Phil Young takes on new role at QC Marathon

Despite his passion for running, he has never participated in the Quad Cities Marathon. That will change on Sunday when the starting gun goes off at 7 a.m.

“I've never run the entire Quad Cities Marathon before,” Young said. “I've been the pace leader for the last seven years, but this is the first time I'm running as fast as I can in the Quad Cities Marathon.”

What exactly does it mean to be a pace leader, and what is the difference between this role and that of a real marathon runner?

“The marathon appoints volunteers to run the race at a very specific pace and hold up a sign,” Young said. “I was part of the three-hour group. I will run for exactly three hours, I did that to participate in the event with no pressure. I can wake up and go for a nice, long run and just help people reach their goal.”

Young will miss the camaraderie that comes with being a pace leader.

“I'm a little sad I'm not going to be a pacer – I want to do everything and it's just a great way to be part of this event,” Young said. “I love running the course through the residential areas. I get my breath really good because I'm not running my best and I get to know the seven or eight people running with me and talk to them about their goals. But I'm a little nervous because this course is a challenge for me.”

Young is more used to more consistent, smoother tracks than the demanding QC contours.

“Flat courses with little variation suit me well,” Young said. “I prefer more rhythmic running. There are a few hills (on the course), especially in the first half of the race, that might cause me problems.”

Young has run over 40 marathons, including the Chicago Marathon and the Boston Marathon, as well as several 50K races, five to six 50-mile races, four to five 100K races, and he has also competed in three 100-mile races.

Of these races, his return to Chicago to run the 2018 Marathon stood out the most.

“I ran the Chicago Marathon in 2018 for fun and had a friend (Sarah) who wanted to run a certain time and I didn't,” he said. “I wasn't fit enough to run a personal best but I told her I would help her. We actually got lost at the start because there were so many people there. I didn't find her until the 18-mile mark. We found each other and ran the last seven to eight miles like a breeze – she hit her goal and it was a fast course. It was a beautiful day this year and a great experience because it was so dramatic.”

Young also enjoyed his first Chicago Marathon 18 years ago.

“That Chicago Marathon was incredible,” Young said. “Not only was the marathon 26.2 miles, which is a big, huge deal, but Chicago is one of the biggest marathons in the world with over 40,000 runners. There were also two million spectators. The city really comes out and it feels overwhelming at first. But the energy… I was super excited. I was so used to running 5Ks in high school and running as fast as I could the whole time. I had a really hard time – I ran about 20 miles really fast, then I had a very difficult last few miles where I was basically just walking, sulking and being upset. It was a rude awakening, but from then on I was hooked.”

Since Young is competing in the QC Marathon for the first time, he has had to put less strain on his toes this week while working at Fleet Feet, which he owns with his wife, Jackie Young.

“I'm usually on my feet for a lot of hours (working at Fleet Feet), but this week I've been resting a little more,” Young said. “I've moved my daily run to the afternoon so I can sleep a little longer in the morning – I'm sleeping until 6 a.m. instead of 5 a.m. and I've also been focusing on hydration and eating clean. We runners are always thinking about what extra percent I can get. I'll drink a little more water, a little less beer and maybe not as much pizza and maybe the race will go better.”

Young has enjoyed his time as co-owner of Fleet Feet – from initially having three or four part-time employees working for him and Jackie eight years ago to a team of 15 to 20 full-time employees today.

“We feel more like a team, but we're doing the same thing we were doing eight years ago: helping people get in the chair and helping them find the right footwear that fits their lifestyle or fitness needs,” Young said.

For Young, the most rewarding moments while working at Fleet Feet were when he and his team were able to help those in need.

“Sometimes we have the opportunity to work with a customer who comes into the store with a limp or needs to be helped into the store,” Young said. “Often that person is a little older and in serious pain. Just being able to sit down with someone and have a conversation and give them some hope through our education and our product selection is a big deal. Those are the moments we keep going for.”