On March 15, St. Jude Children’s Hospital hosted its annual Rock ‘n’ Roll half marathon with more than 19,000 registered participants. The 13.1 mile course stretched throughout D.C., taking runners on a tour around the nation’s capital and monuments.
Among the thousands of runners were several Georgetown students. This race has become particularly popular among the Georgetown student body because of its convenient location and early-spring weather. All of these Hoyas had one goal in mind: to cross the finish line.
While it is easy to focus on the finish line, the real story lies in why these Georgetown runners chose to spend their Saturday morning – especially the morning before the annual St. Patrick’s Day parties – running 13.1 miles, and how they prepared to conquer this impressive feat.
Grace Lavin (CAS ’27) described how her driven personality motivated her to run the race.
“I have always loved to run and I think I am a very goal-oriented person,” Lavin said. “I wanted to set a goal for the new year that was attainable.”
Lavin admits that there were “certain points where it felt very physically and mentally demanding,”but that in the end, it was worth it. The half marathon provided a rewarding opportunity for ambitious Hoyas like Lavin to accomplish a personal goal outside of the classroom.
Besides personal determination, many students decided to run the race for social purposes. Hannah Gilheany (CAS ’28), a member of Georgetown’s running club , said that she was particularly motivated by her fellow teammates. She attended the club’s daily runs as part of her training.
“That was the most fun,” Gilheany said. “Training with other people.”
Gilheany also recalled the support she felt from the club on race day, describing that it made her feel empowered.
“Some of the upperclassmen went on a run to go see us in four different spots and they were cheering us on, which was awesome,” she said.
After running the race solo last year, Ana Casey (SFS ’26) decided to run it again – but this time with one of her best friends. Her training process was a bit different this time: she used the Nike Run Club Half-Marathon Training app which “makes a plan for you and helps you learn when to build up your mileage and when to do recovery runs.”
Casey explains that her favorite part about the half marathon is that it gives you the chance to escape the ‘Georgetown Bubble,’ a sentiment shared by several other runners.
“The atmosphere is super cool because you get to run through the city and through a lot of parts I wouldn’t normally run through” Casey said.
Ben Jakabcsin (MSB ’25), a four-year member of the run club, brings a slightly different perspective. Finishing 15th overall with an impressive time of 1:12:26, Jakabcsin was among the top finishers in this year’s Rock ‘n’ Roll race. He decided to run the race as a warm up for the annual Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run, which is historically a precursor training run for elite runners planning to compete in the Boston Marathon.
Jakabcsin’s involvement in the run club left him well-prepared for the race.
“I would say in a normal week I run probably 70 to 80 miles, and so that provides enough of a base where I really did not need to do too much for it,” Jakabcsin said.
Despite his extensive running experience, Jakabcsin emphasized that the Rock ‘n’ Roll race is “not as intimidating of an atmosphere and so you don’t need a lot of experience running or doing longer distance races.”
Note: Ben Jakabcsin is an Assistant Halftime Sports Editor at the Voice
Some of the runners, though, are just amateurs looking to try something new. Eva Wendel (SFS ’28) admits that she previously did not think of herself as a runner, having never run more than four miles before she began her training.
However, once she started, Wendel said began to appreciate the process.
“[I] really enjoyed doing it and was really excited to be getting better and faster,” Wendel said. “After I ran my first mile during training, I thought it would be so awesome if I could run 13 of these and then cross the finish line.”
Her primary motivation during the race was the crowd’s support, as she describes how she would get shivers when she saw people hugging runners and cheering on the side of the course. Wendel recalled her adrenaline rush when she saw her own friends, saying that it was part of what carried her through the race.
“I did that mile 20 seconds faster than all the others because I was so excited to see them,” she said.
Whether it’s personal ambition, fun with friends, exploring the city, competition sake, or simply just trying something new, the Rock ‘n’ Roll half marathon offers something for everyone.
For the Hoyas out there who are thinking about registering for next year, Wendel says that they shouldn’t let a lack of experience stop them from pushing themselves.
“I can be a runner too–everyone can be a runner!”
