Austin Roth made a name for himself in the late 2000s as a runner at Lake Highlands High School and University of Texas at Austin. After some time off, he proved last weekend that he’s still speedy, even across the previously uncharted distance of 26.2 miles.
Roth, 25, grew up near Flagpole Hill with his his dad, who was an elite marathoner, according to Dallas Morning News running columnist Debbie Fetterman.
Senior year at LHHS, younger Roth placed second overall in 9:08 in the 3,200-meter at the Texas Relays, a feat that bolstered his collegiate career, he tells Fetterman.
“That was the actual standout moment,” he said. “That was the magical race that kick-started my college career and highlighted my high school career.”
Last weekend Roth raced his first-ever marathon in Houston and finished in 2:21, just a few minutes off Olympic Trials qualifying standards. (Also, coincidentally, it was the same time his dad held during the Houston Marathon in 1985.)
According to the article, Roth began working for J.P. Morgan Chase in Houston in 2013. Eight months ago, his boss registered for the Houston Marathon and suggested that Roth join him. Roth agreed without thinking too much about the long hours of training he’d need to stack atop long work hours.
“My dad told me, ‘That was dumb. Now you have to start running,’ ” Austin tells Fetterman.
Based on our post about him in 2009, Austin’s also an Eagle Scout.