Brian Evans

Personal Records

DOB: April 14, 1971 in Hartsville, South Carolina

How long have you been running? I started running in 2003...at first it was just as a stress relief--now it's part of me!

I remember as a kid my Dad was a runner. He wasn't very competitive--he ran so he could eat more junk food and ice cream later. But I've always loved to run (but I only ran track in the 9th grade, the mile and my best time was 5:55). One time my Dad said to me, "Brian, you've got the body of a runner." Ever since he said that I just sort of tucked it away in my mind and my heart. But I played tennis in high school, and running really wasn't something that I regularly did. So it wasn't until 2003 that I met a guy who was training for a marathon, and I thought, "I bet I could do that too!" So I started running, and never looked back.

I use my head so much that running gives me a nice way to relax and just unwind. I love it when I can get into a nice, smooth rhythm and cadence. About 3 years ago I switched my stride from being a heel-striker to a more ball-of-the-foot striker--and that switch has taken my running to a whole new level of smoothness and ease.

Who has influenced your running? Emil Zatopek for sure! I enjoy Pre's passion too. The story of Eric Liddell is amazing to me--a gold medalist and a missionary--what a powerful combination!

Weekly mileage: Baseline: About 50-70. When training for a marathon, about 80-100.

I try to run about 10 miles a day with a long run once a week (baseline: 12.5; when marathon training I alternate between 16 and then the next week a 20 miler). I work out six days a week--hey, if God wanted to rest on the seventh day, then why shouldn't I? I think He must know something we don't on that...I alternate my workouts with EZ and tough. Once a week I do a Tempo, and a couple of days later a Track workout (intervals), and then a couple of days later a long run. Spaced in between these tougher workouts I try to do EZ runs...

Favorite place to run: I love running on the Katy. My favorite workout is to start on at the Luther entrance off Stadium, go out past the sewage treatment center and loop back for a total of 12.4 miles.

I am so thankful for the Katy Trail--what a huge blessing for us runners! I am usually on it about 4 or 5 days a week. Sometimes I think I can run it with my eyes closed--I know where the little bumps are, the root just before bridge 12, and the uneven boards on bridge 12 that will trip you up if you're not ready. I've seen lots of wild-life on the trail too: deer and coyotes have run in front of me; one time a bull was on the trail and chased me off into the underbrush--it had wandered off the farm it was from...I've tried to wade through water on the trail, one time this spring it even came up to my chest (I'll never do that again!). I just love the trail.

Every once in a while I'll do a run from my house which is near Hallsville, and it has a lot of hills on it. But since the roads in the country don't have any shoulders, you really gotta be careful.

Running accomplishments: My greatest accomplishment: qualifying for the Boston with the Heart of America Marathon--and it was my first marathon.

Steve (at Tryatheletics) had cautioned me about running the Heart of America as my first marathon. But I figured why not--it's gonna be rough no matter where I go--so why not jump in with both feet! And that's what I did. I finished in 3:08, under the 3:10 requirement to qualify for Boston. Since then, I've run the Boston Marathon twice (3:04; 2:47). It's my favorite marathon with amazing crowd support the whole way. I love the course too!

I've run six marathons and my times are these: 3:08 (HOA); 3:04 (Boston); 2:58 (Mtn. Home, Arkansas); 2:47 (Boston); 2:44 (Chicago); 2:50 (Baltimore). But my proudest marathon moment was the last marathon in Baltimore (Oct. '08). I had decided to not run, and then at the last moment I jumped back on to the idea--so my training wasn't very good. But the next to last mile was a 5:43; and the last mile was sub-6:00. I felt really good the whole time and enjoyed it a lot.

Running goals: I'd like to break 2:30 in a marathon, or at least be sub-6:00 pace the whole way for one.

Personal info: My family is originally from Pennsylvania, but I was born in South Carolina. I've lived all over the place, including Georgia, Arkansas, Missouri, and California. I used to spend my summers in southern California with my Dad, and my first job was in LA (Redlands to be exact) as a cook in a fast food restaurant! My wife Beth is a native of Columbia, Missouri--so it's good for us to be here.

I'm a husband (married my high school sweetheart, Beth in 1991. We have two sons: Josiah (15) and Matty (13). I'm the Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church here in Columbia--where my wife grew up and I was baptized at in high school.

The thing in running that I'm really excited about is the charity I started called "I Run for Orphans dot com". Basically, it's a charity in which runners can raise funds from people sponsoring them in upcoming races, and then the money is sent to an orphanage of their choice. So far, we've raised over $20,000 for various orphanages around the world through running! Join us!