Jera Crandall: Running Through Grief to a 3:05 Marathon Debut

At just 20 years old, Jera Crandall ran 3:05:39 in her first-ever marathon at the 2025 Dallas Marathon—shattering the Boston qualifying standard by over 20 minutes and finishing 13th overall women and 6th in her age group. This race became deeply meaningful when Jera lost her father in early September during her training cycle, turning the marathon into a tribute to him and a way to process her grief.This episode is brought to you by Rise Racing Co.Join us for the inaugural Panther City Ultra at Marion Sampson Park on April 4th, 2025! Race director Rob Goyen is bringing true trail running to Fort Worth with distances from 5K to 50K. Experience natural trails, rocky terrain, and real elevation gain—capped at just 300 runners for an intimate trail racing experience.This will sell out, so register now at https://www.riseracingco.com/panther-city-ultra and use code DFW for 10% off your registration.In this episode, Jera shares her unconventional path from competitive figure skater to distance running phenom. She opens up about running her first 5K in 19:28 with absolutely zero training knowledge, taking nearly a year off from racing to focus on skating, then deciding to become a "seriously competitive distance runner" after the 2024 Turkey Trot.We discuss her methodical approach to the marathon—hiring coach Alfonzo Gonzalez Jr (Fonz) before even attempting the distance, nailing her carb loading and nutrition strategy, executing perfect pacing starting conservatively at 7:15 pace, and fighting through the brutal final 5K to achieve her goal.Jera also talks about overcoming past struggles with disordered eating, the mental toughness developed through figure skating and her powerlifting background, her harrowing 14-mile training run where she got lost on the trails and had to be rescued by the Train Pegasus crew, joining the running community at White Rock Lake, and why she's waiting until 2027 Houston Marathon to race the full distance again so she can build raw strength and speed at shorter distances first.Key Stats:First marathon: 3:05:39 (Dallas Marathon 2025)13th overall women, 6th in age groupHalf marathon PR: 1:26:5610K PR: 40:085K PR: 19:28Age 20Topics Covered:Running 3:05:39 debut marathon and qualifying for BostonDedicating the race to her late fatherTransitioning from figure skating to distance runningWorking with coach Alfonzo Gonzalez Jr (Fonz) and Train PegasusMarathon nutrition: carb loading, fueling, hydration strategyRace pacing and execution through adversityBuilding 60-70 mile training weeks at age 20Overcoming eating disorder history through healthy trainingRunning through grief and lossThe importance of finding your running communityFuture plans: focusing on 5K-Half Marathon speed through 2026