It is hard to have kids and be a Marathon runner, but some people make it happen. Justin Gillette and his wife Melissa have two kids, Jasmine(1) and Miles(4). Having a family and being the 2nd best runner in the U.S. is difficult to survive.
After Jasmine and Miles came into the Gillette family, Justin didn’t have as much time to train, he had to put his family’s needs before his marathons and training. Justin loves running marathons, but he loves his family more. “Kids are more fun than winning a race.” says Justin.
Justin spends time taking care of his kids at home, so he doesn’t have to pay for child care. This also means he has to train at home, with less time. “My job is to work hard, so I can help my family.” says Justin. Being a father is a full time job, being a marathon runner is only part time.
Even though Justin spends time taking care of his kids, he still fits in his training. Justin runs approximately 110 miles a week, 80 with his children and 30 by himself. In the summer he runs twice a day and in the winter he runs once a day. Even with his new training schedule, Justin is still able to win a lot of marathons. With kids, Justin’s marathons are a whole lot different.