The Extra Mile: Marathon Club

Sweat, asphalt, and shin splints are only a few of the fine details that define 26.2 miles. Traveled by foot, these long-distance races are frequented by many seasoned athletes across the United States.  

At VMI, cadets that join the Marathon Club dedicate many hours of their lives to training for a single race. For most people, checking out after a long day would allow for time to relax and rest. The Marathon Club members find relaxation in lacing up their running shoes.   

“I say that we’re the fun run club,” said Zach Wallace ’24. “It’s not about your personal times… it’s about your enjoyment of running and doing what I have found it does for me and trying to help other people.”  

Wallace, assistant cadet in charge of the Marathon Club, comes from a military family that has a long lineage of runners. From 1960 to 1970, Wallace’s grandfather ran 50-milers and was featured in several running magazines. Growing up, Wallace spent many weekends running on trails with his father, who was in the Marine Corps.  

Later, Wallace was inspired by his mom to try long-distance running.  

“My mom started running marathons when I was in elementary school,” he said. “When my mom was training for the Marine Corps Marathon, I decided that I would run the Marine Corps 10k,” he said.  

Wallace initially joined the Marathon Club to improve his three-mile score for the Marine Corps fitness test. The Marathon Club at VMI has been around since the mid-1990s and came to fruition as a way for cadets to improve their running scores for the performance fitness test.  

Ryan O’Connor ’24, cadet in charge of the Marathon Club, had always enjoyed running but was interested in taking his hobby to the next level. He has since fallen in love with the sport and shared that it provides an escape from his daily life.  

“I like how you can sink into your own mental state,” he said.   

Similarly, Wallace shared that he finds an escape in the many miles he spends with his own thoughts. “Running is a form of therapy for me,” he said. “I don’t listen to music, typically, but whatever thoughts come to mind, I know that they are important.”  

Training for the club is done on an individual basis but shared in a group atmosphere. If one cadet is training for intervals, other cadets are invited to join in on this training. Wallace does most of the planning for the club, and even coordinates which races the cadets compete in.  

“It’s the bones of the Marathon Club,” he said. “The planning, the permits, communicating with coaches, rides, paperwork, funding, and registering club members for races.”  

Coming into the club, O’Connor had experience with 5ks and 10ks but had never tested his limits with distance running. Currently, he is training for a half marathon, and next year, he plans to complete a full marathon.   

For Wallace, the distance of choice is still undetermined.  

“The short-term goal I have is the Promise Land 50k that is coming up at the end of April,” he said. “Long term, I will be running the Hellgate 100k.”  

Wallace plans to keep seeking long-distance runs, and with each race, he sets the bar even higher. “It’s about chasing down the next mileage,” he said. “If I like running the 100k, then I’ll go to 100 miles. If I don’t like it, I can say that I have run 66 miles.”  

The Marathon Club meets twice a week to provide information about upcoming races and training programs. The club is open to all interested cadets, and members are only required to complete one race per semester.