Michelle Leachman sets Utah State record, runs 27 miles for her 27th birthday in the ARC

Driven and inspiring are two words friends and colleagues often use to describe Utah State University fitness coordinator Michelle Leachman, but when she announced she would be running 27 miles in the Aggie Recreation Center many of them were surprised.

“We all thought she was a little crazy,” joked Arthur Hockwald, a member of Leachman’s student-staff team.

Three years ago Leachman began the tradition of running her age in miles every year on her birthday. Usually Leachman completes her run outdoors, but due to bad weather conditions this year she was unable to run outside. Instead, she decided to set a record at the ARC and run a full marathon as well as an extra mile.

“She’s always the one who wants to do things first,” Hockwald said.

In order to complete the run Leachman needed to run around the track in the ARC 216 times. She began the run Jan 30 at 6:11 a.m.

Leachman said that she had run three marathons previously and was in much better shape during those.

“I should have prepared a little better,” Leachman said. “At mile 18, I was thinking ‘why am I doing this right now?’”

But Leachman was determined.

“This is my lifestyle and my world and it sparks a lot of involvement in my department,” Leachman said.

When Leachman began to doubt herself her student- staff team ran in to help.

During Leachman’s run, several members of her student-staff team took turns running alongside her and playing music to help cheer her on.  

“I have the most outstanding student-staff team possible,” Leachman said. “If it wasn’t for the continuous communication and talking I got to do with my staff I would have never been able to finish.”

Lars Kochendorfer, a member Leachman’s team, said he ran with Leachman for several miles and enjoyed every second of it.

“It was super fun,” Kochendorfer said. “She is really good at inspiring everyone around her.”

At 10:34 a.m. Leachman finished her run, completing it in just under four and a half hours.

Hockwald, who ran three miles with Leachman, said he was incredibly impressed with Leachman’s determination and ability to keep a smile on her face throughout the run.

“The amount of drive she has is incomparable,” Hockwald said. “Even though you could tell she was feeling it during the run, she was still upbeat and positive.”

Leachman doesn’t know how long she will continue the tradition but hopes to continue students to challenge themselves and try and live healthy lifestyles.

“Campus recreation has grown so much in a year and a half,” Leachman said. “I think we are on the move to having a really healthy campus.”

— shaniehoward214@gmail.com

@HowardShanie