John Crews
John Crews, 26, is a PhD student in Mechanical Engineering at North Carolina State University. He ran cross-country and track and field for NCSU and currently competes for Capital Fitness/Brooks with fellow NCSU alum Bobby Mack. He met his wife, Amy (Kelly), who also runs competitively, at NCSU.
FAVORITE WORKOUT:
2 x 6 miles at the American Tobacco Trail. I like this workout because it gives me an indication of what kind of pace I am capable of in an upcoming marathon.
FAVORITE RACE(S):
My two favorite races are at opposite ends of the distance spectrum: the KeyBank Vermont City Marathon in Burlington and the Magnificent Mile in Raleigh. The Vermont City Marathon was one of my first marathon victories in 2009. The course is great, the race is well organized, and Burlington is the best post-marathon relaxation city. I also really enjoy the Magnificent Mile because it is a low pressure race for me. I consider myself a marathoner, but it is fun to step down in distance and just run fast.
BEST FINISH IN 2010:
1st Place Overall in the KeyBank Vermont City Marathon
OTHER ACCOLADES:
2:16:46 Marathon PR (Baltimore 2010)
2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifier
Four-time marathon winner (City of Oaks ’08, Philadelphia ’09, Vermont City ’09 and ’10)
Winner, 2010 Wachovia Tar Heel 10 Miler
MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT IN A RACE:
Winning the 2009 Philadelphia Marathon was a special moment for me. My wife is from Philadelphia, and a lot of her family came out to support me. The marathon and half marathon started together, and I thought I was leading the marathon, but at half way my father-in-law told me that somebody came through two and a half minutes ahead of me. I really wanted to win, so I figured I would just risk everything to catch the leader. I ended up running a negative split, qualifying for the Olympic Trials, and winning by seven minutes. It was great to do all that in front of my wife’s family.
