Spotlight: Steffen Uhrich on Winning the Chicago Area Runners Association Circuit and His Time Training with the Fleet Feet Racing Team

Runners of all levels annually participate in Chicago Area Runner Association’s Race Circuit, a Mario Kart style local race series, to complement their year-long training and earn competitive awards for themselves and their clubs. Circuit races are found in both the city and suburbs and include both major world-class events and local races.

We caught up with Steffen Uhrich to talk about being the overall male winner of this year’s Runners’ Choice Circuit, how he uses the camaraderie surrounding his teammates within the Fleet Feet Racing Team to his advantage, and gives some tips for us average Joe runners

I met Steffen on an uncharacteristically cold early-November morning at the Maine South High School parking lot across from the Des Plaines River Trail. Steffen gets the bulk of his miles in on these trails. Running in technical terrain is comforting to him after growing up around trails in the suburbs of Milwaukee and running the steeplechase in college.

“I used to go on runs in the woods with my mom but she was too slow for me so I would just go off on my own and just jump over logs,” he tells me as we push through the brush.

Steffen lives on the outskirts of Chicago in Park Ridge but the bustle of the city is easily felt and heard.

“I hop on these trails four times a week just to get away from the city and the pavement and other people. I feel like you can just zone out and enjoy the run so much more on a trail. Running on stuff like this gets all the extra muscles working that you don’t get on pavement.” Steffen says as the Blue Line runs just a mile away and the constant sound of airplanes set to land at O’Hare blister above us.

We continued to push through the thicket to find Des Plaines River as I asked Steffen some questions about his racing season, his time training with the Fleet Feet Racing Team, and offered running advice to those who can’t relate to winning local races.

First off, congratulations on your accomplishment. You were CARA’s Circuit Runner of the month and the overall winner of this year’s Runners’ Choice Circuit. Did you go out this season and train with this specific goal in mind?

I think there’s two parts to that answer. First, I actually won the ciricult last year as well. So there’s always kind of that goal to defend the title. Second, I also had the goal to get some track races in so I didn’t necessarily say im going to run every single circuit race and these are going to be the only races that I do, but I think the circuit fits pretty well into the Chicago racing scene in general. There are a lot of races I would run if they weren’t on the circuit.

For those who don’t know, how does the scoring system work? Does it seem to reward consistency or speed?

There are 15 races on the circuit. They score your best eight races. The point system awards points to the top 25 runners of each race. First place receives 25 points and 25th place receives 1 point and so on. Whoever has the most points at the end of the season wins.

In your interview with Chicago Area Runner's Association, you mentioned that the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle is your favorite local race. What about that race appeals to you? Is it the fact that it’s kind of the “kick off” to the Chicago running season? Or is it the unique 8K distance?

I think it’s competition honestly. There are very few races in Chicago outside of the marathon that are as competitive as the Shamrock Shuffle. It was my worst score of the season but to this date it’s my best race of 2019. I ran 25:06 and the goal was sub-25. There’s also the team aspect. You can create a team and the race scores the top four from your team. It felt more like a college cross country race where you have teammates that you’re running for as well as yourself.

How has it been training with the Fleet Feet Racing Team? Is there a sense of community within the team? Is there any friendly competition between the team members?

Definitely a bit of both. I think friendly competition is good. But we all have our own goals. I think it’s more motivation. It inspires you to pursue your own goals when you hear the goals of others and it’s so much easier to get a speed workout in, or long run,  when you have a couple of guys on the same page as you. I think that just dates back to being a high school and college runner. I’ve been saying that a lot since I graduated. I think you take it for granted a little bit when you’re in school and you have these 20 guys who are all on the same page and so that’s what I was trying to find after school. That’s been one of the biggest benefits of joining the Fleet Feet Racing Team: having other guys who have the same goals that you can train with.

How do you stay motivated during the colder winter months?

That’s a good question. I think it’s a hard question. It’s probably useful for everyone to know that everyone has those struggles of getting out the door, regardless of your pace. I keep my goals in mind, whatever that is. For me, this past winter, it was getting on the track and doing track races. If you have a goal in mind it makes it that much easier to get out of the door. And also, I feel like there’s two pieces. You have to have that goal to keep you motivated but you also need to make it a habit. Sometimes as lofty as our goals can be, you find yourself falling back on your habits and routines. Making running a routine, at some point, you start to question it less.

You mentioned your enjoyment in running some track races this past spring as a change of pace. We recently interviewed fellow Fleet Feet Racing Team Chris Roberston and talked to him about his accomplishment of running a 4:46 beer mile at the world championship. Any interest?

It’s funny you say that. I actually did an unofficial beer mile in Chicago recently and I ran pretty fast. And I drank really slow. Honestly doing one gave me so much appreciation for what Chris can do. I think we can square off in a mile and be pretty close running-wise but the dude can drink me under the table.

Tomorrow you’re running the RAM RAcing Hot Chocolate 15K. What is your goal?

I’m actually racing the Indy Monumental Half next weekend. Tomorrow I want to go out and compete at the front and run a pace that will set me up for the half marathon. If I can run that pace tomorrow then I can try to hold on for four more miles next weekend.

Spoiler: he won the RAM Racing Hot Chocolate 15K with a time of 48:31.

For those of us who can’t relate to coming close to winning races, what is one piece of advice would you give to someone who is just trying to get better and faster at running?

I really think teammates help. I have such an appreciation for teammates since graduating school. You leave and go into the working world and your job might have that feeling that you’re all aligned around a common goal but you might not have that running-wise. I think that’s what Fleet Feet does so well. On our Wednesday workouts you have the full spectrum: someone at the back of the group and someone at the front of the group. Regardless of pace, everyone still has the same goal. So someone who’s just getting into running or wants to improve, if you find a group of people who you enjoy being around and who you can run together with, I think that makes it fun and interesting.