Meet our next Nike Pacer, George Nietert. No stranger to running, George has been pounding the pavement since he graduated from college in 1975. He has also been competing regularly for the last 12 years averaging 40-45 miles a week when he's training year-round (which he's been doing for the last two years). Given that he competes in an amazing seven or eight marathons a year and also participates in a number of 5k's to keep up his speed, George was a virtual shoe-in for the Nike Pace Team.

In addition to running competitively, George also spends his time as a Running Coordinator for the Opportunity Enterprises charity organization in Indiana. Founded 11 years ago, Opportunity Enterprises raises money to support runners training for the Chicago Marathon, a race George has enjoyed competing in for years.

Describing the Chicago marathon as a real 'rush,' George finds nothing more exciting than running through the streets of the Windy City with hundreds of thousands of people watching, cheering and applauding as the runners go by. While the energy and pulse of the city and fans motivate George and the other runners to do their best, the encouragement of his fellow Pacers is also incredibly important. With the combined support of the fans and Pacers, George's enthusiasm for the sport has only continued to grow.

This will be George's eighth time pacing the Chicago marathon, where he will pace between 3:30 and 3:55. We look forward to seeing him encourage others to cross the finish line and show us what he's made of. Congrats George and best of luck in your training!