Start Line Stories: Canadian Mother of Three Eyes BQ in Return to Eugene
Last week’s Start Line Story took us 975 miles south of Eugene, to Brian in San Diego. This week, we’re going in the opposite direction – about 470 miles (755 kilometers) north of Hayward Field, via car and ferry to Victoria, BC – where Tracy Mcglade is currently juggling busy mom-life with marathon training.
Thirteen years after running her first marathon here in 2011, Tracy will be returning to Eugene this April. At age 45, Tracy is shooting for a Boston qualifying time in Eugene. She hit her BQ last year, but when the cutoff times for the 2024 race were announced in November, she’d missed it by 30 seconds. At that point, Tracy started looking for another spring race and Eugene was one of the first to come to mind.
“After 13 years, to go back to Eugene and to return to the place that made me a marathoner, it makes me emotional,” Tracy said. “And even though I do have a time goal for Eugene, marathon training is all about the journey for me… It’s about making a commitment to myself.”
Read Tracy’s full start line story below:
Name: Tracy Mcglade
Age: 45
Where are you from and where is home now? Victoria, BC, Canada
How many marathons and/or half marathons have you completed?
Twelve marathons and three half marathons.
Tell us what you remember about running Eugene in 2011?
I didn’t run with a watch, I didn’t take any fuel, it was all very unplanned and I learned a lot from it. I remember what it was like to run into Hayward Field, and to go under 4 hours; it was such a great atmosphere and I still remember the course. I haven’t been back to Eugene since that marathon. I got married soon after, had three kids and decided to continue running after becoming a mother… it was like the more hectic life became, the more I needed running.
What inspired you to sign up for the 2024 Eugene Marathon?
Eugene was my first marathon 13 years ago and I'm excited go back and run the streets that made me a marathoner!
Do you have a coach or are you following a specific training plan?
I'm lucky enough to run with New Balance sponsored athlete Mariah Kelly. She writes my training plans and has helped me train for my last two marathons. I run with Mariah once a week, and I’m involved with run clinics through our local run club in Victoria. Most of my runs are all alone though, it’s quite dark early in the morning when I run.
Do you have a goal or goals for Eugene 2024?
My goal is always to run the best of my ability. Whether that be a PR or not. I'm always grateful to make it to a start line healthy and uninjured. This is my third training cycle with Mariah and we’ve had some great workouts. I’m excited to see what happens in Eugene. I don’t want to put pressure on myself, but I’d love to hit around 3:35. I did 3:55 when I first ran it, but over the last few years, I’ve started training a lot better and smarter and I’m excited to see what I can do.
Why run? And why do marathons and/or half marathons?
I'm a mom to three young kids and running is my outlet, my chance to prove to myself I can be a mom and still achieve some lofty goals. I love the feeling running gives me: the highs, the lows and the satisfaction that as I age, I can still improve on my fitness. Running has also brought me many friends that I would probably not have met, it's taken me to many different cities in North America and it has given me a way to believe in myself, and trust that I can do hard things.