Who I Am
My name is Evan Wood and I discovered running by accident– in fact, I grew up with terrible asthma, was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at age 14, and by 17 I was severely underweight due to my symptoms. It was in 2011, when I attended a sustainable living school in The Bahamas called The Island School, that I would go for my first run. Every student was required to train for and complete a 4-mile swim or half marathon… and I failed the swim test, so running it was! When I started, I could barely jog the 4-mile loop without using my inhaler. But even if it was difficult, it was nothing compared to the pain I had already been going through with my Crohn's. And as I pressed on, I became stronger and healthier, relying less on my inhaler, and the stomach aches began to disappear. For the first time since my diagnosis, I felt a great sense of control and comfort in my own skin, and that I could be rewarded for my hard work. By the end of the program, I had not only completed the Half Marathon, but I had come from the back of the pack to finish near the front, in a time of 1 hour and 46 minutes.
I fell in love with running and in 2012, I decided to run the New York City Marathon for Team IBDKids, a charity which supports pediatric Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis patients at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York, where I received my care. My team captain was none other than my doctor, Keith Benkov, who has been running marathons since the 1970s. I survived the training, and even though the marathon was cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy, I met my fundraising goal and joined thousands of other runners to run the distance in Central Park anyway. It had taken many hours, but when I had finished, I was overcome with emotion and fulfillment– I had come a long way since the sleepless nights, doubled over in pain. Life didn’t have to be a constant repeat of “woe is me”– not if I had any say in it.
Since then, I have not only reclaimed my health, but I have run 14 Marathons (including 11 NYC's), over 25 Half Marathons, and have hit the podium, won age group awards and prize money in races with thousands of finishers. I have also helped fundraise over $30,000 for Team IBDKids, and in 2016, I proudly represented my fellow patients and my home borough of Manhattan as the winner of the 2016 Foot Locker Five Borough Challenge. My times have steadily improved since I first discovered running on the shores of The Bahamas, and I am still striving to improve each year. Although I have largely been self-coached, I have greatly benefited from incredible support, wisdom and guidance from so many along the way - such is the awesome power of the running community!
Today, I am a Road Runners Club of America Level II certified coach, an Equinox Precision Run instructor, and the leader of Just Another Running Team, an informal run group in NYC. I love sharing the joy of running however I can, whether it be through inviting new runners to group runs or combining my professional skills as a filmmaker to create "Just Another Runner", a documentary series about runners with inspiring stories. I would love to hear from you and be a part of your running journey!
Current Personal Bests:
Mile - 4:44 - 5th Avenue Mile, September 2022
5k - 16:25 - NYRR Mindful 5k, May 2024
4 Miles - 21:41 - Al Gordon 4M, February 2023
10k - 34:30 - Citizens Queens 10k, June 2024
10 Miles - 55:36 - New Balance Bronx 10-Mile, September 2023
Half Marathon - 1:13:56 - RBC Brooklyn Half, May 2024
Marathon - 2:37:58 - BMW Berlin Marathon, September 2024
Empire State Building Run-Up (yes, that's a thing!) - 15:23 - October 2023
Click the logo above to check out Evan's documentary series and join the movement!