Everyone remembers Marathon Monday 2013 and the events that followed. Every year, hundreds of Boston College students flood Comm Ave and cheer on the thousands of runners as they go by, including those who run as “bandits.” This year, for security measures, bandits will not be permitted in the marathon. For this week’s Campus Celeb, we interviewed the Campus School Marathon Committee Chairs to learn a little more about what they are doing instead.
Jim Andersen A&S ’14
Drew McKay A&S ’14
Colleen Donnelly A&S ‘14
The nine of us have planned and organized the Campus School Bandit Marathon, which will take place this Sunday, April 13th. It’s been a lot of effort on the part of each committee member. In the past few weeks, we’ve ordered for our runners t-shirts (courtesy of the BC bookstore), medals, pasta for our annual pre-race meal (courtesy of Roche Bros.), refreshments for along the course, as well as busing to Hopkinton. We’ve also worked hard to publicize the event to the larger BC community in a variety of ways, including articles like this one. Two of us (Taylor and I) are also running the Bandit Marathon and have led the group in completing the difficult training regimen. It has truly been a group effort on the part of all nine of us, with roles changing over the course of a busy year, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the help and support of the Campus School, particularly of Volunteer Coordinator Sean Schofield.
What made you first want to run the marathon?
Jim: I was a runner in high school and I missed it during my freshman year at BC. The campus scene on Marathon Monday that year made me want to participate in the Boston Marathon, so I trained for it sophomore year, and again in my junior and senior years as a Marathon Committee Chair. It’s been one of the defining activities of my BC experience for sure, and it’s led me to a great service organization—the Campus School. That, if for no other reason, shows why the Campus School Marathon Team can never go away: it’s too important in bringing students in contact with a program that in my opinion captures the spirit of Boston College better than any other.
How did the Bandit Marathon idea start?
We were forced to abort our usual plan of busing our runners out to Hopkinton on Marathon Monday after the Boston Athletic Association announced its new security measures for this year’s race shortly before spring break. It’s unfortunate that the consequences of last year’s attack largely fell on runners like us who add something special and unique to the Boston Marathon each year, but we had to accept what was given to us. The Bandit Marathon idea was agreed on by all nine of us almost immediately after the announcements. We wanted to honor the runners’ time and effort, and we wanted to preserve the elements that make the Campus School Marathon Team important to Boston College: the chance for everyone to fundraise and spread awareness for a great program, the chance for students and runners to complete a daunting physical challenge, and the chance for spectators to cheer them on as they do so.
Craig Hawkins CSOM ‘14
Majo Guillen CSOM ‘14
Taylor Pierce A&S ‘15
What were the steps in organizing the Bandit Marathon?
In addition to those described above, we’ve had to plan the locations of the many water and refreshment stops along the 26.2 mile route. To my latest knowledge, Her Campus is manning such a stop at Mile 20, immediately before the infamous Heartbreak Hill (the hill that takes runners from the Center Street intersection to Main Gate—the most critical stretch of the race). The families of Campus School students have also been amazing in their willingness to volunteer resources to help.
Do any of you plan to qualify for the Boston Marathon and run in it in upcoming years?
Jim: The qualifying times get faster and faster each year, and I’m not in the range to qualify. The men’s division for the 18-34 age group requires a 3:05:00 qualifying time, which comes out to a 7:03 mile pace, whereas last year I was in the 7:30 to 7:40 range. Maybe one day… But at that point they’ll likely have heightened the bar again.
We have some students here at BC who have qualified based on time—obviously, that’s a very respectable accomplishment in itself.
Emily Gumbrecht A&S ‘15
Mark Androcinis CSOM ‘15
Allison Lizotte A&S ‘16
What has been your favorite moment of the Boston Marathon in years past?
If I were recapping the course to someone running Boston, I would say that two locations along the course stand out to me. The first is the Framingham portion of the run, along miles six and seven. This is the first point where runners see truly big crowds, and it’s a gradual downhill that feels great at a point where your legs are no longer stiff or tight. The second, of course, is Boston College, not only because of my personal ties, but because it truly is the best crowd at any point on the course. The qualified runners know this too—I spoke to a runner from Argentina after finishing last year, and as a veteran participant he was very familiar with Boston College; possibly more familiar with Boston College than with any other college in the United States.
Do you have any advice for those who would want to partake in the Campus School Marathon Committee or for those who would want to run in the marathon in the future?
We would tell runners that a marathon is an event that is impossible to regret completing. In recent years, distance running in the United States has seen a huge increase in participation and popularity, and it isn’t hard to see why. People crave what a marathon offers; they crave the opportunity to train physically with a set purpose, and with the expectation of being recognized and cheered on by those they know. And as we’ve seen, it’s a fun and effective way to raise money for a good cause.
The runners will be passing Boston College at approximately 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM on Sunday, which is forecasted to be a beautiful day. Come out and cheer them on!
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