John Kelly: Ultra Champion

By Nancy Westberry

Morgan County native John Kelly is many things.  He is a son, a brother, a husband and a father. He is a college and grad school graduate. He is kind, witty, smart, strong and determined. John Kelly is also a  trail, an ultra and a marathon runner. Kelly also happens to have 200 year-old family roots in Morgan County. He grew up right across the street from the base of Chimney Top, a locally known (marked) spot in the mountains surrounding Petros.

John began running in the very town and mountains where he would later attempt, in 2015, 2016 the excruciatingly exhausting ultra marathon, called the Barkley Marathon. In 2017, he came back again, not only attempting the grueling ultra again, but in his 3^rd shot at it, he became the 15^th person to ever finish this extreme race (in 30 years). John is an all-in kind of guy. When he decided to get back to running after a 10 year hiatus, and having not run more than 10k, he went all in by entering the 2013 Marine Corps Marathon, his longest race by 20 miles. Kelly found that his training had been terribly insufficient, and he was disappointed, but used it as a learning experience. A year later, he had the Boston Qualifier he had wanted, but it was to be a year and half before he ran Boston. He needed to keep in shape and thought that trail running would be his way to do that. He also decided to give triathlons a go, because he already loved biking and running, and figured he could train at and conquer the swimming part. He started his ultra-marathon running by entering the Barkley(which is perhaps the single most grueling course in ultra’s). Kelly began his experience in triathlons when he again aimed his sights at the top, and he entered his first triathlon, choosing to compete in the Ironman Triathlon in Maryland.

Thanks to modern technology, Morgan County and the rest of his fans were able to keep up electronically by watching the tracker available online as Kelly competed in his latest ultra, the Montane Spine Race, located in the UK.  The Spine is a non-stop, 268 mile winter ultra-marathon that encompasses the entire length of the Pennine Way, in England. This course crosses some of the most gorgeous yet extremely challenging terrain in England, including the Peak District, Cheviots, Yorkshire Dales and the Northumberland National Park, finishing up on the Scottish Borders. There are various degrees of weather in this winter ultra, including snow, cold, mud, sunshine, darkness, and more cold that the runners will experience as they make their way across the rugged, sometimes treacherous terrain mapped out on the 268 mile course.  The goal of reaching the wall of the Border Hotel and being able to touch and perhaps kiss the stones, seems like a simple gesture but has more meaning to the runners than words can convey. John Kelly was the first to arrive at Kirk Yeltholm, clearly exhausted yet elated at his completion of this ultra, kissing the wall of the Border Hotel, marking his 1^st place win of the Montane Spine Race 2020.

Morgan County native John Kelly is a local legend in his home town, with relatives, friends, fans and supporters all cheering him on in  all of his amazing races, taking him all over the world. Petros is proud, as is all of Morgan County, of their hometown hero, John Kelly.

You can follow John on social media as well as his website. https://randomforestrunner.com/