Peter Jones is the one of the 2025 recipient of the LVRR Scholarships.
LVRR: What college will you attend and what is your intended major of study? Do you plan to run while attending college?
PJ: I will attend Penn State University Park and intend to major in computer science. While I will not be running for the official team, I do plan to join the running club.
LVRR: What age did you start running and why?
PJ: I started running at age 5 because my mom signed me up for Lehigh Valley Road Runner Kids Series.
LVRR: What is your greatest accomplishment in your running career?
PJ: My greatest accomplishment in my running career was running 1:58 in the 800m. It was a great feeling to PR in my last high school 800m. This race placed me 3rd in the District Meet and put me in 5th place all time at my high school.
LVRR: Describe an experience where you had to “sink or swim.” What did you learn from it?
PJ: My sophomore year of track & field, to maintain our team’s perfect season, I had to win the 800m, however my PR was 5 seconds slower than their best runner’s PR. It seemed very unlikely that the race would even be close, but I tried my best anyway, knowing that nothing was determined unPl the race was over. With only 100m to go, I had managed to stay only a step behind first place. We both sped up for a final push to the end, running shoulder to shoulder, but before crossing the finish line my legs became harder and harder to lift until I could not pick them up anymore and I fell over. While it would have been awesome to win, in my eyes, by running until I fell over, I knew that I had pushed myself as far as I could go that day. I learned that while it is impossible to prepare for every situation, you can always try your best.
LVRR: Who has been your most influential role model and why?
PJ: My most influential role model is all my teammates. Every one of my teammates, from the fastest guy to the slowest, always showed a strong motivation to improve and work hard at every meet and practice. This positive mindset that we all shared is what inspired me to run the most.
LVRR: What would most people be surprised to learn about you?
PJ: Most people would be surprised to learn that I am fluent in Spanish. Although no one in my family speaks Spanish I have been taking classes in school since first grade and even got to study for a week in Guatemala last summer. I hope to continue to use my Spanish speaking skills in my everyday life.
LVRR: What is one word you would say to someone who has just started running– whether it be a youth in the LVRR Kids Series, or an older individual- about why running is worth it?
PJ: One word I would say to someone who has just started running about why running is worth it is relationships. What made running worth it for me was the relationships I made with my teammates, coaches, and competitors. No matter who they were it was always great to connect through our shared passion for running.
LVRR: Is anyone else in your family a runner?
PJ: My uncle is in a running club and trains for half-marathons. Although I do not get to see him often, we enjoy going on runs together during our yearly family beach week for the 4th of July.
LVRR: What events did you run in high school?
PJ: In high school for cross-county I ran the 5k and for track I mainly ran the 800m but also ran the 400m, 1600m, and 3200m.
LVRR: What is your favorite event to watch that you don’t do yourself and why?
PJ: My favorite event to watch that I do not do myself is the 110m hurdles because I think the way they plan out their steps is really interesting. I also enjoy watching the girls 100m hurdles to cheer on my litte sister.
LVRR: What cross training do you incorporate into your running routine, if any? Do you focus more on cross training in the off season (if there is an off season for you!), or do you tend to cross train throughout the entire training cycle?
PJ: My favorite cross training is biking. During winter track in the case of extreme weather of when recovering from an injury using the stationary bikes in the school cardio room was always my favorite low-impact training opPon. I also enjoy casual bike rides with my family. Also I tend to cross train throughout the entire training cycle on an as needed basis.
LVRR: How do you stay motivated when you don’t want to run?
PJ: I stay motivated when I don’t want to run by calling a friend to run with me. By working together an talking with someone else it helps to take my mind off the difficult parts of running.
LVRR: What injuries are you susceptible to?
PJ: I am susceptible to IT band tendonitis and achilles tendonitis. I got both of these injuries during my sophomore cross-country season and they took a long time to recover from. Since then I take more precautions to prevent these specific injuries.
LVRR: What are your favorite pre-race and post-race meals?
PJ: My favorite pre-race meal is chicken part the night before a race, and on the day of the race a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Post-race I like my dad’s Thai curry.
LVRR: What are three activities you enjoy doing apart from running?
PJ: Outside of running I enjoy other playing sports with friends like basketball, volleyball, golf, soccer, touch football, and more. I also enjoy playing guitar and piano, and playing card games with my family.
LVRR: What extracurricular activities (outside of running) and community involvement have your participated in?
PJ: Two of my main extracurricular activities include being a volunteer for my churches AV team by helping run the livestream and being the Secretary of Spanish Club at my school where I took on the job of planning many events for the club.
