By: Kayla Sirlin ’19 and Anna Rhoads ’19

Dedication, self-discipline, and grit are just a few of the qualities required of anyone crazy enough to tackle the daunting marathon. Originating from Ancient Greece, the 26.2 mile distance was inspired by Pheidippides 26 mile trek to announce the defeat of the Persians by the Greeks. Although no Staples students have completed a marathon in its entirety, many have successfully accomplished half marathons.

Among many of these proud participants is Sarah Carter ’18 who claims that her motivation to run a half marathon stemmed from her hope to finish alongside her friend, Alison Partner ’18.

“My most recent half marathon was in December. After, I felt both bad and good. It was very cold, but my friend and I were very happy that we finished. If you want to run a half marathon, I recommended doing it with a friend,” Carter said.

Finding motivation is one of the most important steps to completing a marathon. For Carter it was having a friend run with her, but according to Runner’s Connect there are many ways to find your drive.

For example, “Being reminded of ambitious goals when the training gets difficult and monotonous can be that last ditch effort to get you out the door.” Reliance on a goal throughout the training stage is something that applies to all runners, no matter their physical situations.

However, physical preparedness does play a large role in the comfort of your race. Depending on whether you hope to accomplish a full or half marathon, Runner’s World suggests anywhere from 10-18 weeks of training. Ultimately, one should do what is best for him/her, but Sam Little ’18 recommends to “definitely do some training” because the race itself is “pretty long and strenuous.”

Runner’s Connect also emphasized to have fun with the training. They advise that “if you’re having a particularly uninspired day or week of training…Join a new running group, explore a new trial, buy a new running outfit, download a new app, go for a run without a pace, distance, or route in mind.”

Partner can attest to this tip, as she believes that one “should not stress about getting a specific time, but should do it for fun and to just prove that you can accomplish it.”

If you do care about achieving a certain time, Verywell.com says that having “an estimate of your marathon finishing time” can be helpful “so you know how to pace yourself properly.”

Most importantly, Laddie Lawrence, boys track coach says that patience is key. “My advice for those students planning on running a half-marathon or any distance race is to be patient. Also, when you actually run the half-marathon be patient with your pace and do not start too fast. If you do, you may pay for it in the later stages of the run,” Lawrence said.

If you’re thinking about running a half-marathon, make sure to keep these tips in mind. The Fairfield Road Races are coming up on on June 25, and would be the perfect place to test your limits.