Last year in November 2024, two of my roommates ran the Cambridge Half Marathon, and after watching and cheering them on during the race, I was inspired to want to run it the next year!

I signed up in late spring 2025 as a charity runner for the American Cancer Society! I spent my summer at home in Wisconsin and would run several times a week with my cousin, with each run being around 6 to 13.1 miles. I took these runs less seriously than I should have in terms of pace and timing, which I would later regret as the race got closer. As a charity runner, we have a goal set for a fundraising amount and in the summer, with the help of my grandma, I was able to surpass my fundraising goal and raise around $3,000 for the American Cancer Society, which is a cause very important to me and close to my heart as well as millions of others across the world! When the fall semester began, I continued running with my roommates around Cambridge and in the gym, but I quickly started to run less and less each week as the semester got busier. I was left panicking about how I was going to complete the race. My roommates, who have run the half marathon before, reassured me that I could do it and that the race-day adrenaline would help, but I wasn’t very convinced. I was even more nervous when I heard that we had to finish the race in under 3 hours! I did my best to keep up with my training and was just excited to have this experience with some of my best friends!

Finally, it was race day, and I felt a little bit better about my time and confident that I could finish it in under three hours. It was a cold, but beautiful morning and the race route had incredible views of Cambridge and Harvard! I did not go in with a goal finish time or pace; my goal was simply to finish the race! After mile 10, the race became more mentally challenging and I was struggling with wanting to stop and walk. I took a few breaks as I needed them and pushed through. The truly hardest part was the last 0.1 mile when I could see the finish line right in front of me, but I was so tired that it felt miles away. With the support of my friends and my fiancé’s family, I was able to complete my goal and finish the race in just under 2½ hours! Being a charity runner for the American Cancer Society also kept me motivated throughout the race because I wasn't just running for myself, I was running to raise awareness for the millions of people and families affected by cancer. My roommates and I weren’t the only Harvard students running the race - there had to have been at least a couple dozen students running, which is remarkable and inspiring to see! Overall, running the Cambridge Half Marathon was an incredible experience and a feat I never thought I could accomplish, and I am determined to beat my time in next year’s race!