Local boy, Will Arnold, is in that rare category of runners who finish a marathon and think to themselves, “Is there any way I can do two of those back to back?”

Will grew up right here in the heart of middle Tennessee. In his younger years, he played lacrosse at MBA from middle school through high school. When he left home to attend the University of the South, Sewanee, he switched over to the sport of competitive cycling. For some reason, Will was more interested in the all-day (or “self-destructing” as he calls them) rides. Back then, he could be found trekking the 3 major mountain climbs around Chattanooga, or finding all the various routes up and down Sewanee mountain.

Will came back to Nashville in 2002 to pursue a Master’s Degree in Education from Peabody University. He kept up his competitive cycling, and did not begin his real running career until 2007. Watching his brother-in-law compete in the 2006 Country Music Half marathon, Will decided to buy his own pair of running shoes and try switching from the bike to the foot.

Early on, just 3 weeks after buying his shoes, he competed in the 2006 Oktoberfest 5k. After that he decided to set his goals a little higher, the 2007 Country Music Marathon! After that race he realized that he wanted to push himself even further, and in the following year he competed in the 2007 Dizzy Fifties Trail Run and the inaugural running of the Nashville Ultramarathon in 2008, both are 50 mile races. Will is scheduled to run both races again this year (the Nashville Ultra is on October 17th), and next year he is potentially thinking about running even longer distances and competing in ultra cycling races.

A self-described educator, Will has now made the transition from the classroom to the private sector, and he has even started up his own educational consulting company, Brain Craft: Individualized Education Solutions. The best part is that he still gets the chance to spend time with middle school students who live life in the extremes, which means everything either “sucks,” or “rocks.” He is also a multi-instrumentalist, and has three plates with his name on them at the Flying Saucer.

When he is not working with students or running/biking psychotic distances, he can be found spending time with his wife Becca and their 2 ½ year old son, Davis.