Orland Park runner takes on half marathons, placed third in Chicago event
Brandon Lukas, 25, of Orland Park, began running when he was in sixth grade and said he didn’t really enjoy in until a year later. This week, he surprised himself by coming in third during Sunday’s Life Time Chicago Spring Half Marathon.
“I did not anticipate placing that high,” Lukas said. “I didn’t prepare that much for this race.”
Lukas finished in 1 hour, 17 minutes, and 17 seconds, just three seconds behind second-place finisher Christopher Kallenbach, of Chicago, according to race results. The first-place finisher was Zander Mintz, of Austin, Texas, with a time of 1 hour, 12 minutes and 52 seconds.
The majority of the course was along Chicago’s Lakefront Path, with participants running through the city’s Museum Campus and near Soldier Field while taking in views of the city skyline and Lake Michigan. The race, which included 10K and half marathon distances, ended at Maggie Daley Park.
Lukas said he joined the cross country team in sixth grade, but it was joining the track team in seventh grade that really made running enjoyable. He said he liked to run the mile.
Before graduating from Carl Sandburg High School in 2016, he participated in the school’s cross country team and as a senior won the individual title in 15 minutes, 11 seconds in the Class 3A Sandburg Regional to lead the Eagles to the team championship at Midlothian Meadows.
“This race especially, I felt like I really needed to prove myself,” Lukas told the Daily Southtown after the race. “I wanted to win, but I also wanted my teammates to perform well, too.”
After graduation, Lukas said he decided to train for half marathons because there weren’t one-mile races he could sign up for as an adult. While he could sign up for a 5k or 10k run, Lukas said he wanted to challenge himself.
“I feel like the 5k or 10k when there’s a half marathon available, you’re not going for the full experience,” Lukas said.
In 2018, Lukas ran the Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon, his first, and finished in 1 hour, 18 minutes and 40 seconds. The race included bands and live performances, Lukas said, so he recalled the environment being casual and social.
Lukas ran his second half marathon in September 2022 through HOKA Chicago, and said he reached his personal best time of 1 hour, 11 minutes and 36 seconds.
“I was faster then than I am now, but I guess there was more competition back then,” Lukas said.
Sunday was his third half marathon, and Lukas said he was pleased he did so well because he didn’t have much time to prepare.
The course presented some challenges, Lukas said, because it narrowed in some portions and was shared with other runners and the public. The race was an out-and-back course, which meant as he was running toward the finish he had to pass runners going the other direction, he said.
Lukas placed first in the Orland Park Turkey Trot last Thanksgiving, finishing the 2.5 mile run in 14 minutes, 6 seconds, according to race results.
He wasn’t able to train much through April because he had minor injuries and COVID-19, Lukas said. The week before the run, Lukas said he was away on a work trip and wasn’t able to run more than two miles on a treadmill.
“That was probably the second time I ran over 10 miles this year,” Lukas said.
Lukas said he typically trains by running between 5 to 8 1/2 miles and then lift weights for 45 minutes. During a race, Lukas said he likes to run behind a few people to pace himself and then speed up toward the end.
He said running keeps him physically and mentally healthy.
“Running is great, and it can change your life for the better,” Lukas said.
