Harry Wilson

​About Harry

 

I grew up in Memphis, TN with two really kooky parents, two original siblings, and two add-on siblings (my baby brother Patrick is my favorite!). I currently work at Georgetown University Hospital. I moved to DC in 2008 with my now ex-boyfriend, but still best friend, so that he could attend American University. I started running with the Front Runners in summer 2009 so that I could make more friends in DC. The friendships that I have developed and the camaraderie that I get from the group have deeply enriched my life, particularly this year as I  have become more involved and gotten serious about my running. I consider many of the Front Runners to be my dearest friends: we train together, we race together, we celebrate life's joys together, we support each other when we are down, we love each other, and we have a really great time.

 

 

 

​Questions



Congratulations on completing your first marathon in Richmond, VA last week. How was it? The last six miles were particularly difficult. I ran out of energy and my legs felt like jello. When the 3 hour 30 minute pace group caught up with me at mile 25, I was devastated. Then, as I was crossing the finish line and saw that I was running a sub-4 hour marathon - my original goal having been to beat Oprah who ran 4.29.20 - I was in disbelief and shock. My finish time was only a little longer than it took me to run 20 miles in my training.

 

Were you emotional? I cried a bit but it was more like tearing up because I was hyper-ventilating. The race officials were wondering if they needed to call for assistance. They were asking me ‘are you okay?’ and I said ‘yes, I’m fine, I’ve never felt better.’

 

Your time, 3 hours 35 minutes, was very impressive. What was the secret of your success? When Erich [Huang] and I decided to run our first marathon back in July, we made a commitment that we would always do our weekly long run and we stuck to it. No matter how badly we felt, whether we’d been partying at Town the night before and had drunk too much, whether it was storming rain, we were there running.

 

Since this summer, you’ve stepped up several gears in your running and involvement with the club. What brought about the change? Firstly, I really like our running group. Even when I was running occasionally, every time I’d pass one of our runners, they’d be like ‘how are you doing?’ or ‘you’re looking great, Harry.’ Then, I broke up with this guy I’d been dating for a year and a half so my calendar opened up. Now that I’m single, if I do have another boyfriend, he’s definitely going to have to be a runner – or at least allow space for my running - so that I can incorporate him into my current lifestyle. That’s non-negotiable.

 

What is the thing you like most about Front Runners? The support we give each other and the relationships we build. Erich is one of my best friends now and I wouldn’t have met him if it weren’t for the Front Runners. Thorne [Ransom] is my best friend and we’ve been friends since Memphis but our participation in Front Runners together has enriched that friendship. It’s because of that support that people go from ‘I can barely run three miles’ to ‘I’m finishing a marathon with a really good time.’ Just like how in drag-queen culture they have houses, DC Front Runners is my family of choice.

 

And your least favorite thing? I don’t have one. There’s nothing negative in my life that’s come from the Front Runners.

                                                                                            

You’re a friendly, extroverted, openly-gay person from Memphis, a conservative place. Were you the same person there as you are here? Absolutely. While Memphis is a conservative place, I lived in mid-town, which is much more liberal. Before I worked in healthcare, I worked in the restaurant industry, which is obviously very accepting of all walks of life. I never had to hide being gay at work. When I went to the suburbs, I might have a ‘queer’ comment lodged at me if I was walking with my boyfriend, holding hands or kissing. But it didn’t happen a lot: people in Memphis are pretty polite so they would just talk about it amongst themselves. Even in graduate school, where I was the only gay person in our department, I didn’t hide it and I was president of our class.

 

How do Washingtonians compare to the people of Memphis? DC is a type-A, results-oriented town because the jobs here attract those personalities. Memphis is much more type-B. People in Memphis go with the flow, whereas in DC they set the course. I fit in more with the people here.

 

You are running the Ragnar Ultra Relay from Miami to Key West in January. How did that come about? It was Erich’s idea. Then we told Micah [Norgard] and Joe [Macias] about it and they joined in and got us other runners, Joey [Keyes] and Ryan [Weidling]. And I got us Thorne.

 

None of you have run a Ragnar before. Are you nervous? At first, I was. But now that I’ve seen the rate at which our team is improving - Thorne has gone from running an eleven-minute mile to a 7.30 mile - I’m not nervous anymore.

 

I love your colorful short shorts. But are they comfortable to run in? When I wear body-glide they are! I like them because they really suit my personality and because I think I look cute in them – they show off my ass-ets! I have them in three colors: red, gold and green. I would have blue too, but Thorne has blue so I don’t want to clash.

 

What is your motto in life? I’m stealing my idol Oprah’s: live your best life.

 

  

Interview by Brian Beary, Design by Marcel Acosta

November 2011