October is the prime time for running in New England, and, we’re right in the middle of what would normally be cross country and road racing season. Although to outsiders it may appear as if running is a solitary sport, and in some ways it is, those who run cross country know that it’s very much a team effort. And back in high school, for me and so many of my teammates (and opponents), it was very much a family experience as family members would join the ranks of spectators running from point to point around the course so they could watch their runner pass them by for just seconds at a time.

A love for running is something I ultimately share with my twin sister, Meg, who started running when she was in fifth grade. Just minutes after crossing the finish line of our big hometown road race, she was approached by two boys, classmates of ours. They claimed that they beat her (by just a few strides, mind you) solely because she was a girl. Well that did it. Starting first thing in the morning the very next day—and every day thereafter—Meg was running. The following year, she not only trounced those two boys—but, she also established herself as one of the rising stars in our town’s running community. By the time we entered high school, having been trained by our grandfather (her most beloved and most intense coach), she had become well-known throughout Connecticut. By the end of high school, she was All State, All New England, all four years.

I would not be a runner today if not for my sister. I was reminded of this recently while running on a crisp October morning at Whickham Park in Manchester. It felt like a classic cross-country course; and, it brought me back to a similar morning in the fall of 1999, when while warming up for the men’s race at the UMass Dartmouth Invitational, I heard a familiar female voice calling out my name. I was surprised to turn and immediately recognize my twin sister’s face among the several thousand runners from the hundreds of teams who were competing in the races that day. It was the first time I’d seen her since we both left for college earlier that fall, she to Salve Regina in Rhode Island and I to Trinity College in Hartford. We ran to each other for a quick hug (which was a rare thing for us). For the first time, I think we actually missed each other. It was the beginning of a new sense of camaraderie and friendship. And, it was all brought together by our shared love of running.

With the ever-looming presence of pandemic, the country’s big marathons and road races, along with many other athletic competitions, have been cancelled. But, a new phenomenon has emerged: the virtual race. I shared my virtual Boston Marathon experience with you in this blog a few weeks ago. Inspired by that experience and knowing firsthand how running brings a family together in a unique way, I was excited when the STM team proposed hosting a virtual 5k/10k walk/run to raise funds for our Wednesday Soup Kitchen. Our race kicks off this 2020 virtual family week and goes through the end of October. I look forward to running in spirit with our students and their families this October, and, I invite all of you to join us.

Let’s step on the line as one family spread throughout the world for a virtual experience of running on faith.

Register for our Running on Faith 5k/10k here: http://bit.ly/RunningonFaith_STMRace. Select “Virtual 5k/10k” and add the $35 registration fee.

You will receive a commemorative t-shirt from STM. Create your own course around your neighborhood to walk or run during the month of October and send us your times and pictures when you finish (robin.mcshane@yale.edu). If you post to social media, be sure to use the tags #MyCatholicYale and #Running on Faith