Neenu Goyal knows what it’s like to run a business, not a marathon.
And yet, the Park Ridge Subway sandwich shop owner volunteered to join the Chicago Marathon this year, despite her admission that she didn’t know the first thing about long-distance running.
“We started running and [my son] said, ‘Mom, you don’t start sprinting right away!'” Goyal said with a laugh, recalling her very first training session.
But Goyal has come a long way since May. With help from her son, Abhi, and a group of other marathon hopefuls who run together each week, she’s already completed a half-marathon and, more than a week ago, finished a 20-mile run.
On Oct. 11, she will join thousands of other runners in the Chicago Marathon, running the 26.2 miles not only for herself, but for Special Olympics as part of a fundraising effort led by Subway franchise owners.
“I always had running a marathon on my bucket list; you just never know when you’re going to get to it,” said Goyal, who has owned the Subway at 627 Devon Ave. for 10 years and considers herself connected to the Park Ridge community. “Then I got an email about Subway owners wanting to run for Special Olympics and donate the fundraising money. I thought, ‘Why don’t I try and see if I can do it?'”
Chicago and Northwest Indiana Subway Owners contributed $1,500 to Goyal’s effort and so far she has raised an additional $160, according to her fundraising page at www.firstgiving.com.
Goyal, a mother of two who also works as a buyer for a collectibles company, credits her 15-year-old son, Abhi, for encouraging her to run and for getting her started in the training process.
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“I was picking him up and he said, ‘You want to run a few laps with me?’ I said, ‘Oh, not today,’ and he said, ‘If you don’t start today, when will you start?'” Goyal recalled.
So began a summer of running, sometimes with as many as 70 other marathon hopefuls.
“I think we ran four miles [the first day]. I was so tired. I was like, ‘I’m not doing it, it’s too much for me,'” Goyal said. “But then I thought, ‘What is there to lose? Even if I’m not able to finish the marathon, I’m still raising money for Special Olympics.'”
Goyal acknowledges she is one of the slower runners in her training group — she completed the last 20-mile run in just under five hours — but she’s determined to keep going and finish the big event on Oct. 11.
“I am excited. After finishing the 20 miles, I just can’t wait for the marathon,” she said.
Her training has also inspired Abhi to want to help Special Olympics as well — he is looking to coach child athletes in soccer, Goyal said.
“I feel so good,” she said. “The sense of achievement if gives us is enormous. If my kids get on that track now, it will be awesome for them. That’s how I feel.”
Twitter: @Jen_Pioneer