North Center Woman Prepares To Run Her 20th Marathon

CHICAGO, IL — A North Center resident is training to run her 20th marathon in April, and hopes her story will inspire others. Jennifer Courtney has run marathons around the world, but when she ran her first—the Chicago Marathon in 2009—she wasn't having it.

"I basically crossed the finish line and said, 'that was awesome, but I'm never doing it again.'"

But a few weeks went by, and Courtney said she couldn't stop thinking about how she felt while she was running the marathon.

"I missed the element of going out and being able to clear your head and be with nature and all that. So I decided to do it again."

She joined the Chicago Area Runners Association, and found others who also liked to get out in nature year-round, breathe fresh air and clear their heads. Now a group leader with the association, Courtney encourages other Chicagoans to give running a try.

"The lakefront path in the winter is as breathtaking as it is in the summer, especially if there's snow on the ground—it's beautiful. Just to look out across the lake and see the patches of ice—it's absolutely breathtaking."

Courtney has run marathons in California, Oregon, Ohio, Main, Georgia, Michigan and Indiana; and internationally in Prague and Reykjavik. On April 8, she plans to participate in her 20th marathon in Paris.

A graduate from Pendleton Heights (Indiana) High School and Ball State University, Courtney said there are many great running routes in the North Center area—the lakefront isn't the only option.

"The beauty of the North Side is that you can run in neighborhoods too. Just running down Damen and then taking a left on Wilson, and running through that cute little area...there are also many little nice parks to run through, or along the river."

And Courtney said running in frigid temperatures is much easier than many Chicagoans think.

"People think I'm insane for running outside in the winter, but my argument to them is—it's all about layering. If you buy the right clothing, and you layer appropriately, you're warm within the first mile," she explained. "And there's something about getting up in the morning—the streets are quiet, it's beautiful, the sun's just coming up and you get the city to yourself."

Courtney's ambition as a runner shows in her career: she was recently promoted to VP of Professional Services at the Chicago-based consulting firm Burwood Group, becoming the third woman to join the company's executive leadership team.

Courtney said running helps her obtain work-life balance, and constantly inspires the 'mind over matter' mentality in all aspects of her life.

Photos courtesy of Jennifer Courtney & BrEpic Communications LLC.