Spotlight on…Jack Werner

Birthdate: 10/11/1994

Birth Place: Brunswick, ME

Family: I live with my wife, Olivia.

Personal strengths: I'm proud of my running consistency! It wasn't always a strength, but nowadays I get my miles in nearly every week. Also, I'm easy to spot in a crowd of racers!

Personal weaknesses: When it comes to the pain cave, I'm not much of a spelunker.

Reason for joining Northstar: I initially joined after tagging along with Olivia to a couple of Northstar events. I started attending group runs once in a while, then little by little, the Northstar vortex sucked me in...

Favorite running shoes: Lately I've been running in New Balance 880s.

Favorite place to run: I like running along the river road, especially in the fall!

Running Goals: My main goal right now is to run a sub-2:00 half marathon. I'm planning on taking another crack at it in Des Moines this October!

Proudest Running Achievement: I'm very proud of my 2024 TC 10 Mile. Even a couple of years earlier, I wouldn't have imagined running a race of that distance. And I not only exceeded my goal, but felt strong all the way through!

Typical training week, a month or two before a major race: this Des Moines training cycle will be a little heavier than any I've done before: four runs a week (up from three), and a peak week of 35 miles (up from ~28). We'll see how it goes!

Running idol: I don't have a running idol exactly. But I will say that having a 62-year old-governor who can run a faster 10k than me is weirdly motivating.

Injuries: I've been pretty lucky with injuries. A number of years ago I did get a Baker's cyst in one of my knees. I then ruptured it while failing to waterski, and my lower leg looked like a sausage for a few weeks.