Renowned runner Moody returns home for Fox Valley Marathon
The First Annual Fox Valley Marathon is hitting home for a lot of runners, but it’s the homecoming of one particular runner that is really drawing attention
Tera Moody, a native of St. Charles, is coming home to participate in the Dreyer Medical Clinic Fall Final 20 on Sept. 19 to help her prepare for the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 10.
“We’re so honored to have Tera coming to our race,” Fox Valley Marathon co-founder Dave Sheble said. “She has accomplished so much in her running career and she brings an undeniable credibility to what we are trying to achieve here at the Fox Valley Marathon. We’re very proud to be able to accommodate Tera for the event and to be able to help her along in her training for the Chicago Marathon in October.”
Moody is a very distinguished runner, representing the United States in the marathon at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin Germany. She was a two-time Illinois champion in the mile for St. Charles High School in the late ‘90s and attended University of Colorado to run Cross Country and Track.
She has numerous accolades on her running record, including winning the Big 12 title in the 10,000 meters as a freshman at Colorado and winning the women’s race of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in Chicago on Aug. 1, 2010.
But, maybe her most prestigious honor came in April 2008 when she ran the Olympic Trials in Boston. Seeded 152nd entering the race, Moody finished fifth, just one second behind the fourth-place runner and narrowly missing out on a shot to be an alternate for the U.S. Olympic team that competed in Beijing.
Now, Moody will be returning home to where her running career started.
“I come to sea level a week or two before a race,” Moody said, who lives in Colorado Springs now. “I didn’t really plan on coming down, but then I saw the 20-miler online and I thought, that’s perfect—it’s at sea level and in my hometown. I just thought it would work out well. Perfect timing.
“I am so excited to come back. I have so many great memories of running in high school. One of my first road [race] memories was the Windmill 5K in Batavia. I’ve run a lot of the [20-mile race] course growing up. It’s been several years since I’ve run in St. Charles and I think it will bring back a lot of great memories…It’s great that we’re getting a marathon for the first time in a long time. The sport is just growing so much. I like that they combined the Half Marathon, Full Marathon and the 20-miler. That is just perfect for training. Sometimes, I try to do stuff like that on my own, but to be able to do a 20-mile run at an event with aid stations and people to run with and on a great course is such a great tool.”
Tony Andracki
Fox Valley Marathon
Media Communications Coordinator
