No Brakes on Bareikis' Training Regimen

Sitting down with distance runner Arturs Bareikis at a local coffee shop, one senses the peace of mind that lives inside the young man. Sure, a recent visit lasted only an hour, but it was still so obvious.

More than his determination or his tenacity to step into the elite, it was his calm, knowing he was giving everything in his heart to each run, each race, that was plainly evident.  All the while, expecting the best from himself.  

Such was the case Saturday, April 30, at the Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon held in Champaign. Bareikis, a Tinley Park High School alum, was shooting for his half-marathon personal record. He finished the 13.1 miles in less than 73 minutes and placed third in a race with more than 6,400 participants.  Although he beat his personal record by three seconds--like a true runner--Barekis wasn’t satisfied with his run. He has a remarkable resolve for someone who had never raced prior to high school.

Hailing from Latvia, Bareikis moved to Oak Forest with his mother and sister when he was 13 years old.

“Before my freshman year at Tinley (Park High School), I was playing basketball and wanted to get in shape before the season," he said. "I heard about this thing called cross country.  It sounds stupid, but I thought we would be running across all the different states. Funny, I’m still at it a decade later.”

Coach Saw it Coming

Five years after his first cross country race, then 19, Arturs decided he wanted to run a long-distance race. Did he choose a half-marathon? A full? Of course not, instead deciding on an ultra-marathon, the 2006 Lakefront 50K for his maiden-voyage. Bareikis placed second in the race and became the youngest competitor in the nation’s top 200 for the 50K that year.

Tinley Park High School track coach Scott Frigo recognized potential in Bareikis at an early age.

“Arturs showed passion and talent coming in as a freshman," Frigo said. "Every year, he developed. He is a real student of the game. It’s no surprise to me (to see) his growth physically and mentally as a runner."

Following high school, Bareikis spent four years running for three different university programs: Saint Xavier, Robert Morris and Chicago State.  Last year, finishing his collegiate career in the Division I ranks, the question of Bareikis' motivation arose in the minds of some, but he insists it is stronger than ever.

“Everyone has their own motivation to run," he said. "Whether it be to lose weight or see gains in fitness.  I run for performance reasons, but it’s my family that motivates me. Anytime I struggle to run, or struggle to find motivation for a 5 a.m. 10-mile run, I think about them and the support they give me. I’d like to be the first one in the family to accomplish something athletically.”

Dreaming of a Victory Lap

With benchmarks being made each season, Bareikis now has his sights set on track’s biggest stage. He holds dual citizenship in Latvia and the United States, and he hopes to run for the Latvian Olympic Team in several years. Latvia, with 3 million people, has a slower Olympic time requirement compared to the United States. Bareikis plans to hit 2:32 in a marathon this fall, but it’s his five-year goal of 2:18, a B-Standard Olympic qualifying time for Latvia, that drives him the most.

“For me, it’s not about jogging out there," he said. "It’s about becoming the best in my country. I think that would make my family proud. My ultimate dream is to have my sister and my mother, everyone left in the family, at the Olympic stadium with my last lap to go. That’s when I could hang it up. Hopefully, I can live it and not just dream it. But you have to be a dreamer to be able to live it.” 

In the end, Bareikis knows he has to be lucky to accomplish his goals. Stay healthy, stay motivated. 

Two weeks after setting his half-marathon record at the race in Champaign, Bareikis drove to Indianapolis to run in the prestigious Indy 500 Mini Half-Marathon. Again, he set a personal-record, smashing his time by 2 minutes.  He placed 27th out of 34,000 with a time of 1:10.  Showing such heart and dedication to his craft, it’s clear this runner is making his family proud.