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Chris Free is a masters marathoner from Virginia Beach, Virginia, a member of the Tidewater Striders Elite team, and an athlete coached by two-time U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier Dylan Belles. He holds a marathon personal best of 2:33:05, set at the 2025 Marathon Project Gold Wave, where he placed 19th overall, top master, and recorded an age-graded performance of 82 percent. His half-marathon personal best is 1:13:05, achieved at the 2024 One City Half Marathon.

Chris has completed 27 marathons, won three marathons, earned seven marathon podium finishes, and competed in 17 states and 5 continents. His victories include the 2022 Louisiana Marathon, where he ran 2:38:56 with a negative split; the 2024 Louisville Marathon; and the 2024 Back Your Badge Marathon, where he established a course record. He was also named the 2024 Tidewater Striders Male Performer of the Year.

In 2025, Chris completed the Tokyo Marathon to earn his Abbott World Marathon Majors Six Star Medal. In May 2026, he represented the United States at the Abbott World Marathon Majors Age Group World Championships in Cape Town, South Africa.

Chris’s development as an athlete has been defined by sustained improvement and consistency. Over the course of his running career, he has lowered his marathon time by nearly 80 minutes while balancing high-level training with his responsibilities as a husband, father, and nonprofit communications and fundraising executive. Under the guidance of Dylan Belles, Chris typically trains between 70 and 90 miles per week, incorporating structured threshold sessions, marathon-specific workouts, long runs, strength training, and regular double-run days. Most importantly, he loves Jesus, his bride, and his two cute curly-haired kids.

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