Last Sunday morning, several members of the Yale running community contended with cool temperatures and early rain in the 2022 Boston Half Marathon. Mary Margaret Schroeder, ’24 of Berkeley College, member of the Yale Running and Triathlon clubs and the STM Undergrad Council, blazed through the half at 7:10 pace. She achieved a personal record of 1:32.36 and finished 60th out over 3000 competitors. Can’t wait to see what she’ll do in the full Boston Marathon when her time comes!

The other big race of the day came from a student in the Yale School of  the Environment, who is also a member of the STM Grad Council. Connor Rockett (yup, that’s his real name) is a 2019 graduate of Bowdoin College, ME, where he was a cross-country captain and ran on the track and field teams, competing in the middle- and long-distance events. In June, he qualified for the Olympic Trials at Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, MN. Connor ran this year’s BAA Half Marathon as a guide for a visually impaired runner, named Irwin Ramirez. In order to be a guide, one must not only be disciplined and focused on their own run, but their primary focus must be on accompanying the other runner, and putting their performance and their goals first. I asked Connor to reflect a bit about this experience, and this is what he shared:

“Guiding is always a challenging activity that is fundamentally about communication. On one level, it involves running alongside the athlete, who I am connected to with a tether, and calling out any obstacles, turns and changes in footing as you navigate the course together. I also call out splits and grab fluids and gels for the athlete. On a more personal level, I try to do all that I can to motivate the athlete and provide encouragement when we are going up a tough hill or getting into the painful stages of the race. I’m not responsible for setting the pace, but I do provide motivation in these ways. It is a pretty exhausting experience, but it is always gratifying to be able to support the athletes and see them achieve their goals or fight through a difficult race.”

With multiple hairpins, 180-degree turns, challenging footing, narrow corridors and elevation changes, the BAA Half Marathon course was particularly challenging for both runners. Nonetheless, the day was hugely successful. Irwin won his para-athletics division, his first major victory in a high-profile race. Connor was thrilled for him, and inspired by his tenacity, looks forward to running together again soon.

Connor, for whom “running is a deeply spiritual act” and “intertwined with faith,” also told me that:

“I approach [running] as a form of moving prayer, that combines physical exertion and mental clarity in a single act of reaching out and embracing the presence of God. There is an integrity to running that connects this prayerful experience with, in the example of training for a marathon over many months, hope, perseverance and discipline. In this way, each training cycle is more than just working towards a race, but also a way to be with God, to give thanks and to practice my faith. Finally, the friendships I build through running are part of my spiritual wellbeing and who I am in relationship to others and my communities, through which the love of God flows and connects.”

I’m glad the BAA Half Marathon provided a place for some of our students to connect and feel the love of God.