Featured Runner - Edition 3
Q & A with Knoxville Champion
Stewart Ellington
Stewart Ellington is the hottest runner in Knoxville right now. His dominating performance at the 5th Annual Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon capped off a six race win streak going back to a euro-style 8k cross-country race in January. Ellington also took the overall titles at the Calhoun’s 10-Miler running a personal record of 52:12, the Strawberry Plains 10k, the Whitestone 30k setting a state record in 1:41:00 and then notching another PR of 1:07:13 at the Tom King Half Marathon in Nashville where he edged out running phenomenon Michael Green. The stage was set for Knoxville.
Cold and windy conditions led to slower times than usual but Ellington battled through and stayed mentally tough finishing in 2:29:02 - seven minutes clear of runner-up Justin Gillette. This was Stu’s second consecutive win at Knoxville.
Stu took some time to answer several questions about his big win, running career and life in general:
RM: Now that you've won your 2nd consecutive CHKM (Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon) title, where will your focus lie for the spring/summer and rest of the year?
SE: I plan to float through the summer and then ramp up during the fall with Hood-to-Coast Relay and then Chicago Marathon in October. (Stu will be part of a 12-man relay team representing the Knoxville Track Club at the Nike Hood-To-Coast Relay this August in Oregon.)
RM: After running alone the pretty much the whole second half of the CHKM, how did you keep your focus and stay mentally sharp?
SE: It helped that I knew the course. Despite the weather, there were a considerable amount of people along the route for which I’m appreciative. My brother would pop up every couple of miles - hugely helpful. And in modesty, I felt fit enough to run solo and am bit disappointed that I didn't negative split. I wanted to run 1:10 second half.
RM: You took some time away from running after college, what brought you back to the sport and where do you find your motivation to be so dedicated to your training?
SE: Yeah - I’ve tried to quit running several times out of frustration with not being able to throw down the same times I did in college. Fragmented responsibilities also dictated less mileage and workouts and so my performance suffered. After finishing grad school and having kids, I whittled down my outlets to near nothing. I was getting listless and lacked a sense of purpose; I also missed competing. I got back out there through the prodding of good friends and found that training in good company has been therapeutic to me.
RM: What is your proudest accomplishment as a runner?
SE: To be a part of someone's major improvement, even in different contexts for example, training with Todd Williams when he jumped levels (although workouts were altered on my behalf so that I could pace the first part and last part of the interval) and running with (Tony) Cosey in college as he improved. Also, seeing my brother (Doug) climb levels every couple of months and the younger generation of guys like (Alan) Horton, Anthony ‘Fam’ Famiglietti, Scott ‘Flip’ Defilippis, (Patrick) Gildea, etc. all get consistent workouts, get empowered, and roll big times.
RM: Any other secret talents or hobbies you'd like to share?
SE: I think most people out there read me pretty easily. Many interests, but they all seem to be out there...
RM: What is your favorite workout and/or the best workout you've ever done?
SE: They were all great when I was super fit! The workouts that got me there were the Brown 10, Cades Cove, 10 x 800, 12 x 400, Ye Olde 10k workout, tons of hill repeats…. Lately, I have been working on core strength and doing drills. If I can improve running efficiency in the marathon by even a small percentage, it is a big time gain. (The Brown 10 is an all out 15k starting at Tom Black Track running to the bottom of Cherokee Blvd and back, The Ye Olde 10k is a workout on the track consisting of 8 x 400, 2 x 800, 1 x mile, 2 x 800 and 8 x 400)
RM: Elaborate a bit more on the time you wore track spikes for a long run.
SE: I left the house to run long in oak ridge one morning. It was cold with snow on the ground. I got there and as I took my sandals off, I realized that I had left my running shoes at the house. The guys I was meeting up with said they could wait for me to head home and come back, but that would be close to an hour. I had a pair of spikes in my trunk from a workout earlier in the week - I wore those - and the terrain suited them well. It was like a 15 mile European cross-country run.
RM: Do you still have the rat-tail and is there any chance of us getting a pic of you with it for the article??
SE: The rat-tail is in a lock box in my closet somewhere, along with a couple of earrings I used to wear - I was cool at the time! (Unfortunately, there were no pictures submitted along with Stewart’s responses.)
Interview by Daniel Julian
Photos courtesy of Covenant Health
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