Do you like running enough to make it a habit? Temey Wolfgram does; she has made running a lifelong career and isn't stopping.
In February, the 16-year-old from Woodbury High School, Minnesota, US, competed at the 2020 US Olympic Trials. She finished the marathon (42, J95 km) with a tune of 2:42:47 as the youngest competitor in the race and ranked 76th out of 390 runners.
Then, in November, Wolfgram, who turned 17, broke the Women's American Junior marathon record with her time of 2:31:49. The old record was 2:34:32, which had stood since 1984. During the run, Wolfgram oncehit a wallpretty hard, but she overcame it to finish. "I guess I can say I gave it my all," she told Runner's World. "When I finished, all I was thinking was that I was super happy," Wolfgram said.
This was only her third marathon. In 2018, when Wolfgram was 15 years old, she ran her first marathon just because she wanted to see if she was capable of doing it. "I believed that I would get faster as the distances got longer... and I'm still glad that I did it."
When preparing for that first marathon, she ran up to 120 miles (about 190 kilometers) per week. Although her parents didn't have any background in running, they helped Wolfgram train. At first, her dad would take her out in the morning and run about 13 miles. The distance would gradually increase each day. On top of her runs in the morning, she would do cross-country practice after school.
Next, Wolfgram will think about attending the Olympic Games in 2024 after it's scheduled.