During Josh Holley’s second marathon, the Fair on the Square marathon in Danville, Indiana, he encountered a complication at mile 18.
It wasn’t a cramp or nagging joint pain that Holley had to overcome to finish the race. After outrunning his support runner, Holley found himself alone on a back road being chased by a wild turkey.
For those unfamiliar with the threat posed by a wild turkey, imagine being tailed by a stray dog. Holley’s only option was to run faster.
“I was concerned,” Holley said. “But I knew they couldn’t catch up with me.”
And running wasn’t even Holley’s first sport of choice.
As a kid, he fell in love with baseball, but an operation at 13 that opened his chest to remove a noncancerous mass from his heart and lungs ended his participation in contact sports. In his 23 years, Holley has had 18 operations.
This led him to track and field in high school, where he helped lead his team to a third-place finish in the Indiana track and field state finals during his senior year.
Last week, Holley, who’s on the autism spectrum, completed his first Chicago Marathon with the Special Olympics Chicago running team, recording a personal record of 2:53:16. It was his seventh marathon.
But Holley’s goal is far bigger than setting personal records. He’s working on completing the Abbott World Marathon Majors, a series of the six largest and best-known marathons in the world: Tokyo, London, Berlin, Boston, Chicago and New York. In the process, he’s proving “Our ability is STRONGER than our dis-Ability.”
The motto, which is boldly displayed across the back of his running uniform, is Holley’s way of bringing awareness to all disabilities.
Holley finished the Chicago Marathon with three support runners: Kasey Coleman, Malachi Henry and Nate Sink. Coleman and Henry each ran half of the marathon, while Sink served as Holley’s pace runner for the entire 26.2 miles.
Support runners have an all-encompassing role. They ensure Holley gets his nutrition and stays hydrated, but they also compete with each other. There’s camaraderie and trash talk. All three took turns running in front of Holley for a portion of the race to provide a visual that he could lock into to tune out the 40,000-plus runners and sea of supporters.
The group’s assignment is similar to the wild turkey — force the pace.
Holley’s training methods are a little unorthodox. Coach Andy Hunnicutt can’t get him to stop running.
Along with all of the surgeries Holley has overcome, he also was diagnosed with restless leg syndrome. The only soothing remedy when he’s experiencing a muscle spasm is running. He aims to run at least 10 miles daily.
Some months, he far exceeds his goal.
In 2020, Holley participated in Special Olympics Indiana’s Lilly 1,000 Mile Challenge. It invites teams of 10 to run 1,000 miles in 35 days. Holley ran 987 miles. The next year, participating in the same challenge, Holley ran 805 miles in 30 days. Ten days after completing his second 1,000 Mile Challenge, he qualified for the Boston Marathon, finishing the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon in 2:53:55.
“I knew whenever I first started running I was going to work to become a top-tier runner,” Holley said.
Holley’s rise to becoming a gifted marathon runner was gradual, Hunnicutt said. His speed was always there, but they had to slowly work up to extended distances.
Once he tapped into his distance-running skills, there was no turning them off.
Holley describes the mental space he reaches when he’s running as complete calm. He’s able to tune out the world and reach a place where he’s moving without thinking. The common term to describe this mental oasis is runner’s brain. Not everyone has it.
A three-hour marathon has now become Holley’s benchmark, and he has beaten it twice.
Running the Chicago Marathon wasn’t just about checking it off the Abbott World Marathon Majors. Holley was attempting to qualify for the London Marathon, but his time was three minutes off the needed 2:50 mark.
But the dream is far from over. Holley submitted a ballot entry for London. The results of the random draw are set to be announced before the end of the month.
If selected, Holley will be in London on April 23. While he waits, he’ll be running.
“The feeling I get as a runner drives my passion,” Holley said. “Also, I’m a very competitive person. I like winning.”
