LOS ANGELES — A year ago, Margaux Curcuru never would have imagined that she would be starting amongst the handful of elite runners at the 38th Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday, March 19, 2023, chasing a qualifying time of 2 hours and 37 minutes for the 2024 United States Olympic Marathon Trials.
That’s because Curcuru, 31, who lives in Rosamond and works full-time as a Judge Advocate General (Attorney) for the U.S. Air Force (JAG) at Edwards Air Force Base, finished 67th overall in the women’s race in 3 hours, 32 minutes, 38 seconds at the 2022 LA Marathon. But that was her first time ever completing the 26.2-mile race.
“You have to respect the distance,” Curcuru said as an F-16 flew overhead during her lunch break.
Before the race, she thought it would be like any other long run, lock in, feel the flow and simply finish. But she admittedly was a novice at knowing what to eat before or drink during such a long distance.
However, after the arduous experience, she ended up in the medical tent, receiving IV fluids. She quickly recovered and has not let that day deter her from her ultimate goal of qualifying for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando, Florida on Feb. 3, 2024.
Curcuru’s journey to sub-elite running is an unlikely, yet inspiring tale. She never ran competitively in high school or college. But something about distance running clicked with her about a decade ago. At first, she ran just to stay fit.
“I’ve always loved to exercise. I started running in probably 2012 or 2013 just for fun, just a couple miles here or there,” Curcuru shared. “It wasn’t anything serious like training like I’m doing now … but progressively over the years I was like, ‘I have to get my run in.’”
Her relationship with running matured in 2021, when her friends and family encouraged her to enter an actual race. To Curcuru’s surprise, she signed up for the OC Half Marathon and ran her first half marathon in 1:30:45, covering the 13.1-mile…
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