In Northwest Indiana, there are a few words that usually come to mind when describing the area: agriculture, basketball, the dunes…let’s add running to the list. Running has become wildly popular in NWI whether it’s for your morning jog, school sports and activities, or training for the various races that end in -athon and -athlon.
Todd Henderlong realized this, and he capitalized on it. But he didn’t do it for the money; he did it for the love of the sport.
Henderlong was born and raised in Crown Point, IN. He went to college at Indiana University where he majored in Marketing Personnel Management. What brought him to Valpo was his father. Henderlong was a fifth generation construction worker. His father worked in Valpo for a construction company and he needed some help, so Henderlong was recruited. He’s lived in Valpo ever since.
In high school Henderlong was a gymnast, and he joined the track team as a pole vaulter. This, he told me, was the extent of his running background. Henderlong didn’t begin running until his mid twenties. One year he decided to head to the Popcorn Fest and watch the Popcorn Panic. He liked what he saw and decided to run it himself. The Popcorn Panic served as a catalyst and from there he kept at it. Eventually he worked his way up to a half-marathon that some of his family members ran in Indianapolis. Being successful there, Henderlong wondered how hard it would be to run a full marathon. He found out in 1995 at the Chicago Marathon.
“I really fell in love with the sport of running,” Henderlong said.
Speaking of falling in love, Henderlong met his wife Heather at one of the many marathons that he participated in.
“We met and chatted briefly. At the time I was in charge of the OE running team and she was doing some charity work where she lived. And through sheer fate we started corresponding with one another about charity running and over time we realized that we really get along,” Henderlong said. “Until I met Heather I didn’t believe in that whole concept of fate and that certain people are just supposed to be together. Whatever I have achieved or done, I couldn’t have done it without her.”
Have you ever heard of the OE Runners? It’s a group of runners that participate in the Chicago Marathon and raise money for Opportunity Enterprises. Well, Henderlong had a hand in creating the group. He was working for a man named Harley Snyder who was big on community involvement, which meant that part of Henderlong’s job was to work with various non profit and civic organizations. This put him on the Board of Directors for Opportunity Enterprises. During that time, Henderlong joined a group that raised money for charity by running a marathon in California. He thought that it would work here for the Chicago Marathon and OE. It did. The first year there were 68 runners, and each year more and more people join and raise more and more funds that go right back to OE.
Henderlong is a busy guy. He is a mortgage banker at Lake Mortgage, and he and his wife own T&H Timing and Extra Mile Fitness Company.
T&H Timing came first. It was suggested that a charity race (other than the Chicago Marathon) for OE be arranged. So Henderlong began to put it together, and one of the things that needed to be implemented was timing and scoring. He found that to hire out for timing and scoring would be very expensive, so the decision was made that the timing and scoring was going to stay in-house.
“So I timed our first race,” Henderlong said. “It turned out okay and everything looked good. Through that, people found out that we timed our own event, and there were many races that couldn’t afford to have timing. So started getting these phone calls, ‘Hey, will you time my event?’ Will you time my event?’ So if I had a free Saturday I’d go time their event. And I began to get more phone calls. I thought, ‘Okay we’ll put it out there that if you need an event timed, we’ll time it.”
So more races got timed, the races got bigger, and a strong relationship was built between the running community and T&H Timing.
“Everything that we do through [T&H Timing] and the store has been to promote the sport of running,” Henderlong said. “What we charge for the services we provide is much less expensive than what others charge for the same services. We keep our fees affordable especially for smaller races so that they can have professional timing. 95% of the races that we deal with are fundraisers for some charity. It’s all for a good cause.”
People began to ask the Henderlongs when they were going to open up a running store. The need was great in NWI, and the Henderlongs could see that. So they built Extra Mile Fitness Company as a resource for the running community. Top-of-the-line merchandise is sold there for running as well as cycling, so you will often find many running enthusiasts there perusing their wares and just shooting the breeze. This is why he and his family love living in Valparaiso. Henderlong believes that there is a true sense of community here. People will come together for a good cause.
It seems that Henderlong has lead quite a fulfilling life thus far. I asked him if there was anything that he wanted to share with you, the readers,
“My grandpa use to tell me, ‘Do something even if it’s wrong, then at least you’re doing something’,” Henderlong said with a smile. “Work hard. I don’t know haw anyone can walk away from something not trying their best. Also, I firmly believe that in anything that you do, make sure that whoever you’re involved with is getting something out of it. Everything has to be a win-win. And if there’s a winner and a loser, it’s not going to last for long.”
There you have it, folks. Here is a man who has passion, drive, and a selfless commitment to his family, his community, and the sport of running. Todd Henderlong is truly a Valpo Life in the Spotlight.