Jason Heinrich started running to give back to St. Jude but did not realize in a few short years that he would make his mark on the Memphis Ultra Marathon community. Born in Arkansas but raised in Memphis, Jason grew up playing sports but was never a dedicated runner. When he began playing rugby in high school at White Station, he became more accustomed to running. However, after high school, Jason lost interest in running and did not foresee returning to the sport. This changed in 2021 when Jason decided to run the St. Jude Marathon to raise money for the hospital.
At the time, Jason’s three-year-old daughter Genevieve was diagnosed with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), a blood disorder that causes a low platelet count. She was treated at Lebonheur, and her treatment was eventually transferred to St. Jude, where Jason and his wife were blown away by the incredible treatment their daughter received. “Being from Memphis, you hear about the amazing things the St. Jude nurses and staff are doing for their patients, but seeing it firsthand is incredible,” Jason says. Jason remembers that because Genevieve’s favorite color is pink, her nurses would wear pink scrubs during checkups. Seeing how far above and beyond they went for Genevieve and their patients, Jason wanted to find a way to give back. “My wife suggested I try to run the marathon, and that training is really when I fell in love with distance running,” Jason remembers.
Jason trained for about six months, waking up between 3:30 and 4:00 a.m. every morning to get his miles in. He soon completed his first 5K, 10K, and made it to marathon day in 2021. “Running through the hospital and seeing how huge it is for our community made the run mean so much more for me,” Jason says. He fell in love with the sport and recognized the benefits of the mental clarity he found during his early morning runs.
Soon enough, Jason was itching to run even further and challenged himself to try an ultra-marathon. In March 2023, Jason ran his first 50-mile ultra marathon, the Cancer Kickers Big Buffalo 50, where he finished third in his division. Since then, he has run the Arkansas Traveller 100 Miler in 2023, which he finished in 23 hours, and the Big Buffalo 50 in 2024, where he got third overall. This past summer, while running the Arkansas Traveller 100 Miler for the second time, Jason had to drop out at mile 40 due to improper fueling. “My pride was hurt, so I doubled down and did the No Business 100 and finished in 31 hours, then the following Saturday did the Natchez Trace 50 miler, to finish out the miles I did not complete in Kentucky,” Jason says.
As he continuously prepares for his next ultra, Jason often runs 10 miles in the morning and six in the afternoon. He is also conscious of staying on his feet for most of the day, which is easy to achieve through his career at Next Day Access, where he works to deliver and professionally install mobility equipment, including wheelchair ramps, stair lifts, grab bars, vehicle lifts, lift chairs, and more. “I am lucky to work for a company that is so incredibly open and supportive of my running goals and has given me space to do these long races. We’re a company specializing in keeping those with physical ailments mobile in and out of the house, so it’s an obvious reminder to me to be grateful for my physical health,” Jason says.
When asked what keeps him motivated, Jason recognizes his family as his main source of inspiration. “As a dad of four, with a fifth on the way, everything I do comes back to my kids. When I run ultras, I hope my kids see that their dad can do really challenging things and that they can, too. These ultras can be a metaphor for life and a reminder that you can make it through things that may seem impossible.”
Jason has no plans to slow down any time soon and has big goals for his future as an ultra runner. His dream races are eventually running the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) Ultramarathon in Switzerland and the Leadville Ultra in Colorado. “Many ultra runners don’t hit their peak until their 40s or 50s, so I know I can keep improving. It’s such a mental sport, and my mind gets stronger with each race.”
Jason also aims to support the running community further by becoming a marathon pacer for visually impaired runners. “This is something I’m very passionate about, as I came to Next Day Access to help people become more mobile. I didn’t expect they’d be so supportive of my personal running goals, and their willingness to sponsor me has been a huge encouragement.”
By Zoe Harrison
Photos by Tindall Stephens
