Marlton resident and U.S. Army veteran Kyle Sharow recently ran his first marathon to support the Autism Speaks organization.
Editor’s Note: Marlton resident Sophia Czerniecki submitted the following article to The Sun. Czerniecki is a student at The Catholic University of America and enrolled in a journalism class. For an assignment, she was tasked writing a profile on someone from her hometown running the Marine Corps Marathon.
By Sophia Czerniecki
Special to The Sun
When U.S. Army veteran Kyle Sharow was approached with the opportunity to run the Marine Corps Marathon, he couldn’t say no. The Marlton resident has a passion for running, but what he loves even more is running for a cause.
Sharow, 32, ran his first marathon on Oct. 28 in the 43rd annual Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C., for the Autism Speaks organization. While this was his first marathon, running is no new hobby for the twice-deployed veteran. From cross-country in middle school and high school, to running in the army, to competing in Ironman Triathlons and ultra-marathons, Sharow has been running his whole life.
The Marine Corps Marathon, also called “The People’s Marathon,” is the largest marathon in the world that doesn’t offer prize money; instead, it celebrates the honor and commitment of all finishers. When Sharow was approached by an Autism Speaks liaison to run, he was all in.
“It was a great opportunity to support a great cause,” Sharow said. “[It’s] a great way to run a race, conversations with either runners or spectators about the T-shirt or the hat you’re wearing or the people you’re with. It’s great outreach for the organization to get the message out.”
“I think it’s wonderful,” Sharow’s wife, Brittany Sharow, said. “It shows the goodness in his heart. He loves running so he does that part for himself, but the fact that he can make an impact really just shows the kind of guy he is. He really wants to make a difference.”
The Autism Speaks organization had 28 people running in the Marine Corps Marathon, each of whom had pledged to raise $750 to $1,000 for the race.
“Running a marathon is a huge undertaking and committing to raising money for Autism Speaks adds even more pressure,” said Sarah Hess Goldstein, who serves as field development manager for Autism Speaks.
These challenges did not stop the South Jersey native.
Sharow tries to compete in one major race a year. Last year, he ran 63 miles in a 24-hour race hosted by the NJ Trail Series called the “One Day Event,” and the year before that, he raced in an Ironman for his company. Back in 2009, he did a two-day, 130-mile bike ride for Multiple Sclerosis.
When not running, Sharow is a local dentist. He also volunteers his time giving free dental care to children and free dental screenings. On top of that, Sharow has decided to re-enlist to the Army Reserve and has just been sworn in as a captain. Through balancing work, re-enlisting and time with family, Sharow’s biggest challenge is making time for training.
“There are sacrifices you have to make whether it’s time with family, getting up earlier or staying up later, going out for a run when you would rather be home. That’s the hardest part,” Sharow said. “But I love running.”
Due to Sharow’s busy schedule, one of his favorite ways to train is going on a long, overnight run. He will eat dinner, stay up late, and pack a bag to carry his wallet and extra batteries for his headlamp. This run will start as early as 9 p.m. or as late as midnight.
“I find it so awesome to be running in the middle of the night for a couple hours,” Sharow said.
Through his races, Sharow follows the advice of Ironman world champion Crowie Alexander.
“He [Alexander] asks himself what he can do now to better the next five minutes of the race or training session and he asks himself this question every three minutes,” Sharow said. “I try and do the same every time I am out there.”
Sharow also offered the following advice to new runners: “One foot in front of the other.”
