Between the Lines: Jay Aldous 

In our March/April issue, author/photographer Michael Lebowitz wrote an article entitled, "Jay Aldous: Ultrarunner." In our April "Between the Lines," Michael gives us a little e-XTRA about Jay.  

I met Jay Aldous first at The Salt Flats 100 Mile Endurance Run in 2012. He was going for the record, under 15 hours. He missed it by just a little, and after a couple of minutes, he regained his good humor. I saw him again at an event in Silver City, Idaho, running the 50K, which he won. He hung around for the other finishers, laughed with the runners, and, in general, just had a good time. I had the sense that he had an interesting story so I approached him before he left and asked if he would be willing to be interviewed for Marathon & Beyond. He agreed, and the interview recently appeared in the March/April issue of the magazine, along with the cover photo of him at Salt Flats.

Another measure of the kind of man and runner that is Jay Aldous is that he answered the question "What's with the button-up shirts?" four different times. This is a guy who runs hard and often wins against much younger competition but recognizes that he is more than his time on the course. He is a father, an excellent runner, a man with values that extend beyond the single track trails on which he excels. He has a sense of humor and perspective. The answers below were condensed into one answer for the article, but I think his individual answers say a lot about him.    

#1 What's with the button-up shirts?   

Jay has spent his career helping nonprofits create strategies to increase public support. Clients have included Make-A-Wish Foundation International, Habitat for Humanity International, Feeding America, UNICEF, and Doctors without Borders. He is currently on assignment in Rome for the World Food Programme.

For those runners searching for a spring marathon, Grandma's Marathon on June 22 in Duluth, Minnesota, is the place to race.

The country's 14th largest marathon, Grandma's Marathon offers a course ideal for first-timers and veteran marathoners alike. With a net elevation drop of about 130 feet, the point-to-point trek is relatively flat and features some of the most gorgeous views of Lake Superior you'll ever witness.

After starting just outside of Two Harbors, Minn., marathoners run adjacent to the lake's scenic north shore for the first two-thirds of the 26.2 miles, before making their way into the residential areas of eastern Duluth and eventually the downtown business district and the finish line in Duluth's famous Canal Park tourist area.

A unique aspect separating Grandma's from the rest is that race day lands on Saturday. Unlike most other major marathons that are run on Sunday, Grandma's scheduling allows an extra day to rejoice and recover.

Marathon weekend in Duluth is an annual tradition that highlights the very best of what the area has to offer including breathtaking scenery, unmatched hospitality, and passionate community spirit. As an added bonus in 2013, for the second consecutive year, Grandma's Marathon hosts the USA Half Marathon Championships.