CHANGE MY LOCATION
Los Angeles Examiners
Los Angeles Sports Examiner
Most Recent Post
UCLA to USC: 'The monopoly in L.A. is over"
Family, not finish line, important for runner
SEE THE LATEST ON THIS STORY
Related Topics: BALTIMORE
)
Runner Lee DiPietro sits outside her home recently in Baltimore. DiPietro, who will run the Baltimore Marathon, has competed in over 40 marathons in the past 25 years, traveling from New York City to France to run.
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Want to see the world? Be a distance runner. It worked for Lee DiPietro, a world-class runner who has competed in marathons from New York to Bermuda to France and England. She even took on the infamous and grueling Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii. And all of it before she turned 30.
But now DiPietro, who lives in Towson, is staying closer to home to run, at least this Saturday, as the 49-year-old married mother of two college-aged sons tackles the Baltimore Running Festival’s Marathon, which begins this morning at 8 at Camden Yards.
“I still get extremely nervous before a race,” DiPietro said. “I usually arrive early so I can just have my own time to mentally prepare. I need to focus. Marathons require both mental and physical endurance.”
For DiPietro, who runs between 80 and 100 miles a week and whose personal best in the 26.2-mile race is 2:47, her running journey has had its focus squarely on family.
Her inspiration to run came from her sister, Kitty Cushing, a recovering alcoholic who turned to running as a means to beat her addiction. While running to support her sister, DiPietro began to win races.
“I ran with my sister at a Boston Marathon,” she said. “The entire experience was so positive that I got involved in the New York Marathon as well.”
DiPietro’s mother, Nina Jennings — a breast cancer survivor — said her daughter has been a great inspiration.
“She has always been a very dedicated athlete,” Jennings, said. “[During my recovery] she would push me. And now I run three miles six days a week.”
At 29, DiPietro was introduced to triathlons, and her running became daily three-hour journeys, not to mention training on the bike and in the pool. By the time she hit her late 30s, she was a professional.
“I was sponsored by Saucony Footwear, and they were wonderful to me, even at my age,” DiPietro said. “I still wear their shoes.”
DiPietro, whose race-day ritual includes a warm-up run to calm her nerves and a cup of coffee, said she had no idea what she was getting into when she started racing alongside her sister. Running used to be a release after a long workday. But her mother’s battle with breast cancer and her sister’s battle with addiction has left DiPietro with a deep appreciation for family.
“I just want to keep a healthy lifestyle for myself and my family,” DiPietro said. “I never want to let them down.”
Comments from Examiner Readers
3:31 PM MST on Sat., Oct. 13, 2007 re: "Injury forces out top local runner"
Report as inappropriate
2:46 PM MST on Sat., Oct. 13, 2007
re: "Injury forces out top local runner"
Report as inappropriate
Examiner Reader said:
Impact on the Marathon.... Locust Point Residence were completely cut off and could not get into thier communities because of the race. Three ways in...one under constuction, one being used by the runners, and the last one closed by police officers who refused to let us in our communities.. What is wrong with this picture, the last road should not have been closed...why was it closed?...no one would tell us... Southern district police station was of no help. Although trucks for Domino Sugar were allowed to use this back road by police officers. I just hope that this problem did not effect any one in a serious way. I will be contacting everyone that I can in hopes that this is resolved before it ever happens again.
109 agree | 106 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
How about some news on the impact this race had on the communities from which they were held in... Our concern at this very moment is how as a resident of Baltimore city we were not allowed in our homes. Locust Point was closed down. NO ONE WAS ALLOWED IN. Even though we were allowed out during the race through a back road, no one informed us that we would not be allowed back in until the race was completed. Never mind the back road was good enough to leave the Point, but could not be used to get back in. Why when that road had nothing to do or did not interfer with the race at all. We are very angry and as far as we are concerned the marathon can go some where else next year. We were told by the police officer on McComas Street, that you are not the only people trying to get into Locust Point, HUNDREDS have tried to get through here, as he yelled this to us. Totally uncalled for. 311 told us nothing they could do...the Mayor's said to call back Monday and file a
114 agree | 114 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree