Worland High School alum Jared Leithead shares journey to and running in Boston Marathon

Why a marathon?

That question is one that Jared Leithead fielded quite often as he trained to make and run in the Boston Marathon.

A 2011 Worland High School graduate, Leithead, who lives in Cheyenne, has been known as a wrestler to his family and friends. He was a two-time 3A state champion and a member of the 2011 Worland state championship team. He's even a wrestling official for the Wyoming High School Activities Association.

However, three years ago, with some prodding from a friend, Leithead ran his first half marathon in South Dakota. He ran the half marathon in one hour and 36 minutes without dedicated training.

His finishing time in South Dakota got Leithead thinking. If he could put up that kind of time in a half marathon, what kind of time could he run in a marathon?

"I ran that first half marathon and didn't really train for it but did half decent. That what if and competitive nature kicked in, and that ignited the fire," said Leithead. "That's what started the journey."

Not only did Leithead want to run the marathon, but he wanted to run in the Boston Marathon - the Super Bowl of the marathon world.

A marathon is 26.2 miles long, and to run the Boston Marathon, a runner has to hit a qualifying time of under three hours. To make that sub-three-hour time, a runner needs a pace of six minutes and 52 seconds.

"When I did the half marathon, we made a trip out of it. My fiancée and I picked my mom up on the way to South Dakota, where the race was. We had a good time, and afterward, I told my mom if I qualified for Boston, she was going with me. That's when I decided to see what I could really do," said Leithead.

Running that first marathon in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, in the fall of 2020 was an eye-opener for Leithead. He failed to make qualifying time for the Boston Marathon, running a 3:22 but learned that he wasn't far off.

With Boston in his sights, Leithead's next marathon was in St. George, Utah, in September 2021. Again, he came up short of qualifying. Yet, cut an impressive amount of time, clocking in at 3:06.

Leithead was inching closer to running that 6:52 mile pace and qualifying for Boston. He knew he was close. He would make the Boston Marathon, and his mother would be there to see him run it.

Leithead's mother, Jerilyn "Gigi" Wickard, was his biggest fan. She took in every one of his wrestling matches. She was always in the stands and proud of her son. So when he decided to take up marathon running, it was only natural she was there to cheer him on.

In the fall of 2021, Wickard was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer; 21 days later, she passed away.

"It was quick, out of nowhere and happened pretty dang fast. To deal with all of that, I resorted to running as my therapy to deal with that hardship," said Leithead. "That's when qualifying for Boston became more personal for me. That next year I ended up training extremely hard and dedicated everything to it."

The loss of his mother hit Leithead hard. The goal was for both of them to be in Boston. It wasn't going to happen, but rather than let that pain from the loss of his mother sink the dream, he used that hurt to drive him toward it.

At his next marathon in Seattle in June 2022, Leithead got it done. Running a pace of 6:35 per mile, he crossed the finish line at 2:52 and qualified for Boston.

Leithead was shipping up to Boston.

"That was pretty special to get that and finally qualify, doing it in my mom's honor," said Leithead. "It was more than just running to me at that point. I wrestled throughout my life, and my mom was my No. 1 supporter. She didn't miss a meet and followed me all over the country. When I picked up running, she was the same way. Those first two marathons, she'd always ask if I qualified and when we were going to Boston. It was so meaningful to me."

With Boston up next, Leithead was back in the thick of training which involved running after work for at least an hour or waking up at 4 a.m. to keep up with his 25-week training block. Each workout lasted at least an hour, with the weekday work leaning toward sprints and the weekends reserved for longer runs.

For those 25 weeks of training, Leithead put in anywhere from 50 to 60 miles per week.

No matter the weather or how harsh the Cheyenne winter was this year, Leithead kept at it. Using his mother's memory was a large motivation for him but toward the end of his training, he needed that little extra to power him through.

That's when Leithead reached out to the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Wyoming. Setting a goal of running a sub-2:50 marathon in Boston, he was looking to raise $1,000.

Within four hours of putting the word out about his fundraiser, Leithead's $1,000 goal was met. So he bumped it to $1,500, which was also met by the end of the day.

"The Boston experience alone was incredible. Getting that qualifying letter from Boston was incredible. After that, it was about trying to enjoy the experience. Training for Boston was a little bit different. I didn't have that fire. I was still doing it for personal reasons, but that's when the Make-a-Wish Foundation deal came through.

