Kaitlyn Fischer got a juicy bite of the Big Apple Sunday morning.
A 2013 Herculaneum High graduate, Fischer won the Maybelline New York City women’s half-marathon in one hour, 18 minutes and nine seconds. That’s a pace of 5:58 per mile on the 13.1-mile course that made two loops through Central Park.
In the span of 12 hours, Fischer’s whirlwind day started at a hotel near Times Square, then north for the race at Central Park and then her flight home to St. Louis. Fischer lives in Kirkwood and works remotely as a clinical research associate.
“Everything went really smoothly,” Fischer said. “We stayed for the awards. You can’t leave New York without getting a bagel. An old teammate lived in New York and she recommended a place near the finish line.”
Fans of cross country in Jefferson County remember Fischer as the leader of the Herky girls team that won Class 2 state championships in 2011 and 2012, the second of which included her taking the individual title after three near-misses (two second places and one third). She also excelled on the track, winning four straight 3,200-meter state championships and two in the 1,600.
Fischer said the Mabelline race attracted 5,000 runners from all over the world, just the kind of cosmopolitan event New York City is famous for.
“I’m sure a lot of (the runners) were from New York, but the girl who was in second place was from Hungary,” she said. “Central Park is smaller than Forest Park. It was a six-mile loop. I ran over two loops to get to 13.1 miles. It’s very hilly, but for every uphill there’s an equal downhill. It was a challenging course.”
During the second loop, Fischer lapped runners and walkers and was surprised by their reactions.
“They were cheering me on so loudly,” Fischer said. “I (had) never run a road race in New York (before). I heard the running community was huge there, but had never experienced it. You hear things about people from New York, (that they) are like, ‘Get out of my way,’ and it was never like that.”
Fischer took the lead in the first mile, surprising nobody more than herself.
“I thought I was doing something wrong, like, ‘Am I going out too fast?’ It was about the time I wanted to be running, but I got faster and surprised myself. The weather was perfect and (I) chalk it up to the atmosphere.
“I never got a chance to break the tape on a road race (before) and it was pretty cool. I probably looked like a goofball. How do I do this? Do I put my arms up? So I half put them up. All the volunteers afterwards told me (I did a) good job.”
Fischer has yet to run a full marathon and said she wants to at least once and would like to qualify for the New York City Marathon in 2026.
Of her seven individual state titles at Herculaneum, she said her 2012 cross country triumph at Oak Hills Golf Course in Jefferson City was her favorite.
“The first 3,200 title (in track) was awesome. In a way you’re excited and shocked. I only won cross country once and that was the most special one. I was right there until my senior year.”
Fischer went on to earn All-Southeastern Conference and All-American honors at the University of Missouri in Columbia. Now she’s part of a network of veteran distance runners from the county, staying in contact with her former teammates and competitors. It’s a large sorority; the Blackcat girls have won 11 state cross country championships, the last one in Fischer’s senior year.
Fischer explained why Herculaneum distance runners have had so much success on the state level for decades.
“Being a small town is part of it,” she said. “Cross country is such a family. I know everyone says that about their sport, but you are going through the worst pain ever. You bond with that. You see (your teammates) every day. Festus and Herculaneum are blessed with coaches who really care about their athletes. I’ve been out of high school for (more than) 10 years and those are still my best friends.”
Running is likely to always be a big part of Fischer’s life.
“It has its ups and downs. Running has broken my heart at times, but I wouldn’t be where I am without those experiences. There are injuries. You fall short of your goals. College doesn’t always go the way you want it to. It took a lot of healing after college and I took a break from the running world. (Then) I fell in love with running again.”