Jimmie Johnson on First Boston: “I Knew it Was Going to Be Painful” – runnersworld.com

• NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson completed his first marathon at Boston on Monday.
• Johnson finished the race in 3:09:07, which was good enough for a BQ if he wants to race again in 2020.

Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson took on a different race on Marathon Monday, finishing the Boston Marathon in 3:09:07.

The race came less than 36 hours after he competed in the Toyota Owners 400 in Richmond, Virginia, where he placed 12th.

“I knew I was going to suffer and I knew that it would be painful. I didn’t realize the degree of which it would be,” Johnson told Runner’s World after finishing on Boylston Street. “I have mad respect for what [marathoners] put themselves through. I’ve enjoyed the challenge. It’s made me stronger.”

After he crossed the finish line, Johnson received the ultimate honor when 2014 Boston Marathon champion and Olympic silver medalist Meb Keflezighi placed a finishers medal around his neck.

John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Boston marked the first marathon for Johnson, who has completed several half marathons before. He finished in 1:34:18 at his most recent take on 13.1 in Daytona Beach, which was good enough to earn him 15th place.

Before his race, Johnson told Runner’s World that he was shooting for a sub-3 hour time, something he admitted was “an aggressive goal.” He started training full-on for Boston in January, logging up to 80-mile weeks, though he had been hampered with calf, SI joint, and IT band issues—as well as a cold—which took some time to clear up.

“I knew three [hours] was going to be a lofty goal. That’s just the way I approach things. I left Hopkinton at that pace and just held onto it to until probably mile eight or nine,” Johnson said. “I just figured I was going to do too much damage if I try to hold this so I recalibrated my race at that point and ran strong. I understand that I qualified for next year’s Boston with my time in my age group, so that’s an exciting perk that came with it. It was an incredible experience.”

Johnson began the race with the second wave of runners at the starting line in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. From the gun, he took off on a pace that would put him comfortably around the three-hour mark.

Through the first 5K, he split 21:22, 6:53-mile pace, which projected to a 3:00:19 finish time. He settled into a slightly slower pace from 5K on, running between 6:55 and 7:01-mile pace through 15K.

Just before Wellesley College, he reached the 20K point at a 7:10 mile pace, but sped up to 7:04 heading into the half marathon in a time of 1:31:38. At halfway, Johnson was projected to cross the finish line in 3:03:17 if he maintained the same pace.

Throughout, though, Johnson enjoyed the support of fans on the course. Ally Racing, Johnson’s racing team, formed a cheering section for the driver in Newton, and several fans posted photos and selfies of the NASCAR champion before, during, and after he finished. Johnson said that the support of the runners was a stark contrast between his experience as a race car driver.

“In my day job, the competitors don’t want to give you any tips, they’re not pulling for you and the fans,” he said. “So to have this surrounding community of people encouraging all and cheering for me was a lot of fun.”

While Johnson suffered from some cramping in his legs around the Boston College area, he focused on increasing his fluid intake at the aid stations and still managed to run between 7:12 and 8:04-minute miles from 30K on. In the final mile, Johnson kicked up the pace for one last sub-7:20 for an overall time of 3:09:07, fist pumping all the way into the finish line.

Johnson didn’t take the easy route when making his marathon debut in Boston. With two long, exhausting races in a two-day span, the double provided a unique physical and mental challenge—the race car can reach temperatures up to 140 degrees and the marathon is an intense physical feat—but Johnson made sure that he was prepared.

“It was my only option to race, was to do the double. Thankfully we were doing my long runs on Mondays after car races, so I had a familiar feel of what my legs would be like,” he said. “That’s the only reality I know, so I felt better than I expected for the run, especially the first half and the training worked out.”

Johnson partnered with Gatorade Endurance to run the Boston Marathon, which helped provide the tools he needed to face both races in a short amount of time. In February, he worked with the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) team, which helped devise a hydration and fueling strategy that he implemented in training and his races.

“I’ve had a 15-year relationship with Gatorade and to partner with their endurance brand and come to Boston has been an incredible experience. They are the products I use in the race car and used it all day today and made it home great,” he said.

Johnson also worked with longtime coach Jamey Yon, who has helped prepare him for numerous triathlon, cycling, and endurance events since 2008. For Johnson’s first marathon, Yon guided him through 80-mile weeks for the build-up all while balancing a taxing NASCAR racing schedule.

With his debut marathon accomplished, Johnson is already looking forward to returning for the next 26.2.

“Of course. I have to,” Johnson said when asked if he would run another marathon. “I don’t know when but I’m definitely going to be looking for the next one I can run.”

Contributing Writer Taylor Dutch is a freelance writer living in Austin, Texas.