 to 18, from throughout the area. Adult mentors are a key part of the program, helping with training and serving as role models.
Johnson is an ideal example of a role model who has overcome obstacles and achieved goals. Growing up in an unstable home in Southwest Philadelphia, he moved out of his mother’s house at age 15. Then he started getting into trouble. He even served a 10- month stint in jail for breaking and entering. Because of a domestic dispute, he tried to force his way into a former girlfriend’s home.
After getting out of jail, Johnson felt a new determination. He earned his GED, received his computer certification, and landed a full- time job for a public health organization, which he’s held for the past six years.
It was through his job that he learned about the Students Run Philly Style program. His company is an affiliate of the program, as are many organizations.
“I always wanted to run, and I always wanted to mentor, and this sounded interesting,” he said.
His first run was a cold day in February 2010.
“I ran around the block, but I didn’t know anything about breathing and pacing,” he said. “I was sucking in all this cold air, and afterward my lungs and chest were just burning.” But his determination soon took over. “I knew I wanted to work on this,” Johnson said. “I thought it was something worth working on, and that it was achievable.”
He was right. He ran twice a week with his colleague from work, Erica Talley, as his trainer. By April, he was ready for his first race, an 8K run. And he succeeded, even though he had to stop and walk for 20 seconds half- way through.
“But then I finished the race non- stop,” Johnson said.
That experience — of setting a goal, meeting it, and then going on to bigger goals — is what he can impart to youngsters in the Students Run Philly Style program. He decided to be a running leader for the program soon after that first race.
“I faced challenges, and they do, too,” Johnson explained. “And I can guide them and be supportive without being judgmental.”
That’s what he’s done ever since he joined the program, and it’s been a satisfying experience, including in an unexpected way. The bond that formed when he and Talley began running together turned into a romance, and the two were married last summer.
Both will be at the big event Sunday. She’ll be there in her role as a program coordinator. And he’ll be primed and ready to run.
Hundreds of youth from Students Run Philly Style will participate, including members of Johnson’s team. He’s especially eager to cheer on Alex. He’s trained with him for two seasons, and now Alex is ready to run in his first full marathon.
“I’m grateful that I was there to help and guide him,” said Johnson. “But this is something he will accomplish on his own. He’ll feel really thrilled when he crosses the finish line.”
For information about Students Run Philly Style, visit the website studentsrunphilly.org
For information about the Philadelphia Marathon, visit philadelphiamarathon.com