BENTONVILLE, Ark. — A Bentonville educator is running his 31st marathon as he recovers from a back injury.
Greg Puckett is an assistant principal at Bentonville High School. Puckett was born in Pine Bluff and moved to Northwest Arkansas after attending college. He spent seven years as an AP psychology teacher before making the transition to assistant principal.
"One of the best parts of being an educator is inspiring kids. And you get that chance every single day when you work in a school to be kind to them and show them who you are as a person and let them understand that who they are is valued as well," Puckett said.
Puckett says he got into running because he wanted to meet a colleague.
"She was a really good teacher down the hall and asked me if I would train for a half marathon with her. And I reluctantly said, yes," Puckett said. "I've been running ever since."
The assistant principal says education is demanding and that running has become an outlet and time to get away and decompress, but an accident nearly took that away.
"In 2021, I fell and wound up breaking some lumbar in my back, fracturing them. And I was in bed for about six weeks," Pucket said. "About a month later, I came back and actually here on Coler, walked a mile for the first time and slowly got back into running. That year, I ran two marathons."
Puckett explained that while recovery was slow for him, the only thing he wants is "to keep running as much as I can."
"Running 26 miles isn't easy. And it's a phenomenal feeling to push yourself and cross the finish line. As soon as I do it, I'm already thinking about the next one, already thinking about where I want to run again," Puckett said.
Puckett says he keeps running memorabilia in his office and many of his students are aware of his endeavor. He says he encourages his students if he sees them in races, or even keeps up with them.
"In 2017, I ran the Chicago Marathon and randomly came across a former student named Garrett Park. And he and I ran from a mile nine all the way through the rest of the course together. And it's actually the fastest marathon I've ever run," Puckett said.
Puckett suggests anyone looking to run a marathon start a plan and take one step at a time.
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