Kaci Lickteig, the winning woman in this year's Lincoln marathon and one of the top ultramarathon runners in the world, will visit Norris on Thursday to speak to student athletes. She will speak in the Norris HS auditorium at 6:30 PM Thursday. She will talk about training, preparation, and the mental focus required to be great. 

The visit was arranged by volunteer coach Jim Craig for the Norris Cross Country program, and the event, free of charge and open to the public, will have a special invite for the Norris student athletes. Many of the Cross Country runners have been meeting throughout the sweltering summer months to train and log miles together in preparation for the coming season. 

"We wanted to open it up to the public, as Kaci has a great story and is a real inspiration not just for Nebraska runners, but anyone who is out there striving to meet their goals," said Craig. 

Lickteig won the women's division of the Lincoln marathon in 2:48, but her real forte has been over even longer distances of 50 to 100 miles, over arduous and mountainous terrain and under conditions most people wouldn't think of tackling. Lickteig is a superstar among elite distance runners, having just won the Western States 100 mile trail run in an amazing time of 17:57 or just under 18 hours. The California race through the Sierra Nevada mountains is renowned for its difficulty, as runners climb 18,000 feet and descend nearly 23,000 over its challenging trails.