Photo By Cpl. Cody Purcell | U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Grace Jenkin, Marine officer instructor, races against her...... read more read more
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Over 11,400 runners participated in the 47th Marine Corps Marathon, also referred to as “The People’s Marathon,” that took place on October 23rd, 2022. Completing a marathon, let alone placing in one, is no easy feat. Any runner, whether this was their first or 10th marathon, could tell you that it takes both physical and mental resilience to finish.
Lance Cpl. Purcell: Could you tell me a bit about where you are from?
Capt. Jenkins: Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. Go tribe!
Lance Cpl. Purcell: What got you started with running competitively? And which major races have you competed in up to this point?
Capt. Jenkins: I began running track in 5th grade and looked up to my sister who ran the very daunting "mile" event. I too took on the mile and learned quickly the farther you run, the slower you can go.
Major races I've done include the 2016 Boston Marathon, Maysville to Macon a 50 miler, and the 2022 NCAA Regional Cross Country Meet in San Diego, California. I ran track and cross country at the Citadel and primarily ran the 5k and 10k.
Lance Cpl. Purcell: When did you join the Marine Corps and what was your reasoning for joining?
Capt. Jenkins: I commissioned in the Marine Corps on 5 May 2018. I followed my brother into the Marine Corps after completing 4 years of NROTC at The Citadel. The Citadel gave me the opportunity to run for them and the Marine Corps took away the financial burden of figuring out how to pay for it.
Lance Cpl. Purcell: While you were at the Citadel, did you find that running was something that you were really passionate about? Or was it becoming a challenge to uphold?
Capt. Jenkins: I went to the Citadel on a running scholarship, so I kind of had to be passionate about it. But I grew to love marathon running a bit more than track and cross country. But not to say I didn't enjoy cross country and track while I was there, I had a lot of good competition there and some great teammates to run with. The biggest difference running a marathon versus cross country or track is that marathons are a lot more endurance based and It's a little bit harder to pace yourself, whereas on a track, you've constantly got your coach calling your lap telling your splits so it's a lot easier to stay methodical on like a track event versus running on open roads for 26.2 miles.
Lance Cpl. Purcell: How do you prepare for these races and what goes through your head when running races?
Capt. Jenkins: A training plan made up of long runs, speed workouts, tempo workouts, and strength training all centralized around my goal race pace is what I use to prepare for the Marine Corps Marathon. During races I tend to zone out from extrinsic factors and sometimes don't even look at my watch until midway through the race so that I don't have any mental shift or panic of going too fast or slow.
Lance Cpl. Purcell: When were you first introduced to the Marine Corps running team, and how did you become a member?
Capt. Jenkins: At my basic school [The Basic School] by a fellow member of my platoon, Paul Armijo, who also was on the team and my dedicated running friend.
Lance Cpl. Purcell: Are there ever any doubts about how you'll perform? How do you deal with them?
Capt. Jenkins: When you have a specific training plan, know your ability, prepare for what you can, it takes a lot of uncertainty out of the race. However, there are a number of things you just can't predict but rather just get better at adapting to.
Lance Cpl. Purcell: How did you end up finishing and once you crossed the finish line how did you feel?
Capt. Jenkins: I finished this year's Marine Corps Marathon in 3 hours and 1 minute. It was slightly disappointing to not improve my personal record time but there were moments of the race I know I can improve on and will perform better at in future races. I was excited to shake hands with the Secretary of the Navy, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps once I crossed the finish line.
Lance Cpl. Purcell: What was the first thing you did or wanted to do after you finished the race?
Capt. Jenkins: I was excited to put warm and dry clothes on and celebrate the race with my teammates.
Lance Cpl. Purcell: Where are you in your career now?
Capt. Jenkins: I've been in the Marine Corps for just under 5 years and I'm on my second tour, now serving as the University of Hawaii [NROTC] Marine Officer Instructor.
Lance Cpl. Purcell: How do you think doing these races and SUCCEEDING in them impacts your Marines/students and those who look up to you?
Capt. Jenkins: At the university of Hawaii we do a lot of running but also equal amounts of functional and cross training. Everyone is good at something and regardless of age/rank/experience has brought something unique to the team. Everyone is out there just trying to get better. Without hesitation, the UH Marine unit is 100% grit. Each of our 10 students is dedicated to the team, seeking self improvement, and absorbing as much knowledge as they can.
Lance Cpl. Purcell: How do you balance your running career and Marine Corps career?
Capt. Jenkins: Fortunately, I've had only very supportive commanding officers in my career. Nobody motivates like the Marine Corps. The Marine Corps family has gone as far as biking alongside me on long runs and playing music DJ to coming to races with doughnuts at the finish.
Lance Cpl. Purcell: Do you think that there are certain attributes that are common between an athlete and a Marine?
Capt. Jenkins: Definitely, mental endurance, physical endurance, both are really important. Marines have to stay positive, keep their morale up when they have long events, like field exercises. Or hikes. Same thing goes for distance running.
Lance Cpl. Purcell: How does your example aid in ensuring your students, as future officers, perform the absolute best they can? And how are you setting a precedent for future MOI instructors at the University of Hawaii?
Capt. Jenkins: The UH Marine [NTORC] unit, while competitive, is growing into a family where everyone is willing to help each other get better. Developing the Marine Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Program here was a busy start but is settling into a steady rhythm thanks to the neighboring units that have unselfishly offered endless support and contributed to the unit's success.
Lance Cpl. Purcell: What is your next goal?
Capt. Jenkins: I'm running the Honolulu Marathon on December 11. I just finished up the Marine Corps Marathon obviously, So running the Honolulu Marathon is going to be a lot more mentally challenging because I just came off a long training plan. So I took a little bit of a break and now I'm getting back into it before Honolulu.
Capt. Jenkins is a member of the Marine Corps Running Team comprised of 25-30 active duty Marine. Members must demonstrate high levels of physical fitness in order to get selected and compete on the team. 1st Place winner overall went to Kyle B. King, member of the Marine Corps Running Team. Additionally, other team members placed 1st in both male and female Marine Running team divisions, and 1st in the Armed Forces men’s challenge and 4th in the Armed Forces women’s challenge.
| Date Taken: | 11.18.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 11.18.2022 17:10 |
| Story ID: | 433572 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HI, US |
| Hometown: | CLEVELAND, OH, US |
| Web Views: | 605 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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