Santucci seeks to fulfill Olympic dream
Clara (Grandt) Santucci was in elementary school when the Summer Olympic Games first caught her attention, stirring in her the desire to participate in the international athletic festival.
Santucci, of Dilliner, now has the opportunity to fulfill that long-ago dream when she competes in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Los Angeles on Feb. 13, 2016.
“The first Olympics I remember watching was when Kerri Strug (vaulted and landed on one foot),” recalled Santucci of the 1996 Atlanta Games. “I always believed I was good at something to make the Olympics.”
Santucci grew up in rural West Virginia and was home-schooled until she was in fifth grade.
“I had five brothers and sisters. There was always a lot of competition,” said Santucci.
So, the inquisitive 9-year-old decided to “pull out books at the library and read books to see what I was good at.”
But, Santucci actually didn’t find out what she was good at until she switched to public school in sixth grade.
“We had to run the mile in gym class for the President’s Fitness Test in gym class, and I loved it,” explained Santucci. “The gym teacher was also the cross country and track coach. He showed me an article (about a runner) and said that could be you someday.”
Though she ran for a different coach when she reached high school, Santucci set out to make the coach’s words prophetic.
“I ran all the races from the 800 (meters) and up. I could see how hard work translated into success,” said Santucci. “I was better at the 3,200 and the 5K in cross country. In cross country, I was stronger on the hills. I could close the gap.”
Santucci was not heavily recruited in high school, but had the good fortune of running a strong race in a meet held at West Virginia University and the Mountaineer coaching staff offered her a scholarship.
“West Virginia was doing pretty good at that time,” said Santucci. “(WVU coach) Sean Cleary was so positive.”
Santucci had an injury redshirt as a freshman, a stress fracture in her patella, but came back strong.
“I was inspired to be on a Division I team. It was one step to my goal,” said Santucci, alluding to her Olympic dream. “Each year was better. Overall, 2009-10 was my best year.”
Santucci, a two-time All-America in the 10,000 meters, graduated in 2010 with a degree in exercise physiology (aquatic therapy). Santucci and Cleary believed she would succeed at longer distances, so Santucci was given a spot in the 2011 Boston Marathon and truly hit the ground running. She was the third American female and 16th overall in 2:29:54.
“Finishing under 2:30:00 was a big deal,” said Santucci. “The ‘A’ standard for the 2012 trials was 2:37:00 and the ‘B’ standard was 2:43:00, so I got it right out of the gate.”
Santucci had three top-10 finishes in U.S. championships in 2011, placing second in the 20K, fourth in the 15K and sixth in the half marathon.
“It was a bit nerve-wracking. It was a test to see if I’m really good at it, if this is the road I should’ve gone down,” said Santucci.
Santucci finished seventh in the 2012 trials held in Houston in January in 2:30:46, good enough to keep her moving forward at the distance. Shalane Flanagan finished first in 2:25:38.
Santucci had another strong season in 2013. She finished ninth and was the first American woman in the Chicago Marathon, as well as in the Ottawa Marathon. Santucci won both the Richard S. Caliguiri City of Pittsburgh Great Race 10K and the Broad Street 10-Mile Run in Philadelphia.
Santucci is preparing for her second Olympic trials because of her performance in the 2014 Chicago Marathon. She finished sixth and was the second American female with a time of 2:31:39, easily under the “A” standard of 2:37:00.
Then in May, Santucci won the Pittsburgh Marathon for the first time. She placed fifth in the U.S. Half-Marathon Championships and was 34th and the third American women in the World Half-Marathon Championships in a time of 1:12:22.
Santucci successfully defended her Pittsburgh Marathon title in May, again hitting the “A” standard with her winning time of 2:34:06. Since she has qualified with the “A” standard, her trip to the trials will be paid for.
“Pittsburgh has what it takes to be one of those big races,” said Santucci. “The Pittsburgh Marathon has the most crowd support. It’s a confidence builder to win any marathon. It’s a lot to ask of yourself.”
Now, Santucci is gearing for her second trials, looking for a top-three finish to earn a berth to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She runs about 100 miles a week, building to about 120 or 130 miles a week in her last cycle of training.
Santucci runs five two-a-days of 10-12 miles each and then has her long run of 18-24 miles on Sundays. She runs on the road and on trails around her home.
“I like to practice. I actually enjoy it. I like splits. I’m very particular about my long runs,” said Santucci. “It’s the best time to think and come up with great ideas. I run on the streets and the trails. I like a variety of surfaces.”
“I’ll probably do a half-marathon in the fall. The focus on the whole season is around running a marathon.”
Her husband, Jason, works at Mylan Industries, while Santucci works part time for a very understanding employer.
“They are really good working around my training schedule,” said Santucci.
Santucci also earns money for running and is sponsored by Saucony with a stipend and equipment.
“Training shoes, I usually rotate three pairs, usually last a month. I donate my lightly-used shoes to my high school,” said Santucci.
Running 26.2 miles is not an easy task, by any means, but it is one Santucci relishes as she feels she is hitting her stride as a distance runner.
“Now, I feel like an experienced runner. I don’t feel like a new runner anymore. I have more years under my belt. I want to be the best person in the race. I’ve reached survival mode a couple times,” Santucci said with a smile.
“I’m almost at my prime age. I just turned 28.”