NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Stella Christoforou had her work cut out for her last Saturday morning at the St. Jude Rock 'n' Roll Nashville Marathon.
In addition to the 19th annual race being just her second full marathon, the 26-year-old from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, was attempting to complete the hilly 26.2-mile course on just four hours of sleep.
"I'm not a professional runner," Christoforou said. "I have a full-time job at the Fort Campbell Youth Center. I was at work until 1 a.m., and the race started at 7. I kept telling myself, 'Stella, just last until 10 a.m. to finish the race. Then you can crash like no other.'"
Christoforou managed to do just that, holding on just long enough to win the race with a time of 2:53:46 — 14 minutes ahead of second-place finisher Heather Crowe of Palatine, Ill.
She couldn't have done it alone, though.
"I am also a member of Team (Red, White and Blue), which is a nationwide team that supports United States veterans," Christoforou said. "And my husband (Alec Velasco) is a captain in the United States Army and is to be deployed soon. So when I was running, that was what was going through my mind — stay strong because this is the last race he'll get to see me finish for a long time.
Velasco, who serves as Christoforou's trainer, was not only in attendance Saturday, but he also served as the lead cyclist for the women's race.
"We've spent pretty much the last year training," said Velasco, who deploys overseas in three weeks. "I'm either on the bike or running next to her, but I can't keep up. I draw the line at half-marathons."
Saturday's performance, however, was just the beginning.
Christoforou, a native of Cyprus, is training to qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where she hopes to represent the small Mediterranean island nation.
"It's going to be a summer full of training, and he's not going to be here for it," Christoforou said. "I'm so proud of him, and that's why I wanted to stay strong today."
There were a handful of celebrities among the roughly 30,000 racers competing in Saturday's marathon, half-marathon and 5K.
Former "Bachelorette" winner Shawn Booth, along with recording artists Jessica Meuse and Toby Mac each competed in the 5K.
Country music artist and radio personality Chuck Wicks ran the half-marathon.
Saturday starting conditions were widely regarded as the nicest in the event's 19-year history.
"I was shivering at the starting line," Christoforou said.
Those mild morning temperatures didn't last long.
"The temperature was better," six-time defending men's marathon winner Scott Wietecha said. "They were a little better than last year, but it was a little deceiving because there was no cloud cover. I could feel the radiation from the sun, so it was tougher conditions than you would think."