Eliza Holland pushes her daughter, Lily, as teacher Karima White, left, and student Alex Cammacho trot by during an Imago Dei Middle School workout at Santa Rita Park.

Kelly Presnell / arizona daily star

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The questions came every quarter-mile.

The only eight students of Imago Dei Middle School stopped at the end of every lap around the baseball fields at Santa Rita Park. Like fifth-graders do, the students would sprint, then fall back to talk to their friends. But every time they passed Eliza Holland — their de facto coach — the students would come up with any excuse to slow down and chat.

"Are you having another baby soon?"

"My arm hurts!"

"How many more do I have left?"

Holland, a 35-year-old pediatrician, has founded a running program at the first-year school.

Today, she will be one of more than 50 local runners to participate in the 111th Boston Marathon, the most famous 26.2-mile race in the world. Holland will wear a T-shirt designed and signed by her students.

"There's a sense of accomplishment," she said, "in pushing yourself."

But on this day, Holland is focused on pushing the students.

"The trick is getting the kids to run at a constant pace," she said. "They like to run as hard as they can and then they peter out."

That won't happen to Holland today. She posted a time of 3 hours 32 minutes 30 seconds at December's Tucson Marathon to qualify for her second Boston Marathon. (Qualifying for her age group is 3:45:00.)

The past few months, Holland has trained with a workout plan from Runner's World magazine. Before tapering off, she ran three times a week — one speed day on a treadmill, one medium-distance day of three to eight miles and one long-distance day of 13 to 20 miles.

A high school swimmer, Holland began running in graduate school at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. A 10-mile race got her hooked.

Holland ran her first marathon — the 1999 Mardi Gras Marathon — in her fourth year of medical school at Tulane.

She has run three marathons since, including the 2004 Boston Marathon, where she finished with a time of 3:53:01.

As opposed to three years ago, Holland can bring bring her young family with her to Boston. She and her husband, Matthew, have two children — Harris, 4, and Lily, 21 months.

"The Tucson Marathon, I ran it because I heard it was a great course and I was trying to get back to Boston," she said. "It's kind of overwhelming the first time. I didn't have a great run until after the first 10 or 15 miles, when I let go and enjoyed it.

"I'm going back with a different attitude, to go back and enjoy the whole thing."

Holland has the added bonus of helping the school.

Through a friend, Holland got involved with Imago Dei as a committee member, then a board member. Based on the Epiphany School outside Boston, Imago Dei is a tuition-free Episcopal school for low-income children. Students participate in 10-hour days, six days a week, 11 months a year. They are served two meals and a snack each day.

Starting in mid-January, students began working toward a total of 26 miles. Three to five times a week, students walk from the Armory Park school to Santa Rita Park to run.

"Sometimes even stretching together is a challenge," said teacher Karima White, a former New Mexico State rugby player who runs four times a week. "It helps to burn the physical energy off, so they can focus better. It's good for them to learn that running and physical activities and teamwork takes discipline."

Students leave the classroom at least three times a day, be it to play basketball, garden, stretch, play or participate in capoeira, a Brazilian martial art. Mondays, Holland will go to the park to coach, her two children in tow.

"She pushes us to do things we don't want to do sometimes," said 11-year-old Monique Andrade. "But that's good."

Said 14-year-old Ishimwe Henry, who has already finished his goal of 26 miles: "I wish she'd come every day."

Holland's Moving for the Marathon Web site, www.firstgiving.com/imagodeiruns, is three-quarters of the way to its goal of $5,000.

The proceeds have already bought running shoes — which students picked out themselves — as well as hats and T-shirts.

A flavored water company donated 12 cases and some money to the cause.

Holland plans to use any remaining money to buy shoes for new students next year. She has signed this year's class up for the 2-mile fun run at the May 6 Cinco de Mayo 10K and the May 20 Tucson 5000.

"I'm hoping that if I can get them to a race, that could get them into the atmosphere," Holland said.

Holland, who works part time at University Medical Center, knows she is teaching students about more than just running.

"It's the discipline," she said, "of getting out and having a goal."