See Jess Run

Allen, TX--(October 30, 2014)--Jessica Jennings, TriTech software developer, recently qualified for and was accepted to run in the 2015 Boston Marathon. Jessica hopped on a treadmill to get into better shape one day, and before she knew it, she was placing in local Dallas-Ft. Worth races.

“After a friend talked me into running a 10k with her and I ran faster than I thought I could, I just continued to try to improve my speed and increase my distance. Eventually I added strength training to my workout and this helped me to be able to consistently place in local races which just fueled the fire,” said Jessica.

"Your body will do a whole lot more than you think it will if you just don’t give up."

- Jessica Jennings

Her Journey

Jessica had been running for about five years when she found herself in Reno, NV last year for Premium Pro training and the National Premium Tax Conference . She learned of the nearby Surfer’s Point Marathon in Ventura, CA. Even though this was a full 26.2 mile marathon and the furthest she had run previously was a 13.1 mile half marathon, she decided to enter. She did not have Boston in her sights at all because she didn’t dream it was even possible for her to qualify. Her goal was to just finish the race, but she still gave it her all.

“I have found that most athletic activities, including running, really are mind over matter. Your body will do a whole lot more than you think it will if you just don’t give up,” said Jessica.

The Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon, established in 1897. It is one of the “World Marathon Majors” which also include Tokyo, London, Berlin, New York City, and Chicago. In order to qualify to run Boston, you have to first complete a standard marathon course certified by the International Association of Athletics Federations within about 18 months prior to the Boston Marathon you plan on running. Then in order to gain entrance, you must meet the qualifying standards set by the Boston Athletic Association. Qualifying, however, does not guarantee your acceptance. For the 2015 race, 23,546 time qualifiers were accepted to run the race and almost 2,000 time qualifiers were rejected due to field size restrictions.

She did it!

Not only did Jessica qualify, she did so with almost five minutes to spare. She is now working with trainer, Lin Johnson of Jay Johnson’s Boot Camp Fitness to develop a training and nutrition plan that she will begin following January 1st in order to properly prepare to compete in the Boston Marathon. Her goal is to beat her previous time by at least one minute.

The 2015 Boston Marathon will be held on Patriots' Day in Massachusetts on Monday, April 20. Run Jess, run! We will be rooting for you.