Local teens pick up pace for Sarasota Half Marathon

At first glance, Garrett Lyons, Morgyn Stauffer, Kim Hyslop and Cal Davidson-Turner look like an average group of teenagers hanging out at Sarasota Bayfront Park. It’s a particularly warm February afternoon, and the teens, all dressed in shorts and T-shirts, are joking around with each other, climbing on the Unconditional Surrender statue and striking goofy poses.

But this foursome is not your average group of friends: They are athletes, runners to be exact, and this location isn’t a hangout, it’s the place they meet at 8 a.m. every Saturday morning to run between three-and-a-half and 12 miles.

They may be young, ranging in age from 13 to 17 years old, but these four teens already have a combined total of more than 30 half marathons under their belts.

This Saturday, the group will log its final long run before the First Watch Sarasota Half Marathon March 13, which they will be running along with 28 other teens and their families as part of the ShamRockersUSA team. Lyons’ mother, Diane Lyons, founded the teen running club in 2007 after completing the Walt Disney World Half Marathon.

“As soon as I crossed the finish line, Garrett looked at me and said ‘I want to do this with you,’” said Diane Lyons.

Diane Lyons knew that her son would have more success if she got some of his friends involved, and before she knew it, she was training seven 13-year-old boys to run their first half-marathon.
Lyons founded ShamRockersUSA as a non-profit organization, which trains teens through 21-week running programs and has now expanded to include chapters in five states.

Lyons, a junior at Sarasota High School, is the oldest of the group and a natural leader, sometimes filling in for his mom as coach.

The 17-year-old will be running his 15th half marathon March 13 and says that running has changed him for the better.

“I used to just come home and play video games, but now I actually want to do something,” says Lyons. “Running has changed my views on a lot of things.”

Stauffer is also a veteran ShamRocker, having been one of the original seven team members, known as the “elites.” The elites make a point to take the newer runners, such as Cal Davidson-Turner, who joined the ShamRockers in November, under their wings. Stauffer says that the feeling of camaraderie and team spirit is what he likes best about being part of the running group.

“ShamRockers is all about going out and doing your best,” says Stauffer. “We all encourage each other to push hard, but the competition isn’t with each other, it’s with yourself.”

Words of Wisdom
These four young runners share their mantras and motivations:
“No matter how much it hurts, it won’t kill you.”
Morgyn Stauffer

“Just keep going.”
Cal Davidson-Turner

“The medals and the shower right after the race are my biggest motivations.”
Kim Hyslop

“Keep moving forward. It’s not going to be any easier if you slow down; it’s just going to take longer.”
Garrett Lyons

IF YOU GO
2011 First Watch Sarasota Half Marathon and Relay
When: 7 a.m. Sunday, March 13
Where: Begins and ends at Van Wezel Performing Arts Center, 777 N. Tamiami Trail
Registration: $85
Info: www.sarasotahalfmarathon.com

Contact Maria Amodio at [email protected]