Photo By Jeanine Mezei | Dr. Steven Swank, a clinical pharmacist at Iron Horse Family Medicine Clinic, finished...... read more read more
An Evans Army Community Hospital team member took on the hilly streets of San Francisco, California, and the expansive Golden Gate Bridge recently to qualify for the 2019 Boston Marathon.
Dr. Steven Swank, a clinical pharmacist at Iron Horse Family Medicine Clinic, finished the San Francisco Marathon in 2:59:18 on July 29, 2018, and now has one of the most famous marathons in the world to look forward to.
Swank doesn’t plan on running it alone, though, since his father is preparing to qualify for the Boston Marathon next month in Geneva, Illinois, in hopes they can run together in Boston on April 15, 2019.
“The goal is to run the Boston Marathon with my dad,” said Swank. “We’re just hoping to run together and kind of soak it in.”
His father, Ken Swank, is a cross-country coach who has ran the Boston Marathon a few times before and Steven has been running since elementary school. After his time as a varsity runner at Franklin Central High School in Indianapolis, Steven continued racing at Purdue University and then transferred to Butler University back in Indianapolis to earn his Doctorate of Pharmacy.
A member of Evans ACH for nearly three years, Swank enjoys trail running around Colorado Springs at Garden of the Gods and North Cheyenne Cañon with friends or his wife, Amy, who competed in the San Francisco Half-Marathon the same day as Steven’s race.
The couple raced together last year at the Moab Trail Marathon in Moab, Utah, and were able to enjoy the sights of San Francisco together during their recent race weekend.
“This was my third marathon,” said Swank, who prefers long distances over short races or sprinting. “I got to run over the Golden Gate Bridge and it was fun. It was like a perimeter run around San Francisco.”
Despite the fairly hilly terrain, Swank said being accustomed to the Colorado altitude helped out during the race.
“I think it was definitely an advantage,” said Swank. “I think it made it easier to stack a few more miles in at the end of the race.”
Swank was celebrated after his return from San Francisco by his teammates at Evans ACH, who surprised him by decorating his office and sharing in the excitement.
“It was the best day back from vacation that I could have,” said Swank. “I have a great staff at Iron Horse that I work with.”
Swank will be able to register for the Boston Marathon in September and prepare for the race of a lifetime alongside his dad. Until then, he will continue training locally with the support from his family and team members at Evans ACH.
| Date Taken: | 08.13.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 08.14.2018 10:11 |
| Story ID: | 288670 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, COLORADO, US |
| Hometown: | INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 84 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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