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DULUTH - A full-time single father decided he wanted to set a healthy example for his three children, so he enrolled in a class on running a marathon.

Elite runner Katie McGee coaches the two-credit course every spring at Lake Superior College to prepare students for the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon and the Grandma's Marathon. For some students, the course serves as an opportunity to learn more about running. For others, like Chris Engstrom, it's an introduction to a new lifestyle.

"You can't just say you're going to go on this health kick and after that go back," Engstrom said. "It's an ongoing lifestyle change that I have to stick with."

Engstrom is a full-time student at LSC on his way to getting an associate degree while working a couple part-time campus jobs. He had never made a habit of running before enrolling in the class but through his training in preparation for today's race, he has already run 13 miles, twice.

Although he had yet to run the race, he said the course has showed him he can follow through on a goal when the work gets tough. It's McGee's biggest goal when teaching the course - getting students to reach a larger goal, whether it's completing the race, making a certain time or learning how to maintain a healthy exercise schedule as many of her students make the transition from high school to college.

"I feel like running is a really healthy way to not just be physically healthy but also mentally healthy," McGee said. "It's kind of like a friend you can have your whole life."

Since 2005 she's been teaching the online running class after taking the reins from legendary runner Dick Beardsley, who taught it for a couple years. This year the course enrolled almost 30 students, most of whom will run the half marathon.

McGee requires students to participate in a discussion board where they share their challenges and accomplishments of the training process. Both McGee and the students respond to the posts with advice or words of encouragement. Students read a textbook from McMillan Running, an online running company where McGee coaches, and choose one of the book's customized training plans to follow.

"I try to do a lot of focusing on community even though it's online so they have to interact quite a bit with one another," McGee said. "So it feels like a support system even though you're not meeting someone every Saturday morning for a run."

The race is their final exam, McGee said, because it's a way to hold students accountable and measure the 14 weeks of training and studying. However, she said, she would never fail someone who couldn't finish or wasn't able to race because of an injury or other reason.

Students also have to take an assessment test before they can enroll so McGee can ensure they have a certain level of fitness going in and will be able to succeed in the course. The assessment shouldn't have been a problem for Grandma's Marathon veteran Dylan Takkunen.

Running has become a way for him to stay active after high school sports. He didn't run competitively in high school, but Takkunen ran his first marathon last year at Grandma's and has ran the half a few times as well, starting at age 17.

When last year's race didn't go well for Takkunen because of the weather, he figured joining a class would better prepare him for this year's race.

"There's so much to learn about running," Takkunen said. "I am always willing to learn anything that Katie says. I'm just basically taking it all in while the course lasts. I kind of wish it didn't have to end because I like having somebody there for any questions I have about running."

Takkunen has learned the value of a proper recovery, and knowing when to take certain runs slow. It's a hobby he said he's going to stick with for awhile.

Following today's race McGee's students have a week to submit their last assignment - a short paper on their race story to share with her and their classmates on the discussion board.

"If you want to do something well you want to surround yourself with positive energy and people who are goal oriented," she said. "It doesn't seem to matter how fast a person is. What's important to me is that they have goals. Being a part of that energy I think is really exciting."