Molex CEO reflects on his winning the CEO Challenge 50+ age group at the Chicago Marathon

Martin Slark, 52, is the CEO of Molex, a $3.3 billion manufacturer of electronic connectors based in Lisle, Ill. He's been the chief executive of Molex since 2005.

But he's been a runner all his life. Inspired by Sebastian Coe and other British middle distance runners, Slark ran for his high school team in the United Kingdom.

He still runs today, mainly focusing on 5k and 10k road races, but he does run the occasional marathon. His personal best is the 3:12 he ran in Hong Kong a decade ago. He ran in the CEO Challenge, which was part of the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon on Oct. 7. On a brutally hot day, Slark ran a 4:12:07 to win the 50+ age group of the CEO Challenge, which pits CEOs and other top executives against one another in events that range from marathons and triathlons to tennis and golf.

David Eagar, 47, was the overall winner of the CEO Challenge in the Chicago Marthon, finishing in 2:51:52 on a day in which most runners were just happy to finish the 26.2-mile course. Eagar is the president of DME Construction in Hawaii.

In an exclusive interview with GeezerJock, Slark discussed the CEO Challenge, the heat during the race, what role running has played in his life and why he thinks exercise makes him a better executive.

GeezerJock: Was this your first time competing in a CEO Challenge

Martin Slark: Yes, this was my first time. It was also the first time [CEO Challenges] has actually done a marathon. They've done it before for triathlons and things like that, but this is the first attempt to do a marathon. We have a running team at the company where I work, and one of the people on the team told me about CEO Challenges.

How was the experience, aside from hot? 

I enjoyed it. I've actually run the Chicago Marathon seven or eight times. I've done marathons in Boston and elsewhere. The Chicago Marathon is exceptionally well run overall. It's a terrific race. Carey Pinkowski (the marathon's executive director) has built was once a small marathon into arguably one of the best races in the country.  I don't think anybody could have anticipated  you'd have highs in the upper 80s or 90s in early October in Chicago. It was an extreme case. No matter they did, there was no way they could win. Cancel it, and you would have had a riot. People had trained and they wanted to do it. I think stopping the race when they did was the right decision.

How was your race strategy affected by the heat?

I was trying to qualify for Boston, which at my age (52) is a 3:35. About halfway through the race I was on track to do that, but with the heat there was no way I was able to run a good time. Then I just set my mind on finishing. It was the slowest marathon I've ever done.  I was talking to other people and most of them said they ran a half hour slower. The guy who won the (overall) CEO Challenge comes from Hawaii. He seemed to be used to the heat, so he wasn't as affected by it.

Were you a runner in high school or college?

I started running when I was in high school. I ran a 1:53 half mile in high school, and I ran a 15:30 5k in high school. I grew up in England at the time that Sebastian Coe was running and there were quite a few middle distance runners in the U.K. at that time. I didn't run in college. Then when I started my work career, I ran just to stay in shape. I've lived all over the world: Europe, Asia, the U.S. The great thing about the sport is that you can do it anywhere. And when you go on business trips, you usually only see the airport, the office and a hotel room. When you run you get to see other parts of the cities that you visit.

Do you think running helps with your job?

Obviously I have an opinion. I think being physically fit helps people stay alert during the days. I think it helps when someone is traveling to get over jet leg faster than when you are out of shape. Being able to combine both work and training, that makes you a pretty effective in managing your time.

How many miles a week do you typically run?

A normal week would be about 30 miles, but in training for a marathon, I'd be up in the 50s or 60s, with 60 as a peak.

Do you compete in any other sports?

I actually have a road bike that I ride in the winter down in Florida. I'd like to do more of that. It's punishing on the knees. I'm also a golfer. A lot of people don't think of that as a sport. It's more of a business requirement.