On a hot Sunday earlier this month, the Students Run Los Angeles, SRLA, ran the LA marathon, in which participants gathered to finish the 26.2 mile run, including students, parents, teachers, and community members. Starting from Dodger Stadium and finishing at Santa Monica Boulevard at Avenue of the Stars at Century City, this marathon included participants from all over the world, including people from MACES.
SRLA is a nonprofit program that trains middle and high school students to complete the Los Angeles marathon. MACES members who participated in this marathon included freshmen Cristhel Donel, Rosy Cruz, Andres Turcios, Matthew Monroy, and Edgar Orona. The sophomores included Emiliano Alcatraz and Andrea Moran. Juniors included Luna Aguirre and Deven Romero, while seniors included Ethan Liera, Brianna Maguellal, and Kellie Mena. Ms. Sullivan, Ms. Mora, and Ms. Torres also participated and served as coaches.
The LA marathon is typically held around the middle of March but due to this year’s Oscars, the run was moved up a few weeks earlier. As a result, the heat was a bit more intense for anyone’s liking. “I would say this marathon was the hardest due to the intense heat,” said Ms. Sullivan, a Spanish teacher at MACES who coached students participating at the event and is in her fourth year running the marathon. There were also other obstacles such as the physical pressure that comes from this run. “The Marathon was great for me until about mile 22, where I struggled,” Sullivan added. The intense heat and the cramps proved to be a challenge for Ms. Sullivan. However, after texting family members for motivation and maintaining a positive mindset, Ms. Sullivan was able to complete the challenge. “Finishing was a bit surreal and it didn’t really hit me until the next day. I felt very accomplished and proud,” she said.
“This experience really brings you closer to students and colleagues. The community you build when you suffer together is like no other. It’s like these are the only people that understand what you went through,” Sullivan added.
This marathon was also an introductory phase for new participants. One of the newcomers in the latest run was Ethan Liera, a senior. Liera has had experience running 20 mile runs. However, the marathon was a new experience according to him. “The 20 mile was different because there weren’t many runners and not as many water stations, almost making it feel harder,” Lierra said. “Besides that, it felt easier mentally at least,” Liera added.
Liera also took this opportunity to highlight the challenges he had to adjust to during the training process. “Some challenges included Tuesday mornings, where you’d have to wake up at 5-6 a.m., early enough for morning runs,” he said. Liera also had to learn how to balance his energy. “I pushed myself too hard, so I had to dial back as much as I was running and make sure I didn’t hurt myself too badly before the marathon,” he added.
As for sophomore Emiliano Alcatraz, this marathon marks his third year participating and has proven to be his most meaningful as of late. Having previously participated in various half marathons and a 30k, Alcatraz entered the event with a sharper and more confident mindset. “This time felt very different. I felt more confident and just felt better about myself while I was running. It’s almost like I knew I was going to do good this time,” Alcatraz said. Initially, Alcatraz set a goal to finish under an hour and thirty minutes. However, he tamed his expectations during the run. “It got to a point where I knew I wasn’t going to finish at that time, so I just wanted to beat my time from the previous year,” he explained.
Balancing the marathon with other responsibilities was a difficult task for Alcatraz. “I wasn’t as committed as I should’ve been,” he admitted, noting conflicts with managing the girls basketball team and volleyball practice. He believes that attending more practices would’ve helped him reach his goal.
Despite this, Alcatraz maintains an encouraging attitude for future runners. “You can do it. Many people run the marathon without experience or the proper training but these practices will prepare you for the marathon. Just believe in your training and don’t let any mental roadblocks get to you. The hardest part about the marathon is staying in a good mental state. So stay consistent and run with your heart,” Alcatraz said.
Overall, the LA marathon proved to be a challenge both mentally and physically. Despite this, MACES participants pushed through and used their resilience to finish strong. The experience of these talented runners show the positive effects of perseverance and a strong self-esteem.
