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Imagine being at the peak of your running career, only to have it all ripped away in an instant. That’s exactly what happened to Jared Ewing. A drunk driver left him with life-threatening injuries, and doctors told him he’d never run a marathon again. They removed his calf muscles and Achilles tendon. His running days were over—or so they thought.
But Jared’s story is proof that even the toughest setbacks can become fuel for chasing your wildest dreams. For him, that dream is breaking the holy grail of marathon goals: a sub-3-hour finish.
The Crash That Changed Everything
A drunk driver hit a concrete bollard, and the impact sent shrapnel into Jared’s leg, almost costing him his life. At the time, Jared was unstoppable: a decorated Army veteran and marathon runner who had just completed three marathons in five weeks. Suddenly, everything changed. The injuries were devastating, but Jared wasn’t ready to throw in the towel.
Rebuilding: One Small Step at a Time
Jared’s recovery started from ground zero. He was bedridden at first, and every little milestone felt monumental: sitting up, standing, walking to the door with a walker. Each step forward brought him closer to the life he wanted back.
Eventually, he made his way to the treadmill at his local YMCA. He started small—a quarter-mile, then half a mile. Soon, he was walking several miles at a time.
Fast forward ten months after the accident, and Jared did the unthinkable. He’d been training to run a half marathon, but just days before race day, he decided to go for the full Columbus Marathon. “Anything more than 13 miles was going to be a win,” he said. And win he did—he crossed the finish line in 5 hours and 55 minutes.
Adapting and Dreaming Bigger
Running without calf muscles or an Achilles tendon is no small feat. Jared has no push-off or jump ability in his injured leg, so he’s completely adapted his form, relying on his quads and hamstrings. Even with those challenges, he’s crushing it.
Jared recently set a personal best of 3:01 at the Kiawah Island Marathon and is on a mission to break that elusive sub-3-hour barrier. On top of that, he just ran his first 50-mile ultra-marathon in November and is gearing up for his first 100-miler this summer.
As a T44 para-athlete, Jared has big goals, including podiuming in his division at the Boston Marathon. He’s already conquered 39 marathons, 35 of them after the accident, and he’s not stopping anytime soon. His bucket list? A marathon in all 50 states.
For Jared, running is more than just a sport. It’s freedom. “When I run, I’m free of my leg,” he says. Even with constant nerve damage, swelling, and irritation, running gives him a release from both physical and emotional pain.
A Mindset Built on Resilience
Jared’s approach to training is as inspiring as his story. He focuses on high mileage, builds endurance through Zone 2 training, and takes recovery seriously with cold plunges, leg pumps, and other tools. His mantra? “If you believe in it and work hard enough, you can do anything.”
And it’s not just about him. Jared runs to inspire others, athletes, people recovering from injuries (trust me, I feel this), or anyone battling their own struggles. He’s also passionate about raising awareness for the advanced medical technology that saved his leg, hoping to help others facing similar challenges.
“Everyone has a story, and we’re all just trying to do the best we can with what we have,” he says. Jared’s journey is living proof that failure isn’t the end of the road, it’s just a new starting line.
-Carleth
If you have your own inspiring running journey to share, post it on Instagram with #CarlethsRunnerStories and tag me @carlethkeys
