Photo by Jenny Jones
Krueger Middle School science teacher Kevin Jones waves as he runs the 2018 Chicago Marathon. Jones has completed the Chicago Marathon five times and immerses himself in the process of long-distance running for the benefit of himself and those around him.
Krueger’s Jones takes running and life one mile at a time
By Weston Smith
Staff Writer
MICHIGAN CITY – Upon walking into Kevin Jones’ classroom, one might think his large display of running medals is a way of showing his accomplishments.
Yet Jones, an 8th grade science teacher at Krueger Middle School, uses his medals to inspire and motivate his students.
“Anyone can do things,” Jones said. “These aren’t a flex, this is more like a, ‘If I can do it, you can do it’ (thing).”
In addition to teaching, Jones is a marathon runner, a husband and a graduate student. He is a person that uses his experiences from his life to further motivate and inspire others. He also uses running to mold himself into the best possible person he can be.
“When I run, it is the most consistent thing that I can do to tap into the purest of mindsets,” Jones said. “And I like myself a lot more when I run.”
This mindset has led him to complete the Chicago Marathon five times. He has even used this mentality to coach and understand others.
Though, it wasn’t always that way. Initially, Jones started running as a way to “blow off steam.”
Jones, who graduated from Portage High School in 2007 and Purdue University in 2011, ran his first 5k race with his older sister, Karen, a few months after graduating from college. He did it just for something to do.
“It was an opportunity to connect with my sister,” Jones said. “And then it was almost like, ‘Oh wow, this is actually beneficial for me more than just in a physical fitness standpoint.’”
Jones said he didn’t do very well, but he was fascinated by the dedication of the running community.
“It was almost mesmerizing,” Jones said.
Continuing on his journey, Jones ran his first half-marathon in 2013.
Around the same time, he started dating fellow Krueger teacher Jenny Jones. They eventually got married in 2015.
“He wasn’t as into running in the beginning,” Jenny Jones said. “It was kind of like a new phase he was starting.”
As he ran more, especially with a newfound support, he became more passionate about the sport.
Jones ran his first marathon in 2017. He described it as “amazing, terrifying, uplifting, (and) unbelievable.”
“I remember actually walking across the finish line and actually having tears in my eyes like, ‘I can’t believe I just went through with that,’” Jones recalled. “It was like most things that are transformative – it was so unreal and so powerful that I couldn’t believe I was able to survive.”
His time was four hours, 20 minutes.
When Jones was finished, he had a powerful thought: “What now?”
“It freaked me out and then I realized, ‘What now?’ is I do it again,” he said.
Jones ran the marathon in 2018, and again in 2019. In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic hit, and the Chicago Marathon was hosted virtually.
This led to Jones running his race around Michigan City. He mapped out his own course on Google Earth. This meant he could become familiar with his course before race day, so when the day came he could pace himself accordingly.
One of the biggest drawbacks from this way of running was the lack of support from other runners, due to the distance.
Despite this, Jenny Jones, his family, and his good friend, Ray Silvas, motivated him throughout his run.
“They were all supports to me and showed up along different parts of the course,” Jones said.
He also practiced visualization, which is the process of creating a mental image of what one wants to happen in reality.
Jones ran the race in a personal-best 3:23, and believes that the premeditated visualization played a part in his success.
“I think my time is kind of evidence to that,” he said.
As pandemic restrictions loosened, the Chicago Marathon was held again in person. Jones ran the race in 4:02.
In the months leading up to the race, especially with graduate school on top of teaching, Jones felt immense pressure in his daily life.
So, even though his time was not at its peak, Jones wanted to run a race to remember the reason he fell in love with running initially.
“It’s just something I can do, to connect, to feel good and not have to put so much pressure on myself,” Jones said.
He also appreciated being back in the running community.
“There’s this support system that happens with a complete stranger,” Jones explained. “You don’t even know who they are, it’s like they’ll be running the race, too, and you’ll feel a hand come on your back like ‘Come on dude,’ like, ‘You got this.’”
Early in his journey as a runner, Jones began paying it forward by coaching middle school cross country and track and field with Krueger colleague and cross country/track and field coach Kate Triemstra.
Jones’ experiences as a coach and marathon runner were mutually beneficial.
“(Coaching) really changed how he was a runner,” Triemstra said. “When we first started coaching together, I would take the front runners and then he would be in the back with the back runners, and then he became such a strong runner and loving the sport so much that he became the leader of the pack, and was taking the front runners out to do extras and I was taking the back.”
Jones estimated that he facilitated the fundraising of around $6,000 for Girls on the Run, a non-profit organization dedicated to using running to bolster the confidence and wellbeing of girls across the country.
On a personal level, he has continued to take positives from running. These benefits include a calmer mind, improved sleep and more energy for the classroom.
“My social interactions typically feel better, and then it’s also just a nice time to be alone,” Jones said.
For Jones, running comes with a plethora of benefits, but one of the most important and most beneficial aspects he has gained is his gumption.
“I just have this understanding that if you stick your mind in a certain direction and you really focus and you work really hard at it, that anything is possible,” he said.
Jones believes that he has many more miles to run. His running has become a part of his and his wife’s routine.
When he finishes a marathon, she already knows what’s on his mind.
“Lemme guess, you wanna do it again?” she asks.
“Yeah, I wanna do it again,” he responds.
“This is what I do, this is what I think about,” Jones said. “And, I didn’t realize that it was setting me up for a good part of my life moving forward.”
Photo provided