After finding her passion for running and then suffering injuries that kept her from the sport, marathon runner Danelle Beeson will take on the Chicago Marathon with an ambitious new goal this year — to qualify for the Olympic trials.
Beeson first started running when she was in high school. Her brother was a talented runner, and he encouraged her to take up the sport in typical brotherly fashion.
"He told me if I did not start running, he would either have to beat me up or chase me around the house," Beeson said.
She took his suggestion seriously and ended up running cross country and track at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.
Beeson refers to her collegiate running years as "amazing," but she endured several injuries that eventually put her on a one-year hiatus from running. This break, however, led to the start of her marathon career.
One of Beeson's friends asked her to run a marathon with her for fun, but their competitive natures took over, and they ran the race seriously. Beeson came in ninth place in that race, which was her first marathon.
"I always thought people were crazy to do the marathon," Beeson said. "I had no concept of what was really involved with it, but as soon as you get involved with the marathon, it is a community. It is so different than any other track sport."
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Part of what intrigues Beeson about the marathon is the year-long commitment to training that precedes the race itself. With her eye on reaching a qualifying time for the Olympic trials, Beeson has puts hours of training and focused all her passion on this race over the last year.
"I am taking running seriously and feel really passionate about it, and so I am excited for what that means for me — endless opportunities," Beeson said. "Once I cross the line, nothing but a smile across my face and ready to move on to the next chapter."
