Of the 87, some never imagined they could run a marathon, but wanted to try. Others had nearly no running experience, but were looking for a physical and mental challenge. One of them is a U of M physics and astronomy professor. But this Sunday, all the students in PE 1262 Marathon Training will try for their personal best as they compete in the Eau Claire Marathon in Wisconsin.
In their last preparatory event, the group will convene for a carbo-load Saturday evening, with 118 race participants and colleagues expected at the dinner. The evening will also include a pre-race pep talk by Dr. Stacy Ingraham, Kinesiology lecturer and co-instructor and coach for the course. She will give a slide presentation tracing the history of PE 1262.
PE 1262 is taught by Chris Lundstrom, Kinesiology doctoral student and advisee of Dr. Ingraham, and a nationally ranked marathoner. The course was first offered in Spring 2008 and enrolled 48 runners. This semester, enrollment has almost doubled from the first class, and the course has grown into one of the most popular PE offerings.