Jill Vollweiler (NIKE Central Park Track Club) was the first woman to cross the line in The Nike+ Human Race 10K in New York with an official time of 39:35. For most runners, it is a rare occurrence to cross the finish line and break the tape. When the opportunity presents itself, it is important to relish the moment and appreciate all the hard work that goes into the victory. For Jill, this win will last a lifetime.

"I absolutely loved participating in The Nike Human Race 10K and winning the race. It was exhilarating to run into Icahn Stadium at the end and hear ‘and now, here comes our first woman.' I loved the feeling of running into the stadium, especially after spending a good portion of August watching the coverage of the 2008 Summer Beijing Olympics, including the marathoners compete and run into ‘the Birds Nest.' The last portion of The Nike Human Race was an amazing finishing touch."

Prior to the race, Jill stood at the starting line and looked around to scout out her major competition during the race.

"Looking around the starting line, I saw a number of highly competitive and capable runners. Seeing so many familiar faces only made me want to win more. My plan was simple - run hard and do not get passed. I would have loved to have taken it out and stayed out in front the entire time but that is not always the case during a race. I took off early in the race and led all the women for the first mile and a half. Eventually, Arien O'Connell passed me and I watched her pull away from me for the next mile and a half. About half way through the race, I was encouraged by a fellow runner who offered ‘you can get her.' After hearing that, I took off and found myself passing her shortly thereafter. At that point in the race, I really wanted to win. I felt inspired by the runners, staff, volunteers and by the celebrity sports figures, including Lopez Lomong, the 1500 meter Olympic specialist, and Nate Robinson, the New York Knicks player. After crossing the bridge for the second time, I knew that the race was mine. It was a great feeling."

Leading up to The Nike+ Human Race 10K, Jill had a strict training schedule. She used the race as one of many tune-up races before the NYC Marathon.

"I decided that this race fit perfectly into my overall training. I have been mainly focusing on building a base and logging as many miles as possible each week. I recently ran the NYC Half-Marathon presented by NIKE and did pretty well (1:23.19, 6:21 pace). I have been following the workouts laid out by my coach - Coach Devon Martin - and figured that racing a 10K would allow me to work on my speed. Overall, everything worked out really well."

For Jill, running has been part of her life since the age of 9. She has completed seventeen marathons (winning five) and her next major race is the NYC Marathon. Jill's experience at The Nike+ Human Race 10K was one that she hopes many new runners can experience. On that note, Jill always likes to provide advice to runners new to the scene. For someone looking to compete in a 10K race, Jill offers this advice:

"Start with realistic goals and take it easy at the beginning. For someone completely new to running, he or she should walk/jog a mile each day until he or she is able to jog one full mile. After that, slowly increase mileage and never increase the distance by more than 10%. When you've reached the 10K distance in practice on a consistent basis, I'd stick with a few 5K races and then give the longer distance a try. It also helps to add a few quicker runs now and then and then twice during a week to gain speed while building-up your endurance. Above all, enjoy each run and always be happy with your progress."

Congratulations Jill on an amazing race at The Nike+ Human Race 10K. We'll be sure to keep on eye on you at the NYC Marathon on November 2nd.