An overbooked, overscheduled, under-trained and slightly injured Melanie Peters stepped off the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Women’s Marathon course in the middle of the race.
Photos by: Jessica Mundie

Friends and fans of the 24-year-old marathoner from St. Petersburg, FL were worried as they searched for Peters along the streets of Boston. Rumors of an Achilles tendon injury began circulating after the race, which turned out to be a spectacular showcase for Deena Kastor’s Olympic courage and world-class running talent.

Back in the Tampa Bay area, some speculated that Peters had an unusual amount of running ability, and that Forerunners Track Coach Joe Burgasser (himself an age group winner at the Boston Marathon) just needed a few more years to develop her talent. Others were concerned that her rapid rise to the top (after winning Walt Disney World Marathon, only her second marathon; and winning Publix Supermarkets Gasparilla Marathon with her 2:46:45 Olympic Trials qualifying time) would cause a major meltdown.

And then there were the rumors of a serious injury, caused by Peters doing too much too soon. At last count, Peters has hammered the competition in three marathons, all within a span of 101 days.

Catching up with Melanie Peters proves impossibly difficult for her fellow competitors, and for her concerned friends. Reporters hoping to ask Peters questions about the future of her running career figure out quickly that they must begin searching in the most unlikely places to find her.

Or at least, the most unlikely places to find an aspiring Olympic marathoner – one who wins major races anytime she chooses. An all-consumed champion runner who is a bit more ordinary than Peters might not be found at these places: A coastal cleanup project. The University Of South Florida library. A dive boat in Key West.

“I think that given the right training environment, I could really excel,” says Peters, a Michigan native who grew up riding horses, playing soccer, and running cross country for fun as a high school sophomore. “But you have to remember that my dream, unwavering since second grade, has always been to be a marine biologist.”

Peters, a straight-A student, grew up in Michigan playing the clarinet in band and orchestra. A self-described bookworm, Peters volunteered for the Honor Society, and always enjoyed fishing, camping, boating, and horseback riding. Typically Midwestern, she became involved in 4H activities, showing one of her friend’s horses.

“My favorite 4H event was the barrel racing,” Peters recalls. “I rode an unbelievably fast quarter horse, so maybe that’s where I got my need for speed! When I entered junior high school, my family moved from a subdivision in Michigan to a house on four or so acres, with a pond. Here if you wanted to drive down the road, more often than not, you had to herd your own cattle out of the way. I started running just to be outside and to enjoy the relatively short stretch of good weather in Michigan.”

Fast-forward past her successful days at University of Miami and her 4:46:81 indoor-mile record as a college junior in 2005. When her parents’ lengthy and bitter divorce was finalized, she displayed her family loyalty by changing her last name from her father’s name of Schultz back to her mother’s family name of Peters. Never faltering in her ambition, Peters headed into the 2008 season by running only 40 miles per week, working on her Ph.D. in marine biology at the University of South Florida, and filling the remaining hours of her days working for Florida Fish And Wildlife Commission.

Peters’ tiny frame began to appear even tinier as she stretched her days out as long as possible. She loved working with the organizations that protect the hundreds of species of saltwater and freshwater fish. Gathering and analyzing data about ecosystems and fish habitats, Peters says she still takes more photos when diving in the Florida Keys than when she is racing.

“I tell people that I need several lifetimes to get everything done that I want to achieve. Right now, it’s become a matter of prioritizing; and I’m not doing a very good job at it, because I love everything I do!”

On January 13, Peters lined up in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, at the 15th Annual Walt Disney World Marathon alongside defending women’s champion Gabriela Trana of Costa Rica, Sonja Friend-Uhl, of West Palm Beach, and former Keswick standout-turned-marathoner Christa Benton. For Peters, it was her second marathon.

The sky was still dark, as Disney’s fireworks signaled the massive two-pronged start along the roads that wind through the theme parks and Disney property. While other top contenders appeared tense for the season opener, Peters was in the mood for mischief, and despite the fast pace in the lead women’s pack, Peters sang in the opening miles. Literally. By mile five, which the leaders reached in 32:05, Peters had Benton laughing and smiling when she began to belt out “Boot Scootin’ Boogie.”

The pranks at Disney must have annoyed Trana, who did still hang with the pack, posting a 10-mile split of 1:04:13. But that type of fun is what Peters enjoys. It was Peters who would break the tape first with a chip time of 2:47:29, followed by Friend-Uhl with a time of 2:49:25. Last year’s second-place rookie, Benton, brought in 2:52:49 – a time good enough for third place.

“My training is terrible and my sleeping is terrible,” Peters laughed as she talked to reporters at the Disney Marathon finish line. “I just wanted to have fun, and I got the runners in that lead women’s group laughing and singing until we couldn’t breathe anymore. It was annoying one of the girls. I kept singing away.”

Reporters informed Peters that she had narrowly missed the 2:47:00 B-standard Olympic Trials qualifying time. But this news did not leave Peters very concerned.

“I wasn’t really aware of any magical number out there,” Peters said. “I wasn’t at all thinking about Olympic Trials qualifying or anything like that. I’m new to this marathon stuff. I used to be a miler. This was only my second marathon ever.”

Regarding Olympic dreams, Peters says she can’t say what her future holds but she is happy to reflect back, and says that her running accomplishments have exceeded what she ever thought was possible.

“Really, I tend to think I can do anything,” Peters said. “I’m just enjoying it now. One of my favorite ways to spend time is to drive to competitive races all over Florida. I love road trips and seeing new things. Running is my excuse for doing that.”

“In all honesty, I admire every last person who gets out there on the starting line every weekend,” said Peters, with her characteristic good attitude toward other runners. “Runners are definitely my family, and I’m proud to be associated with a group like that. That’s why I’m doing road races.”

Every Sunday at 6 a.m., the various groups of runners who belong to Forerunners Track Club gather at Demen’s Landing near the downtown St. Petersburg Pier, running along the bay front and into the scenic neighborhoods near the St. Anthony’s Triathlon 10K run course.

Runners flock to Coach Joe Burgasser, and now Peters seems to have found her way to him too, seeking out his advice, friendship, and expertise. She knows that he has won his own age division at Boston Marathon and a few national championships.

Coach Burgasser became serious and thoughtful when asked for his observations on Melanie Peters, and he talked about her a little after he returned with his team of runners from that Trials/Marathon weekend in Boston.

“Let’s put it this way,” said Coach Burgasser. “Melanie has not done marathon training yet. She did not do the marathon training for Disney Marathon or Gasparilla.

“Going into the Trials, Melanie had some Achilles problems,” Coach Burgasser continued. “She probably stepped onto a couple of rough patches on that course. If I had been running alongside, I would have advised her to stop. At that level, it takes more fortitude to stop than to continue. She didn’t want to extend her injuries on that Achilles.”

Coach Burgasser’s comments might seem surprising to some, but he has the deep knowledge and marathon experience to lead his women runners to past team victories in Boston, as well as other wins in major marathons.

“When Melanie has the time to train – and that also means adequate time to rest – then Melanie will be ready to run a marathon,” Coach Burgasser said. “These are not fast times for her.

“Keep an eye on Melanie.”

Jessica Mundie is a former Illinois bicycle-racing champion, who has competed in more than 100 triathlons in and around Florida. A member of Team USA Duathlon since 2004, Jessica also wrote a weekly cycling and triathlon column for 15 years. She enjoys freelance writing, co-hosting on the Fitness Buff Radio Show, and racing in Europe. Jessica can be reached at: sptimescycling@yahoo.com