The Marathon Mom: Roberta Groner

These quotes were adapted from an Interview with Roberta Groner and Untold Athletes.

So, honestly it started out in a seventh grade. I started running, and I had a high score. A junior high math teacher approached me and said, “I think you should run track. Why don't you try out?” I didn't come from a family that was very athletic so I wasn't really pushed in sports. But he stuck me in the mile, and that's all I knew. I was kind of resistant, I didn't like the longer distances. I think like most athletes, I started out just doing what I was told to do, and I liked it. Friends came from it, the camaraderie of teammates. Then I went off to college and ran for a small division one college in Pennsylvania. And that's where it started. But I wouldn't say at that point I was ever going to be a marathoner.

When I went off to college, I dabbled in the 5000 on the track but I wouldn't go any further. I thought there’s no way I'm doing 10,000 on the track; it's too long, too far for me. And then tragically, my fourth year of college, my brother passed away unexpectedly. I stopped running for 10 years, completely. I didn't start running again until my youngest son was two and he's 13 now, 11 years ago I started again.

I had three kids in three and a half years, and running was just something that I liked to do. It was getting out of the house for maybe just a half hour or so a day or every other day to start running. I never expected to be at a high level; I was doing it recreationally. And then, that was that. It took years and years of running, before I got to this like high level and marathon running – it  wasn't an overnight success.

We moved from Pennsylvania to New Jersey, and that’s a competitive area for road racing. I met a lot of people and started training a little bit at a higher level. Next thing you know I had my first coach. I missed qualifying for the Olympic trials in 2016 – I wasn't really going for it, but it was one of those things where I was only 30 seconds off when it all came down to the end of it. And, you know, things started clicking a little bit more and next thing I know I run a 2:30, so it just kind of all snowballed and then it was like, “Wow, I don't know where this is coming from but I'm just gonna keep going because it feels great.” And I love running long distances now, so it was just something that was in me.

I work a full-time job; I'm a mother. So those are my first two roles, and then running is like a hobby, passion, and it developed into being able to represent our country at the world level which, you know, I didn't think I would ever do at the age of 41. 

I don't stress about the running as much as let it come naturally. Don't get me wrong; I'm running 110 miles a week; I have a schedule and everything fits in the schedule. But I also know that my kids, my three boys, and my work come first. I feel like it's something I show my kids every day, if you do something you love to do, it may not bring you results right away. But if you stick with it, it can. 

I wasn't patient when I was younger, I was always looking for the quick fix. But if I could give advice to younger athletes, it would be to be and be okay to fail. I was a perfectionist when I was younger, so I didn't like failure, and I've learned it in life there's a lot of failure. But it's more than that, most importantly how you rebound from it and learn from it.

I really feel that for me, my path has never, never been a straight line. I think that's important for most people to realize that life isn’t always what we would like it to be. But if you love something or are passionate about something just hang in there and, you never know what's going to happen if you keep on staying at it, and being consistent.