Mackenzie Lowe Has Tough Day at Chevron Houston Marathon

Greg and Mackenzie Lowe

Sometimes you just have a bad day. That's what happened to Greenville Track Club-ELITE's Mackenzie Lowe in Sunday's Chevron Houston Marathon. She had race goals of lowering her personal best of 2:48:50 and seemed on her way to do so as she passed 5K, 10K and the Half Marathon with split times of 19:41, 39:13 and 1:23:03, respectively. That pace could potentially lead to a sub-2:47:00 final time or faster. However, she soon began to encounter gastro-intestinal issues that required a visit to a port-potty in the 16th mile. Her stomach issues remained throughout the final ten miles and her pace slowed considerably. She finished with a time of 2:57:25 and placed 75th of the 2,372 female finishers. 

"I felt really fit and strong going into this, and really believed I was ready to run 2:40-2:45, but a warm and muggy day (and tummy issues probs as a result of that) caused me to really struggle in the second half." Mackenzie explained. "I have never been so happy to get to a finish line. Thankful that I have so much support and a good God that loves me and doesn't define me by results. Ready for a little rest & reset, but you better believe I'm gonna get back to work and get after it next time. I can always gain fitness and lessons/experience from a bad race."

Greenville Track Club-ELITE was established in 2012 and is entering its second decade as a post-collegiate, Olympic development program. The program produced four qualifiers for the 2016 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Los Angeles, one qualifier/participant for the 2019 Pam American Games Marathon in. Lima, Peru, three qualifiers/two participants for the 2020 USA Olympic Trials Marathon in Atlanta, GA and one qualifier and participant in the 2021 USATF Olympic Track & Field Trials in the 3000m Steeplechase. The program's runners set four South Carolina State road race records in 2020 (5K, 15K and Half Marathon--twice) and three (15K, 10-Mile and 20K) in 2021. ASICS GTC-ELITE also produced the South Carolina Men's 2020 Long Distance Runner of the Year. 

​The program is sponsored by ASICS, the 51-year-old Greenville Track Club, Joy Real Estate (Adopt an Athlete partner), generous individual contributors and partnerships with Performance Therapy, Carolina Spine and Rehab, Roll Recovery products, FinalSurge (on-line training log), ElliptiGO, NormaTec Recovery Boots, Cocoa Elite recovery products, Stryd Running, Coach Bob Williams Pace Calculator, the DorsiFlex (stretching device), the MOBO board (balance & mobility), On Pace Wellness (nutrition coaching) and LEVER Movement (treadmill body weight support). The club is a proud and active member of both the Road Runners Club of America and USATF.​