Distance Running: Czarnik is More Than Up to the 'Challenge'

Jill Czarnik has been running since 2002, when she was a freshman at Sandburg High School. While she took some time off the track during college, she later began running with Chicago Fleet Feet/Nike Women's Elite Team.

Last weekend, Czarnik participated in the JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge. She was one of her team's three captains for the race.

"One of the other captains runs with me out of Fleet Feet Sports Chicago, and I asked to join the planning fun," Czarnik said. "I also always knew about the race through other community area runners. My two teammates were actually the female (race winners) the prior two years. I'm happy to keep the streak going."

Czarnik won the 5K Challenge with a time of 19:36, but it was an adjustment for her.

"(The Challenge)  is the shortest distance I would run, as I do all long-distance training," she said.

The male and female winners of the JP Morgan Chase Challenge will have a $1,000 donation made in their name to their charity of choice.

"I plan to donate to American Liver Foundation (ALF)," Czarnik said. "I ran three times on their Marathon Team and choose to support ALF in honor of my father, who passed when I as 13 years of age."

Czarnik is an accomplished marathoner. In March, she ran in the Boston Marathon and posted a time of 3:04:33. That was good for fourth place among women from Illinois.

This fall will mark her sixth consecutive Chicago Marathon. In 2008, she had her best finish at the race with a time of 3:00:05, third-best among Illinois women.

Czarnik currently splits her time working in Dallas, Texas and Chicago. She makes her home in Lincoln Park.