Published: July 01, 2008 03:32 pm            

Jones, Phillips compete in Hatfield-McCoy Half-Marathon

Monticello — Lindsey Jones and Jessica Phillips first started running because it was

fun and it was something they could do to stay in shape. They both enjoyed

running and it was an activity the two friends could do together. Jones, 22,

and Phillips, 21, soon went from running for enjoyment and eventually

started running competitively. That's how they wound up in Goody, Ky. on

June 14, participating in the Hatfield-McCoy Half-Marathon, where Jones

placed third and Phillips took sixth place in their age group.

They enjoy running, but passing by sites that are now a part of history

because of their significance in the Hatfield and McCoy family feud made

this event even more exciting for the women.

According to Jones and Phillips, they started running competitively when

they were just out of high school, competing in races in Wayne County and

the surrounding area. They have competed in events such as the American

Cancer Society 5k Race in Clinton County in 2005 and the local 10k run that

is held at the park. The young ladies say they compete whenever they find a

race that is being held nearby.

At first, it was easier for them to find the time to train together

because they were roommates at Eastern Kentucky University. Now, one friend

lives in Richmond and the other lives in Lexington during the school year

and comes home during summer break. So they can only train together now when

school is in session. During the summer months, they have to train alone in

order to prepare for their next event.

Jones and Phillips eventually started setting new goals they wanted to

accomplish.

For example, they decided they wanted to participate in a mini triathlon

in Richmond. This event was held in April and included swimming, biking and

running. Once they decided to compete in the mini triathlon, they started

training for each segment of the competition.

"This past semester we decided we wanted to try and do a half-marathon

and we started training for that," Jones said, as she talked about the event

recently.

As they started looking for a half-marathon near them, they found the

Hatfield-McCoy Half-Marathon event, which is part of the Hatfield-McCoy

Reunion Festival held June 12-15. This marked the ninth year for this event.

The Hatfield-McCoy Half-Marathon is a 13.1 mile run that begins in

Goody, Ky., in eastern Pike County, Ky. Runners crossed state lines during

the course of the race and those competing in the half-marathon reached

their finish line in Matewan, West Virginia.

Runners took their mark for a 7 a.m. gunshot start in Goody and the

course then took them to Toler, Ky. From Toler, the course took runners

through the coal camps of Hardy, Ky.

Once they were through the Hardy area, the runners started their journey

through the heart of "Feud Country" and passed by the Randolph McCoy home

place site and the graveyard where Tolbert, Bud and Pharmer McCoy are

buried, along with sister Alifair and brother Calvin, according information

obtained from the marathon web site.

This is just one of the historic sites the runners pass by during their

course. The runners also ran up a mountain for 1 1/4 mile and that was

something they heard a lot about when they arrived in Goody. In fact, Jones

said that everyone was talking about how hard it would be once they reached

the mountain, but she had trained by running on Morris Hill so she felt that

had prepared her for her stint up the mountain.

The course ended in West Virginia. At the finish line, Jones had a time

of 2 hours, 5 minutes and 39 seconds, which earned her a third place finish.

Phillips came in sixth place with a time of 2 hours, 20 minutes and 13

seconds. Both girls had accomplished their goal of competing in a

half-marathon.

Participants in the event were designated as either a Hatfield or a

McCoy at the beginning of the race, and the group with the combined lowest

total at the end of the race won the "feud" between the two groups for that

year. Jones was a McCoy and Phillips was a Hatfield. They aren't sure which

"family" won this year's feud. It doesn't really matter to them, though,

because they enjoyed the run and they crossed the finish line. This alone

was enough to make Phillips happy.

"I was scared I wouldn't be able to finish the thing because I'd never

run that much," Phillips said.

Both Jones and Phillips enjoy the camaraderie that runners share, even

if they don't really know each other. They stated that all the other runners

at the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon encouraged each other and cheered them on

when they were running.

The women enjoy meeting other people who share their love of running.

They met several interesting individuals during this race, including runners

from Great Britain, Australia and Hawaii.

There were also 32 states represented during this year's race.

"It's been a really good experience," Phillips said, as she talked about

running. "I hope to continue to do it and get better and better at it."

"It's important to be happy and when I run I feel happy," Jones stated,

adding that running relieves stress and helps her feel better. She

encourages everyone to find some activity, it doesn't have to be running,

that makes them happy and do it.



Having tackled their goal of competing in a half-marathon, Jones and

Phillips have their sights set on running a full marathon next year, which

is 26.2 miles. They said they plan to run in local events as well.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.