GO! St. Louis hosted the annual Greater St. Louis Marathon on April 11, welcoming runners and spectators into the city to participate in the long-awaited festivities. The event offers races for runners of all levels, including the full marathon, half-marathon, 10k, 5k, and a family fun run.
The weekend kicked off on April 9 and 10, with the expo and packet pickup, where runners collect their race bib for Saturday’s event. The expo brought over 50 local and national vendors to Union Station for participants to explore fitness, wellness and running brands that support their efforts to lead a healthy lifestyle.
The main event began bright and early Saturday morning. The race area opened at 5 a.m., allowing runners time to warm up and find their assigned corral at the start line. An early-start time of 6 a.m. is offered for runners who may require more time on the course. At 7 a.m., the gun marked the start of the full marathon, half marathon and 10k. Soon after, the 5k began at 7:30 a.m., followed by the Family Fun Run at 9 a.m.
The Greater St. Louis Marathon brings in participants from all 50 states and beyond. Included in the thousands of runners in this year’s event was St. Louis native Nikki Glaser, who took part in the 5k race and spoke words of encouragement through humor to fellow competitors at the start line.
“Congratulations to all of you. Some of you are elite runners, some of you shouldn’t be doing this. Let’s give it up for all the runners today,” Glaser said.
Among Glaser and the many others registered to run were multiple members of the Saint Louis University community.
For Grace Lietz, a senior nursing student and avid runner since high school, this event marked her third half-marathon. She said the energetic environment and support system made this race unique for her.
“This [half-marathon] was different because I got to train and prepare with two of my friends who had never done a half-marathon before, so getting to be there, support them and be their encouragement was super special,” Lietz said.
After crossing the finish line, Lietz joined the crowd to cheer on her friend, senior nursing major Ivy Ibay, as she closed out her first half marathon. Ibay said that because she didn’t know what to expect out of the experience, that she approached the race with an open mindset and a unique tactic to earn her medal.
“When I got there bright and early, I literally was thinking ‘I am so screwed.’ I ended up girl-mathing to get myself to the finish line,” Ibay said. “At mile four, I wanted to quit, but I told myself that four was basically six which is pretty much halfway, so I am already done with the half marathon.”
After persevering through her most difficult point in the race, Ibay said that she was carried through the last mile by the sight of her friends and boyfriend, and walked away from the race with a boosted mood and sense of pride in what she had accomplished.
Fellow senior Riya Aradhyula also represented SLU in the race, running her first-ever marathon. Going into the 26.2-mile journey, Aradyula said she felt nervous and that she also didn’t know what to expect, but that the course path through the city, support from her friends and feeling of pride after crossing the finish line made it all worthwhile.
Having made a lasting memory, Aradhyula said that she would encourage others to take the chance and enter a race, just as she did.
“I think if anyone has even a slight inkling to run the marathon or half [marathon] or 10k or 5k or any other race during the school year, they should 1000% do it,” Aradhyula said. “Being a senior and getting to run all around my city for one final time and seeing all my friends and the places I have grown to love is something I will never forget.”
The spectators are often just as important to a successful race weekend as the runners themselves. Wolf Weidler, a senior majoring in communication, started his Saturday by cheering on his friend, senior Elizabeth Monzu, in her first marathon.
Weidler recounted the consistent excitement and encouragement present in the crowd.
“All the people there had friends and loved ones in the race, so the passion and support were really felt,” Weidler said. “It really is an inspiring event; if you watch the race and don’t get motivated to go out and train yourself, you’re not doing it right.”
Having run two half marathons before, senior Elizabeth Monzu said that being surrounded by a support system helped her through her first full marathon.
“I think it was mostly what I was expecting, since I looked at the course map beforehand, got lots of advice and had been training for months. I knew it was going to be difficult, and it really was. My goal was just to finish, and I achieved that,” Monzu said.
The SLU community was well represented at the Greater St. Louis Marathon, both as runners and as supporters. The enthusiastic atmosphere provides an unforgettable experience for all who attend, leaving a lasting memory of inspiration demonstrated by these resilient athletes.
