When J.T. Chestnut lines up for this year’s Dublin Marathon, he’ll be doing so for the third time, halfway across the world from his home in Los Angeles, yet exactly where he feels he belongs.
“Ireland’s my spiritual home,” he says, “because it’s where I found family again.”
From North Carolina to LA to Ireland
J.T. grew up in North Carolina and moved to Los Angeles at 18. “I came out to my parents when I was sixteen,” he says, “and it didn’t go so well. My father beat the crap out of me and I got kicked out of my home.” He spent time in foster care before finding his feet in California.
Now 36, he works as an outreach and retention specialist for the Guardian Scholars Programme at Cal State LA, supporting young people in foster care to stay in education. “It’s a meaningful job because I was one of them. I know what it’s like to feel like you don’t have a family.”
That sense of family, or rather, the lack of it, explains the deep pull Ireland has for him. “When I met my friend Anthony Lieghio at a wedding in 2018 , we instantly connected,” he says. “Then when I got into the Dublin Marathon, Anthony and his family took me in. The love I felt from them, and from their late great Uncle Eamon Dolan, who was part of the marathon scene, made me realise I’d found a family in Ireland. That’s why I keep coming back.”
Running & Whitney
J.T. laughs easily when talking about how he started running. “I couldn’t play basketball, that was the one Black person gene I didn’t have,” he grins. “So, one day when I was fourteen, I was running and this black SUV pulled up beside me. A woman rolled down the window and said, ‘Hi, are you JT? I’m Coach Miller. Meet me next Wednesday for cross-country practice.’ And that was that.”
Marathon running came later. “I’d moved to LA, still ran a bit, but hadn’t done anything serious until 2010. Then Whitney Houston died. She was my favourite diva. It was the weekend of my birthday and I was devastated. So, I said, right, I’m signing up for the LA Marathon in 2012 for Whitney. That year I ran two marathons in her honour.
‘My Mum Said, You’re Going to Die’
Even while running marathons, J.T. was fighting another battle. Through much of the 2010s and into 2020, drinking and alcoholism crept further into his life until it became impossible to ignore. He doesn’t shy away from his lowest point. “I went sober on 15 October 2020,” he says. “My mum sat me down and said, ‘J.T., I love you with all my heart, but you need to stop drinking because if you don’t, you’re going to die.’”
He pauses for a moment before continuing. “That hit me hard. I was probably still drunk from the night before. I remember travelling back to LA, and that night I had my last drink, a glass of Chardonnay, very classy of me,” he laughs. “The next morning, I woke up crying and said, I give up. Asking for help was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But I knew if I didn’t, I’d die.”
Running, he says, saved him twice. “When I quit drinking, I gained weight, all sweets, no booze, so I started running again. It gave me focus, it gave me purpose, and it was mine. No one could take it away. I fell in love with running all over again.”
By April 2021, he ran his first sober half marathon in Austin, Texas, then the Chicago Marathon later that year. “There’s a photo of me running in Chicago, smiling ear to ear,” he says. “That’s the look of someone who knows he’s living again.”
He celebrated five years sober on October 15th this year. “I ran five miles for five years,” he says. “Running keeps me together. It’s the glue that holds everything in place.”
The Six-Star Journey
J.T. has done it all, Berlin, Boston, Tokyo, New York, Chicago, and London, earning the coveted Abbott World Marathon Majors six-star medal. “All through ballot entries too,” he says proudly. “Each one was phenomenal, but New York was a party. The city came alive. The people, the energy, it was just electric.”
Berlin this year , though, was the toughest. “It was 30, maybe 32 degrees. Brutal. But it was my last one, and I had this back bib that said ‘Finishing my six-star journey in Berlin.’ People kept shouting congratulations at me. That kept me going. It was painful and perfect all at once.”
He’s now eyeing Sydney, which joined the Majors series last year. “The ballot results come out right after I get back from Dublin,” he says. “Hopefully I’ll get lucky.”
‘Dublin Will Always Be My Favourite’
Despite the glamour of the Majors, Dublin remains the one that matters most.
“Dublin is my favourite marathon, hands down,” he says. “It’s magical. My love language is friendliness and the people in Dublin just have it in spades. The spectators, the runners, the craic on the course, it’s all love.”
He laughs remembering one small moment at the start line. “A guy came up to me and said, ‘Did you run this last year?’ I said, ‘I did. Hi, Andrew.’ He nearly fell over that I remembered his name. But that’s Dublin. I remember faces and names because people leave an impression.”
Then there was the finish. “When I PR’d (PB’d) in 2022, 3:27:54 , I was holding back tears. Then this older volunteer, glasses on, like someone’s nana, waved me over and said, ‘Come here, love. You did it. I’m so proud of you.’ I just bawled my eyes out and hugged her. That’s Dublin for you.”
He also has a mischievous side. “If I see a good-looking man on the course, I’ll shout, ‘Nice legs!’ or something like that. Everyone laughs. Irish people aren’t used to compliments, but I always say, everyone deserves their flowers.”
Not an Influencer
J.T. has nearly 7,000 Instagram followers, but he laughs at being called an influencer. “That word makes me cringe,” he says. “I just share my story. I’ve had people come up at races saying, ‘Hey, you’re J.T. Chestnut, I follow you!’ and I’ll say, ‘What’s your screen name again?’ and then I’ll remember them. I love connecting with people.”
He says the best part is hearing from people who’ve been inspired by his openness. “People message saying, thank you for sharing your story, it helped me. That’s why I do it. I’m not chasing followers, I’m chasing connection.”
Looking Ahead
After Dublin, he plans to take a break from marathons before returning to the UK in 2026. “I’m running the Manchester Marathon in April,” he says, “and make sure you put this in, I’m a Liverpool fan! Last year before Dublin I went to see Liverpool play at Anfield. I’m doing the same again before Manchester, Liverpool v Everton. It’s my good luck charm.”
As for ultras or trails? “Absolutely not,” he laughs.
And if he could send one message to anyone struggling? He doesn’t hesitate.
“There is help,” he says. “And the first bold, courageous step is asking for it.”
Quick Fire
Post-race meal: “A pint of Guinness Zero and a burger.”
Pre-race ritual: “One-mile shake-out run, banana, and listen to Whitney.”
Biggest race-day mistake: “Running without band-aids on my nipples.”
Song that sums it all up: I’m Still Standing by Elton John.
You can follow JT Chestnut’s journey on Instagram at @jtchestnut