Name: Jack Madison

Pronouns: He/Him

City: New York City but grew up in Eden Prairie, MN

Profession: Tech Sales

Fundraising Goal: $1,000

Race Goal: 3:55

In a few sentences, describe your connection to U2FP, why you chose to run in support of U2FP, and whether you have a personal connection to spinal cord injury and paralysis:

Growing up, one of the most constant things was seeing my dad off on his daily 3 mile run on the path close to our house. Without fail, no matter how cold it got in Minnesota, he was always out there every day and that passively instilled a love and appreciation for running. About 5 years ago, my dad became ill with a degenerative brain disease and passed away in July of 2022. The last 9 months of his life he was confined to his bed and could no longer move his body the way he always had. While he was not affected by a spinal cord injury, he did lose his mobility and since his passing, I have become passionate about fundraising for organizations that research spinal cord injuries / paralysis. My dad was an avid runner his entire life and even ran a few marathons when he was my age so a few months before his passing I challenged myself to complete a marathon in honor of him (NYC 2022) and have been hooked ever since. Here’s to my 3rd marathon for you, Dad!

Is this your first marathon/race? If not, what others have you completed? 3rd marathon. I have run the NYC Marathon twice (2022 & 2023)!

What do you crave after a long run? A mango strawberry smoothie or a mango and unlimited strawberries.

Do you listen to anything when you train or race? If yes, what? Yes I love listening to hour(ish) long DJ mixes on SoundCloud that contain all pump up music! It makes it easy because I just have to queue up 4 of them on race day and I am set!

What are you most excited and/or nervous about for the marathon? I am so excited to race the streets of Chicago and see the energy of a city in a whole new light. I have a ton of friends who live in the city and I am excited to be able to see them all throughout the course on race day.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Run, read, travel, comedy shows, watch movies, and outdoor concerts