photo by Olaf Growald
The Fort Worth Distance Project
When Elizabeth Northern isn’t on the clock at Tarrant County College or raising a family, she’s racing against the Trinity River before sunrise on the brink of utter exhaustion.
“I love training. The races are great, but I love the process so much ... There’s nothing like getting all hot and sweaty, dehydrated, and so depleted,” Northern says.
Each day, it’s not a matter of getting a run in for Northern; it’s a matter of getting to run. That enthusiastic mindset in tandem with the camaraderie of the Fort Worth Distance Project has propelled the club founder and fellow members to Olympian heights.
The Fort Worth Distance Project, formalized in 2017, had a very grassroots upbringing. The women’s running club was formed as a result of casual joggers noticing they were all sprinting at the same quick pace. Now an official, sponsored organization, most of those runners are on their way to the US Marathon Olympic team trials in February for a chance to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Team Trials in Tokyo.
A shot at racing among the world’s most elite runners comes as a result for the love of the sport. Many of those who’ve joined FWDP originally aspired only to get their marathon times under three hours — as more and more runners within the club began to qualify for the Olympic tryouts, the desire to do the same became contagious.
“We all have full-time jobs or are full-time students. It’s pretty challenging, and if you’re juggling a family, it’s pretty hard to structure your life around it,” says Caitlin Keen, one of the original members of FWDP. “I think what we do really well as a group is coordinating off of accountability [rather] than doing every single thing together.”
Plenty of mornings are spent in fatigue, hunched over work desks due to the rigorous rate the women exercise. Some of the members, typically up before the crack of dawn, reach up to 60 miles run per week. Something in the shared determination of the club allows them to propel past those physical limitations.
Moreover, the ramifications of having a support system in place to rely upon one another comes with emotional benefits.
“When you run shoulder to shoulder with somebody, where you’re not looking eye to eye with somebody, that vulnerability is taken away,” Northern says. “So, it’s easier to just talk about stuff. You don’t have to look at somebody; you can just talk. Sometimes what’s said on a run stays on a run.”
It’s a tangible bond Keen has felt herself. There’ve been times when she’s been in the midst of a run for the day while something has been on her chest. A brief stop, cathartic cry, and a few hugs later have helped her keep running.
“There’re some days where I’ve needed that, and because they’ve been there for me,” Keen says, “it’s made me want to be better for other people and better toward myself.”
As to whether FWDP runners have a realistic shot of punching their tickets to Tokyo this year, Northern jokingly says to expect their appearance if everybody else gets food poisoning.
But it’s the process, the runners will tell you, that affords the most satisfaction for the crew. And it’s the opportunity to meet even more women with the same aspirations as the Fort Worth team.
“Being in a race with all those women who’ve also made that their goal … the stories that are coming out from the women who have qualified for the trials this year have been so inspiring,” Keen says. “You just hear all these things that make you feel proud to be part of U.S. distance running right now.”
The Stats
Caitlin Keen
Qualifying race: California International Marathon, 12/2/2018 - 2:42:31 // Age: 27 // Career: Subcontractor Administer, Lockheed Martin
Taylor Dare
Qualifying race: Grandma’s Marathon, 6/22/2019 - 2:42:21 // Age: 27 // Career: Doctor of Physical Therapy Student, UNT Health Science Center
Ericka Mason
Qualifying race: Chicago Marathon, 10/13/2019 - 2:42:55 // Age: 28 // Career: Registered Nurse, Texas Health Resources
Elizabeth Northern
Qualifying race: Chevron Houston Marathon, 1/20/2019 - 2:43:57 // Age: 32 // Career: Research Analyst, Tarrant County College (and momma)
