By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – How many miles, how many pairs of running shoes, has Jonah Bailey burned through during his racing career? That’s difficult to calculate. He’s not counting, he’s just running, for the love of the sport and the discipline of the endeavor.
Bailey, Bedford North Lawrence’s four-year standout in cross country and track, will continue his chase after signing to compete for IU East in Richmond. He will join coach Cam Tiberg’s strong program, which competed in the NAIA national championships last season.
Running has rewarded Bailey’s dedication. He started with local 5K events as a child, now he’s headed for the next level following his successful career with the Stars.
“I’m just out there for the fun times,” he said. “I remember when I was a little kid, my parents would sign me up. It went from there. I fell in love with the sport.”
Bailey, who plans to major in business administration, was a two-time semistate qualifier for BNL. He also competes in the distance events in track. He’s put a lot of mileage on his legs. “You get used to it after a while,” he said.
”My favorite thing about running, outside of the competing side, is being involved and bringing others up with me, my teammates and people around me. I like to take on a leadership role.
“It’s taught me a lot of discipline, especially when I’m running during a race. It’s going to start hurting at some point, but you have to persevere and push through.”
