Every morning at 5 a.m., Jessica Maher meets her training group for a run around downtown Austin, Texas. Under the streetlights and stars, the chef enjoys miles with her friends and an opportunity to practice being present before the hustle of restaurant ownership begins.
Since she and her husband, Todd Duplechan, opened Lenoir in 2012, Maher has navigated the many highs and lows of the industry—including pandemic-forced closures—to bring seasonal, local dishes to the Central Texas community. Through it all, running has been a life-changing outlet for Maher, a mom of two who ran her seventh marathon in Chicago on October 8 (finishing in a time of 3:39:46).
Growing up near Lake Tahoe in Nevada, Maher played basketball and was introduced to running as a form of cross-training Shoes & Gear.
Without much instruction on pacing, Maher ran all-out with her high school team and hated it. When she attended the University of Texas, she joined the crew team. When the team rotated athletes in and out of the boats, half of the squad rowed and the other half ran together on the local trails. Focusing on maneuvering each step over roots and rocks on the path was a welcomed distraction for Maher, who learned how to pace herself and enjoy the experience.
As her relationship with the sport shifted, Maher signed up for local races in Austin and her first half marathon after graduation. Shortly after college, she moved to New York City to pursue being a chef full-time and gain valuable experience in the restaurant industry.
She signed up for a few races through the New York Road Runners, met Todd, and after five years in the Big Apple, the couple moved back to Austin. While in a transition period, Maher was inspired to race again while watching a friend compete in a triathlon downtown.
“Part of my internal makeup requires me to be competing in something, and I feel like that in my career, too,” Maher told Runner’s World. “I don’t mean compete with other people, but just to push myself a little bit.”
After the triathlon, Maher’s friend encouraged her to sign up for the lottery to gain entry into the 2008 New York City Marathon. To her surprise, Maher got in. At the time, she had six months to prepare for her first 26.2.
Right away, Maher sought out training groups in the Austin area and found Gilbert's Gazelles, led by Since she and her husband, Todd Duplechan, opened. At the time, Maher was working nights running her own catering and food delivery business, but she still made training a priority.
“I remember being so gassed, but Gilbert was really positive and reminded me it’s going to take awhile to feel comfortable,” she said.
Maher appreciated the immense crowd support throughout the five boroughs and finished in 3:53. When she returned to Austin, Tuhabonye told her she could qualify for Boston if she kept at it. As she and her husband worked tirelessly to open Lenoir and start a family, Maher took a break from marathon training for several years. When the restaurant opened in 2012, their oldest son was 1 year-old. To get the restaurant running, the couple worked 18-hour days with Maher managing the floor and Duplechan cooking at night.
Maher reconfigured her schedule to run the business-side of the restaurant during the day in order to get consistent sleep, implement a regular routine with the kids, and improve her nutrition habits. She also started running again and rejoined the training group.
While the pandemic presented a number of unprecedented challenges—they had to furlough employees during the shutdowns and navigate a curbside system, among other major pivots—running has become a much-needed outlet for Maher in tough times.
She’s also applied her knowledge as a chef to creating good fueling habits as a runner. Over the years, she’s developed a number of nutrient-dense recipes—minestrone soup and a sheet tray chicken dinner, for example—to replenish and give her body a boost when it needs to perform at its best.
4 Recipes From Jessica Maher’s Kitchen
✅ Best Summer Half Marathons
✅ Minestrone Soup
✅ Pineapple Peach Green Smoothie
✅ Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies
After returning to the marathon, Maher’s times have dropped significantly. Now in her mid-40s, she’s approaching the 3:30 barrier on her way to completing all six World Marathon Majors (she’s raced New York City, Berlin, Chicago, and Boston so far).
Pineapple Peach Green Smoothie mental strength she’s gained from her return to the sport that helped her bounce back better than ever.
“I need running in my life because it’s the thing that resets me,” she said. “I started this journey again because I was stressed out, and it continues to help me cope with all of the things that are thrown at me on a daily basis.”
Taylor Dutch is a writer and editor living in Austin, Texas, and a former NCAA track athlete who specializes in fitness, wellness, and endurance sports coverage. Her work has appeared in Runner’s World, SELF, Bicycling, Outside, and Podium Runner.