"It added more purpose to my training. It was so much bigger than just me running. I reached out to the Make-a-Wish Foundation, and they were ecstatic about it. I started by setting a goal of $1,000. Within four hours, we were at $1,200. I bumped it up to $1,500, and by the end of that day, we smoked past that goal too," said Leithead. "It was incredible."

Ultimately, Leithead raised $3,320 for the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Wyoming.

On April 17, Leithead was in the top grouping of the amateur division for the Boston Marathon. The goal he set with his mom was completed.

Now he had to navigate the 26.2 miles with hills strategically, or cruelly, placed near the end of the course.

"Boston was a super tough course with a lot of hills. Being from Wyoming, I overlooked those hills. Training through the winter was challenging. The wind down here in Cheyenne was not ideal. I went in thinking I was prepared for anything, the weather or the hills. But those hills don't start until mile 17.

"Going in, I set a super high goal and wanted to run a sub-2:50. I didn't run the race I wanted to. Coming out of the gates, the first half of it was pretty much all downhill. The whole course was lined with fans. At least one person deep the whole way," said Leithead. "The closer you got to Boston, there were more and more fans. It was the coolest experience."

Leithead continued, "I needed to be running a 6:30 mile pace, but I'd get in the middle of some of those college towns, and I'd be running a 5:40. That was way, way too fast. If you go too fast early on, you're going to drop off in the end. That's what happened to me a little, and I didn't get into a good rhythm. I was feeding into the crowds and pumping them up. I was running more for the experience at that point, but it made a tough final six miles."

The number of fans lining the course and the number of runners also took some adjusting for Leithead.

"That was something I was not used to. When I qualified, there were about 3,000 runners, and you'd have the whole course to yourself. You were there to run and focus on what you needed to do. Boston, there were so many runners," said Leithead. "Everybody said it would clear out around mile three or four, and I could get into my stride. I think I was right in the middle of that group, and we were all keeping the same pace. It was dang near shoulder to shoulder the whole way. It was crazy."

Leithead crossed the finish line in Boston at 2:59.29. While he was short of his sub-2:50 goal, the journey that marathon running has taken Leithead has had its fair share of twists and turns in a short amount of time. But it's an experience he'll forever cherish and one that he couldn't have done without the support from loved ones, family and friends.

Even though he fell short of his goal in Boston, Leithead's time did qualify for next year's Boston Marathon.

"One of the biggest things is the amount of love and support I have from friends and family from back home in Worland, Cheyenne and the state of Wyoming. Training for a marathon correlates with life so much. Whatever work you put into is what you'll get out of it," said Leithead. "When I started this journey, I didn't think I'd be able to pull it off, but whatever you put your mind to is achievable."

And what Leithead loves most about running is it's you and your goals.

That's it.

"I've wrestled and played other sports. If you're strong in wrestling or football, if you're strong and fast, you can gain an advantage. The cool thing about running is it doesn't take anything to be successful at it. If you have a pair of shoes and a good attitude, that's all you need. It's you versus the pavement. It's an incredible sport, and I've fallen in love with it during this short journey," said Leithead.

Next up for Leithead, his wedding. He and his fiancée Jaime Lopez tie the knot this summer. Sinking his energy into and enjoying his upcoming wedding is his primary focus.

Down the road, when that competitive itch starts to awaken, Leithead will begin mulling his options again. Whether it's another marathon, the Boston Marathon, or what have you. He'll find something to log miles.

The passion Leithead discovered for running in his training for marathons was a surprise. But with what the sport has given him and helped him through these past three years, it has meant everything.

"I'll always be running and competing for something. It might be something smaller, but maybe not always a marathon. Who knows, maybe it'll be a 100-mile race. The sky's the limit. I'll always be running. It's one of the best versions of therapy. It's a way to clear your head, deal with stress or have a hard day at work. I've dealt with a lot of hardships and adversity growing up, and running has been a way to clear my mind and hit that reset button," said Leithead.

Leithead added, "During this training, I told myself this is it. It has taken so much time and is so stressful. But at the same time, with my time in Boston, the what ifs started to kick in. Maybe if I prepared better for those hills, what would my time look like then? I just need to take a month or two to recover before making those decisions."

Going back to that often-asked question, "Why a marathon?" For Leithead, there are more than enough reasons why.