“Running is like when I set a goal in life. I can’t not do it. I have to see it through.”
Written by: Tyisha Blade
Every year, thousands of people hit the pavement for the Cleveland Marathon. This year, the two-day event is held May 20-21. Participants can run or walk in full, half, 10K or 5K marathons. Some people gear up and choose to run for a cause. For other contestants, the Cleveland Marathon helps them accomplish personal goals and health recommendations. Abdul Abdul-Qahhaar says he runs because he has to.
Abdul-Qahhaar, is currently an electrician working for IBEW38. He started electrical work in 2000 and named his company JJR Construction, after his three sons Jason, Jason and Rasool. The natural athlete says he has participated in sports activities since he was 8 years old. His athletic career began when he and his family resided in King Kennedy, a public housing project in Cleveland's Central neighborhood. There was a baseball field behind the building; this piqued his curiosity in sports in 1974. “I walked up to the baseball diamond during a game,” he said. “I thought to myself, ‘I like those uniforms, I want to do that’. So, I did.” He later transitioned to playing football in 1975. He also played tennis, soccer and he was on a swim team. He and his family relocated to a home on Northfield Ave. in East Cleveland after leaving King Kennedy in 1980.
He recalls being proud to be from East Cleveland, and says he added several athletics to his experience level including in boxing and wrestling. He was also involved in music activities participating in Kirk Middle School’s Concert, Orchestra and Stage Band, where he played the tuba and the string bass. He later joined Shaw High School’s Marching Band where he played several other instruments including the baritone, flugelhorn, and drums. “Music was definitely one of the biggest things in my life back then,” Abdul-Qahhaar said. He was also involved in Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps and Shaw’s Vocational Welding Program.
Abdul-Qahhaar became impressed with running as a sport in 1978, just before moving to East Cleveland. He was a member of Boy Scouts of America. His troop had an event at Cleveland State University. Abdul-Qahhaar witnessed participants gearing up to run in the Cleveland Marathon outside the University. “Folks were picking up their packets and race numbers,” he recalls. “I was like ‘man, those marathon runners! I want to do that one day. Mind you, I was 12 years old.”
In 2000, he was, again, intrigued by the Cleveland Marathon. However, he didn’t participate because he had not trained. “I didn’t know anything about training for a marathon,” he said. “No one is going to participate in a marathon without having done any training. That’s not gonna happen. Either you are not going to finish or you will hurt yourself along the way.”
He would complete his first Cleveland Marathon in 2013, participating in the 10K. In 2014, he gave himself months before the marathon to start training. It was then that he completed his first full marathon. Afterward, he participated in several other races, such as long course triathlons. He says he’s always telling himself ‘this is my last race.’ “During each race I am always thinking ‘well, this is it, I am not doing this again,’” he laughed. “After each race, I am always looking for the next one.”
Training is intense, taking months of preparation. For the November 2023 IronMan Arizona race, Abdul-Qahhaar began training in December of 2022. He does base training (the introductory or foundational preparation period in the first phase of a training cycle) for a month. “I’ll start with strength training, conditioning, balance and stretching,” he said. The length of his runs usually depend on each phase of training. Beginning phases involve a 3-5 per day mile run at a moderate pace. More extensive training for marathons include 60 miles per week. As he prepares for triathlons, he trains six-days per week, two hours a day. His home gym helps when he is cycling and he is sure to run on his treadmill afterwards. “That gets my legs used to getting off the bike and running [in the triathlon],” he added.
His first indoor-triathlon was in January in 2019 in Hudson, OH where he took first place in his age group. The avid runner completed his first outdoor triathlon at the Cleveland Triathlon. His longest race was 2022 Ironman Ohio 70.3, a 70-mile race consisting of a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13-mile run. After completing the 2021 Cleveland Triathlon, he qualified to run in the National Triathlon in August 2022. In 2023, he also plans to complete several other marathons including the Cleveland Marathon in May, Ironman Ohio in July, and the Berlin Marathon in September which is located in Germany.
Abdul-Qahhaar is also extremely adventurous. In 2019, after running a marathon in Arizona, he climbed the Piestewa Peak Mountain the next day. Piestewa Peak is 2,610 feet tall and is the second highest point in the Phoenix Mountains. “A lot of people were like, ‘Dude you did that the day after a full [marathon]?’ I was like ‘Yea, why wouldn’t I?’... Later on I found out that’s not normal!” At the age of 6, he found a love for outdoor activities. He climbed his first mountain in 1978 when he was in The Boy Scouts of America. “I am definitely an outdoorsman,” he added. Within the next couple years, the audacious runner plans to climb the Denali Mountain which is the highest mountain peak in North America, standing 20,310 feet above sea level.
He says being from East Cleveland prepared him for life because it helped him develop a ‘never quit, never give up’ mindset. He also recalls the good relationships he’s had with residents of East Cleveland. “Some of my best friends come from East Cleveland,” he said. “One of the biggest things that I learned is to have pride in my community…And the people from East Cleveland have a strong sense of pride. Our community is our family.”
One of his fondest memories of being from East Cleveland was while he was a member of Shaw’s Band as a freshman under the direction of Robert Thomas. The group was preparing to go to the Ohio State Fair to compete. “We had to be at the school at 3 o’clock in the morning,” he said. “I went to my first house party right before that.” Abdul-Qahhaar attended the house party, left, then headed to Shaw. He recalls the ‘For Lovers Only’ segment playing on 93.1 WZAK before he arrived at the school. He called the radio station and dedicated a song to the band. “I was never into parties, just school and sports,” he added. “My cousin Gladys lived on Charles Rd. and she was also in the band. I picked her up and went to the school to prepare to compete. That day was definitely one of my fondest memories.”
Much of his motivation comes from wanting to set a good example for those around him. Abdul-Qahhaar says his ultimate goal is to be an inspiration. “There is so much negativity in the world,” he said. “When I [go], I want people to know that I had to overcome some things, but my comeback game was strong.”
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