In December, Elaine Estes competed in the 40th California International Marathon and finished in 2 hours, 36 minutes, and 8 seconds.

With that time, she qualified for the Olympic trials, writes Mia Messina for The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

“It was such a surreal experience, looking at my paces and knowing what was happening,” Estes said. 

This puts her one step closer to reaching a dream.

The Philadelphia high school teacher wasn’t always a runner, however.

She was a dancer for most of her life before deciding to try something new during her sophomore year of high school.

Estes joined the cross-country team and soon found out she was a much better runner than a dancer.

From there, she went on to run cross country and track at St. Joseph’s University, and completed her degree in fall 2019. 

Her success in the sport is a direct result of her devotion.

For Estes, running is her number one hobby. 

“A lot of my free time is structured around how I’m gonna get my runs in,” she said. 

As she prepares for the Olympic trials, however, she is prioritizing rest so that when the time comes, she will be ready.

Read more about Elaine Estes’ Olympic journey at The Philadelphia Inquirer. 

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