Liz Scanlon, age 30, has emerged on the local running scene after a six year hiatus. Her recent Washington debut was the 2000 Marine Corps Marathon, which she completed in 3:03:03 for seventh place overall among women. Scanlon honed her skills during college at Oklahoma University, where she ran cross country and track from 1990-94. She was a walk-on in college, the best thing she did as a Sooner. Liz Scanlon trained under two coaches, one of whom was great. She performed successfully at the collegiate level, where she became Big 8 Conference champion twice in the 5,000 and 10,000 meter runs. Her senior year she placed second in the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the 10,000 meter run with an astonishing time of 34:12.

Scanlon's earlier running in Nebraska as a high school athlete was modestly successful but nothing spectacular. The structured format of team training and friendships with other runners brought her enjoyment.

Liz Scanlon is competitive but modest about her accomplishments. Great coaching, like that offered at Oklahoma University, developed her speed in long distance events. She has not yet connected with a coach locally but her self-motivated return to running, combined with access to books on the sport and the Internet, have brought notable performances at local road races.

When asked what other sports she enjoys, Scanlon brushes aside the thought of other pursuits. Running is where she excels so she pursues it fully. She compliments her Oklahoma coach, who had an amazing ability to design workouts tailor-made to her requirements. He also suggested what seemed to her impossibly fast times to run. When it came time to compete, she learned with a shock that his predictions were correct. Scanlon's coach believed in her talent and she appreciated his guiding role in her development as an athlete.

Liz Scanlon has a few surprises for local fans and competitors. Immediately after college, she ran her first marathon in late 1994 and qualified for the Olympic Trials with a time of 2:46. But it happened at a time when she needed to move away from Oklahoma, get a job and leave her inspiring coach. Unwilling to train for the Trials unless conditions were conducive to a best performance, Scanlon did not pursue an Olympic qualification bid. She is satisfied with that decision, she emphasizes with optimism.

Running is fun for her and she has once again found time to log 80 miles per week on local trails while working full time. Scanlon earns a living on the front-line of pediatric cancer research at the National Cancer Institute in the animal lab. Scientific investigation is a demanding task that leads to medical advances. It's not a glamor job but her lean, angular body seems to handle the physical demands. After a day that begins at 7:30 am at NIH, she enjoys long runs with occasional long intervals. She prefers hills to weight or cross training.

Liz Scanlon believes her best chances come at longer distances so her focus is on the 2001 Marine Corps Marathon. Her results this spring include being the fourth place woman in the George Washington Parkway 15K (57:31), and sixth place at the Microsoft-USO Defenders 10 Mile (1:00:34). In May's Defenders run, Scanlon pushed the pace while running without the benefit of nearby competitors and the outcome satisfied her. She had run under one hour for 10 miles previously so her top ten finish was not unexpected. In June, she ran 38:01 and finished second to Donna Moore in the Lawyers Have Heart 10K where the hills caught her attention. The message is clear: better results are likely if her training program continues on schedule.