Ryan Lee, of Hot Springs, is readying himself for next month's Boston Marathon after seven years of qualification attempts.
Lee, 35, qualified for the 2015 race through the 2014 Houston Marathon last January. Lee ran a personal best time of 3:05:17.
It was Lee's seventh attempt at qualifying for the Boston Marathon. Next month's race will be his 11th marathon overall.
Lee has worked at National Park Medical Center since 1998. He resumed running again about a decade ago after running track and cross-country in high school at Lakeside High School.
Running gave him something to do during the summer break from school. Lee said he was overweight after he quit running for about eight years.
"I just went for a run one day about 10 years ago and I've loved it ever since," Lee said.
He began to run 10K and 5K races. A doctor at the hospital convinced him to try to run marathons. Lee thought it was a crazy idea at the time, but he became motivated to qualify for the Boston Marathon.
"It's like 'Rudy' with Notre Dame," Lee said. "I know it's kind of funny, but I just kind of got obsessed with it. I'm like, 'I'm going to get this.' It might take me 10 tries in 10 years, but somehow I am going to get it."
His first try was at the 2008 Little Rock Marathon. Lee said he "blew it" by running too fast at the start of the race and making too many mistakes. He later ran in the 2012 and 2013 Little Rock races, but he continued to participate in marathons around the country. Lee ran in Indianapolis, Ind., Dallas, Texas, and Chicago, Ill.
"I picked Chicago because Chicago is probably the flattest course in the country," Lee said. "I wanted a good flat course to give it a good try, but I didn't get it there either. It's fun to travel and see different states."
The 2014 Houston Marathon was his second attempt in Houston.
"I just kept trying and getting closer and closer," Lee said. "Finally, on my seventh try, I got in. It took seven years."
Lee faced a 15-month wait from the time he qualified until next month's race. He took part in the St. Jude Memphis Marathon in December for a practice run.
He enjoys running more now than when he picked it back up a decade ago. Lee runs six days a week at local locations such as the Lakeside campus and West Mountain.
"Running is simple," Lee said. "People ask, 'How do you run so much so fast?' Get out there and run. There's no secret to it. Just run every day."
Lee usually runs by himself for time away from television, phones and other distractions. He signed up with the Spa Pacers several months ago. He said he tries to run with the group once a week when he can.
Lee was undeterred after two bombs were detonated near the finish line of the Boston Marathon in 2013. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is currently on trial for the bombing.
Tsarnaev and his older brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev allegedly placed two backpacks near the finish line with pressure-cooker bombs loaded with shrapnel and other materials. The attack claimed the lives of three observers. Another 260 people were wounded.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev died four days later after a shootout with law enforcement. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was captured later that evening hiding in a boat outside of a residence in Watertown, Mass., about 6 miles outside of Boston.
A total of 35,755 athletes took part in the 2014 Boston Marathon, which featured an increased security presence. The field was the second-largest ever in the event's 118-year history.
Family and friends asked Lee if he still wanted to run next month. They were concerned about the security.
"Last year during the race, they said it was the safest place in the world," Lee said. "There was so much security and so many policemen. I think it'll be safe."
The 2015 Boston Marathon will take place April 20. Lee will arrive in Boston on April 18 and attend the official Boston Marathon Pre-Race Dinner provided by the Boston Athletic Association on April 19.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh will greet runners from around the world at the dinner. Lee said he is excited to meet other runners and see the city, but he is most excited for the race itself.
"Being in a crowd of 30,000 people running to this finish line is what I am looking forward to," Lee said.
Lee is the son of Ralph and Patty Lee of Hot Springs. His brother Chris lives in Little Rock and his other brother Justin lives in Fayetteville. He has two children, Madison, 8, and Matthew, 2.
Local on 03/28/2015