A half marathon. Something that one of Powell High School’s very own teachers, Mr. David Holland, ran over spring break. 

Mr. Holland has been described as an outstanding runner for most of his life, and he’s putting work into upholding that reputation. Running 13.1 miles in an hour and 32 minutes made him the 35th qualifier out of 1,313 participants in the half marathon. 

On St. Patrick’s Day, Mr. Holland could be found in Albuquerque, NM. He said the weather wasn’t what he was expecting. 

“The night before [the race] it actually snowed and when we woke up it was wet and windy,” he said. “It was pretty gross weather to be running in, but I powered through.” 

Once Mr. Holland settled into married life and parenthood, his fitness level slipped. His blood pressure was constantly through the roof and he had zero motivation to do anything. 

“I was actually 60 pounds heavier then,” said Mr. Holland, who teaches special education at PHS. “I really pushed away my dream of qualifying for the Boston Marathon, and then one day I  got up and said, ‘I wanna get back into it’ and so I did.”

Ever since the beginning of 2020, Holland has been seen running everywhere. Specifically in July of 2020, he started running half marathons and challenging himself every day.

“My trainer is Jessica Cross,” Mr. Holland said. “She has motivated me to get up and start running again. I get a whole plan every day, and try my best to stick with it.” 

What keeps a guy going through training like his? Mr. Holland’s family plays an important role in his motivation and willingness to get out of bed in the morning.

“Through all my years I have depended on my family, for the most part, to help me get through the day whether I will be running or not,” Mr. Holland said. 

Mr. Holland says he runs with a certain motto in mind: “run for those who cannot.” In marathons, he wears a shirt with the names of people who have passed away due to different forms of cancer. 

“I probably have at least 10 names on the back of that shirt,” he said. “I send a prayer out to those who are in need before I run and it gives me the courage to get going. I add names to the back of it when they pass away as well.” 

Mr. Holland’s next race will take place in Cody on April 10. The race itself will be 16 miles and Mr. Holland said he plans to challenge himself with the three extra miles. 

“Sixteen miles is a bit of a change but I’m so excited to run it,” Mr. Holland added.