Jill Barron

Jill Barron
Resides in: Allentown

Bio: I grew up in Bethlehem, PA and currently reside in Allentown. I ran cross country and track at Liberty High School for Bill Ruth and Jeff Karwacki. They are the best coaches anyone could have ever asked for through high school! I continued my running after high school independently. When I finally became a teacher at Northampton High School I volunteered as a cross country coach, and later became head coach in 2008. I am also an assistant track and field coach. This really got me back into running again. I completed my first half marathon in September 2005. I was hooked!!!!! Since then I have completed about 8 half marathons and 3 marathons. I am scheduled to run my 4th marathon on October 30th at the Marine Corp. Marathon. I am so excited to do this race! A very good friend of mine (Tony Sebastionelli) was murdered in September 2010; we ran together in high school. Tony’s sister is doing the Marine Corp Marathon, and it will be amazing to be in the same race with her, and experience the whole marathon running with her and his family in his memory.

What do you enjoy most about running?
What I enjoy most about running is the friends I have met through my years of running who share the same love for the sport as I do. I also love working with the high school athletes I have coached in the past and present to help them achieve their running goals in high school and for their future.

What is your biggest running accomplishment and why?
My biggest running accomplishment is completing the Goofy Challenge in Disney this January (2011). Besides the fact I ran 39.3 miles in two days (a half marathon on Saturday and then a full marathon on Sunday), I was sick with the flu the Friday before the races. It was such an amazing feeling finishing the marathon that Sunday. I can’t wait to hopefully do that race again….healthy!!!!

Best piece of running advice you have ever received?
I would have to say one of the best pieces of running advice I ever received was from my high school cross country and track coach, Bill Ruth. He would say, “Muscle pain is good pain. Joint pain is bad pain.” I have always kept that motto with me through my training and through my coaching career.

Current running goals?
My current running goal is to break 4 hours in a marathon. I was so close at the OBX marathon in November 2010, but I missed it by 2 minutes. I couldn’t get too upset about that though, because I knocked 23 minutes off my very first marathon time (OBX was my 2nd marathon).

What would your family and friends tell us about your passion for running?
My family and friends would tell everyone that I am nuts about my running. They all think it is absolutely crazy how much I love this sport and all I love to do, but they also think it is amazing that I do it.

Do you have a favorite race?
My favorite race to date is the Disney Marathon weekend. That race is the best race ever, just being in Disney makes it an amazing race. The expo is amazing, the transportation is amazing, the pricing for the trip is amazing, it is family friendly, and even more amazing are the amount of port-a-pots available for the runners. There are so many volunteers, medical tents, and water stations. I can’t say enough about the Disney races!!!!!!!! The shirts you get for the races are great. And the apparel you can purchase there are great quality and not too overly priced. Another great experience about the race, one of my high school runners came down and did the half marathon. It was her first half marathon. It was so nice being able to experience that with her.