Jimmy Kennedy is a Hospitality major in his junior year at UCF who takes his fitness runs to a whole other level. He’s training to run a half marathon; the Orlando OUC Half Marathon on Dec. 1, to be exact.
Jimmy said he has “always enjoyed physical exercises and fitness,” so it seemed natural for him to become so involved in running. “Being healthy is something I take seriously and have a lot of fun with also.”
But initially, running a marathon or even a 5K wasn’t part of the plan. He said he started running 5Ks (that’s 3.1 miles) with encouragement from his boyfriend, Logan, who was already an avid runner and thought it was a great thing they could do together. Jimmy said completing his first 5K, the MidKnight 5K Run at UCF in February, was the best feeling in the world. In the seven months since then he has ran three more.
“When I run, the real world goes away for a little while, and I can just blast my music and not have to think about anything,” said Jimmy.
His most recent 5K race was in Cassleberry, FL during Track Shack’s Autumn Rock N’ Run. Track Shack is a well-known running store in Orlando.
“It was such a scenic route,” he said. “Other than being completely exhausted, I wanted to keep running when I crossed the finish!”
In his fly Nike kicks, he has taken his journey through running from only one consecutive mile to 5Ks and almost to a half marathon. He’s looking forward to the challenge of 13.1 miles in less than three months.