A dad of newborn twins is in the spotlight this week. Ari is raising funds for this year’s Columbus Marathon supporting Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
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Hi, I’m Ari Fleeman, and my wife is Emmeline. We have 8-month old twins named Oliver and Alfie, and two dogs, Charlie and Chloe.⠀
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Why did you start running?⠀I actually started running for my wife. She has been a runner since she moved here from England and was a cross country star in high school. When we were dating, she kept asking me to start running with her, but I always said no until one day I broke down and finally agreed. After not dying after my first few runs, I fell in love with it and signed up for my first race.⠀
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Favorite thing about running? My favorite thing about running is the freedom and the joy I get from it. Running is my escape from all the stress and a way for me to just laced up, put on an audiobook, and just breaking free for a few hours. I also love the feeling I get after an excellent run or after accomplishing a tough run or long race.⠀
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Favorite race(s) in Central Ohio?⠀My favorite race would have to be the Ohio State Four Miler. Not only was it my first race (and first race with my wife), it was also the first race I got my parents to sign up for. Nothing is cooler than running down the tunnel and finishing on the 50-yard line.⠀
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What advice would you give to someone just getting started?⠀I would say get you a good pair of running shoes, a goal (no matter what it is), join a running group (even if just online), and have fun. Don’t take running too seriously (we all have our day jobs after all), and no one will support you as much as random runners on the internet.
