The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
7-time Jog champ won’t run this year
Jessica Odorcic is hanging up her Johnnycake Jog shoes for a coaching clipboard. At least for now. The seven-time champion of Ohio’s Finest Five-Miler told The News-Herald this week that she will not be running in this year’s event, which is set for Sunday, July 8, starting and ending at the Lake County Fairgrounds.
“I don’t like to run it unless I’m in decent shape and in good position,” Odorcic, 37, said. “I love running. It’s always been my passion. I just can’t do it as much as I’d like. My body can’t handle it.”
So as she mends her sore body, Odorcic said she will be concentrating on her new-found passion of lifting weights and crosstraining, while also taking up a new position as an assistant cross country coach at Madison alongside head coach Jeremy Verdi.
“Oh my gosh, I’m already excited
about that,” Odorcic said. “When I’m running with the kids and we have a good practice, it’s so exciting. It’s exciting to think that I can help someone make it to state. What a good feeling that would be.”
Odorcic has a treasure chest of fun and fond memories from her days running in the Johnnycake Jog, including a 2017 jaunt in which she came across the finish line in a time of 28:21.
She said she’s not done running in the Johnnycake Jog. She’s just taking a break this year.
“I don’t know who will be running in it,” she said, “but of course I’m going to look to see online who won it. I won’t even wait (for
Monday’s News-Herald to come out). I’ll look it up online to see.”
Although Odorcic has won the Johnnycake Jog seven times, she has to pause and think how many times she’s actually run it. But she said her first — 2006 — was definitely a fond memory.
In 2006, then Jessica Kuhr ran a 27:19 to easily outdistance Leigh Daniel (28:26), Ajanette Arabian (28:26) and Debbi Kilpatrick (29:25). The race highlights are as fresh today as they were on July 23, 2006 when the race was run.
“At the two-mile mark I passed Debbi and was like, ‘Oh my gosh,’” Odorcic said. “She had beaten me in everything to that point. At the three-mile mark, I looked back
and she wasn’t there.”
Then came the final two miles down Mentor Avenue into a blazing sun.
“That was the longest stretch of my life,” she said with a laugh. “Funny thing is, that was the first Johnnycake my parents missed. They were on vacation. And I won.”
Another great memory was the 2012 race in which Odorcic set the course record for a female runner with a time of 26:19, besting Mulu Seboka (26:43) and Asha Gigi (27:27). Odorcic calls it her best five-mile race ever.
“I had two Ethiopian girls and they had a pacer,” she said. “They came in saying they wanted to break the record. I stayed with them at the three-mile mark and one girl dropped back.
“Their pacer literally led me through the rest of the race. That is the most memorable one for sure. Setting the record that low as nice — I hope it stays there for a while.”
In recent months, Odorcic said she has been cross-training and lifting, though she did run in a 5K in Boston as her boyfriend was running in the Boston Marathon.
“I ran a 17:20. I was happy with that,” she said. “Then I ran in the Rite Aid 10K and was second. I don’t want to stop racing. I just want to listen to my body right now.”