Students compete in largest-ever Richmond Marathon

Dozens of University of Richmond students ran the Richmond Marathon on Nov. 16, joining the 1% of the population who will complete a marathon in their lifetimes.

This year’s Richmond Marathon was the largest in its history, with 20,939 runners competing in the Allianz Partners Marathon, the CarMax Richmond Half Marathon, or the Virginia Commonwealth University Health 8k on Saturday morning. 

Out of the record-breaking number of participants this year, the 20 to 24-year-old age group saw a significant increase in participation from 2023 to 2024. Last year, 231 male and 187 female runners in the category finished the marathon. This year 258 male and 285 female runners in this age group completed the race.. 

Students at UR and VCU were among those in the 20 to 24-year-old demographic. 

Lindsay Kramer, a senior at the UR, was drawn to running during her first year of college after she found herself with extra time that had previously been filled by high school sports. 

“I transitioned from playing sports in high school to doing nothing, which felt weird, so I picked up running,” Kramer said. 

Kramer ran the Richmond half marathon her sophomore year of college, but this weekend’s race marked her first full marathon. 

Maggie Jenkins, another UR senior, was inspired to run after seeing her roommate’s passion for the sport. 

“She’s done four marathons, and seeing her achieve her goals motivated me to run more often,” Jenkins said. 

Following the spark of inspiration from her roommate, Jenkins learned to find solace in running. 

“Running helps clear my mind, even on the worst days,” she said. 

The running community helped her through those hard training days. After struggling with a foot injury during training, Jenkins aimed to run the marathon in its entirety, and above all, to enjoy the experience. 

“I have always felt supported by other runners. Many times, if a friend knows I have a long training run one day, they will offer to bring me water or run part of the way with me,” Jenkins said. 

Anthony Ierna, a UR senior, was drawn to the marathon after watching friends compete in previous years. 

“I don’t think running comes naturally to me, so I wanted to prove to myself that I can do anything I set my mind to,” Ierna said. 

Throughout training, Ierna faced an injury that left him in a medical walking boot for the final weeks leading up to the race. The mental challenges proved to be more difficult to handle than the physical. 

“One was in my control and the other was not,” he said. 

Others came to the marathon to continue their athletic journey. Yulia Shatalov, a UR senior, has been competing in triathlons for nearly a decade. It wasn’t until recently that running became a more prominent part of her life. Last year, Shatalov completed her first marathon in Valencia, Spain while studying abroad in Madrid. 

“I used to dread run training, but when I stopped putting pressure on my pace, it started to feel fun,” Shatalov said. 

The running community at UR played a key role in her love for the sport. 

“I didn’t feel like there was much of a running community at UR until recently, but now I’ve found my place,” she said. 

Shatalov said the Sunrise Social Club helped connect runners on campus with the greater community. Many members of the club ran this weekend, while others cheered along the marathon route. 

“It has been a great thing to be a part of and be able to witness its growth,” Shatalov said. 

Across town, Makenna Bruce, a junior at VCU, also laced up her running shoes this weekend. Bruce grew up doing fun runs and 5k races but didn’t continue with running until she joined the VCU club lacrosse team. 

After 16 weeks of training and an IT band injury, Bruce hoped to lean into the race day experience for her first marathon. 

“My goal for the marathon is to make the best of it,” Bruce said “Richmond is known for its great crowds, I want to make sure I prioritize the memory of it because I know I have many more races to come.” 

While each of these students had different goals and reasons for running, they all agreed that training for and completing the marathon last Saturday was one of the most rewarding challenges of their lives. And for many, this race was just the beginning. 

For any students considering dipping their toes into the marathon running world, the advice from these runners is simple. 

“Allow yourself to have fun. Training shouldn’t be your whole life,” she said. 

“Be ambitious. As cliche as it is, you can always take one more step,” Bruce said. 

“Start early, run often, and realize you get out of it what you put in,” Ierna said. 

Jenkins warned that the journey to race day won’t be perfect. 

“As a college student, there is always so much going on between academic and social lives, so you will not stick to your training plan completely, and that is okay,” she said. 

“Understand that it’s going to be scary. Do it scared. The uncertainty is what makes it fun,” Shatalov said. 

As these students crossed the finish line on Saturday, they carried with them not just the pride of finishing, but also the lessons they learned along the way – time management, the importance of community, and the power of perseverance. 

Contact writer Julia Smith at julia.smith@richmond.edu.