Alexa Guessford | Contributing Writer

Running long distance races has become increasingly popular over the last few years. Marathons, half-marathons, 10K, and 5K’s are all the rage with younger generations today, especially with Buena Vista University (BVU) students. According to the New York Times, many events have doubled in size over the last decade, making registration limited. Recently, races have been capped to avoid congestion and to keep a positive race atmosphere. As events grow in popularity, race organizers have faced even more challenges.

“As the number of entrants increases, so does the number of volunteers, police, and medical workers. We want to be as big as we can be without compromising the integrity of the event,” Guy Morse of the New York Times said.

One cause of this is the special perks involved with each race. Many participants get a t-shirt, a medal, and many more items that are unique to that particular event. Senior social work major Mallory Todd commented that the Lincoln National Guard Marathon she ran in filled up within days of the announcement of the race.

“It’s so cool! You finish on the 50-yard line in Memorial Stadium and are on the big screen as you cross the finish line. The atmosphere is so much fun,” Todd said.

After completing a race, many participants want to sign up for another as soon as possible.

“The feeling after finishing is one of the best. Knowing I just ran that many miles without stopping gives me a sense of accomplishment despite the pain I go through. It makes me want to sign up for another one,” Todd said.

Senior communication studies major Emily Erickson also agreed that her favorite part of racing is the feeling she gets after completing a race.

“I love the feeling after I have accomplished something,” Erickson said.

There are also some pitfalls to running in these types of events.

“I hate being sore four or five days after the race. Training also gets to be long and sometimes discouraging. It can be difficult to keep going and stay focused,” Todd said.

“Sometimes I’m not motivated to run or am sore from my workout the day before. I hate when I’m not motivated, but know I should go run,” Erickson said.

Training varies among the athletes, which can be rough to stick to at times.

“I have a training plan that I try to stay on, but it’s difficult with my busy schedule. I follow it as closely as I can running four or five shorter runs during the week and then a longer run on the weekend, depending how far into training I am,” Todd said.

“I just get out on the trail and run. With my busy schedule, I often find it hard to fit a run into my schedule so many times. I will also do Insanity to keep up my cardio, but otherwise, I just run,” Erickson said.

Both Todd and Erickson have participated in numerous races over the past few months. Their favorites include the Lincoln National Guard Marathon and Half-Marathon in Nebraska, Grandma’s Marathon in Minnesota, the Color Run in various parts of the state, the Corporate Cup, the Step Up Half Marathon in Storm Lake, the Warrior Dash, and the Des Moines Half Marathon.

The both runners mention how easy it is to get involved, especially with the perks of running in a public or community event. Erickson is an advocate for others to get involved.

“I would recommend to anyone at least running a 5K,” Erickson said. “It’s such a great feeling to look back at what you just ran, and think ‘I was just able to run that many miles! Wow!’”

“I recommend anyone to start running in races. It is hard to know what it’s like until you experience it. Anyone can run long distance if they try. It’s all mental,” Todd said.

Photos courtesy of Emily Erickson and Mallory Todd