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Early Sunday morning is rarely considered to be prime time for college students; cold Sunday mornings that fall after a major sports team wins a national championship would seem to be even less so. Yet at 10 a.m. on Sunday morning, nearly 50 Boston College students lined up in front of Gasson Hall to participate in the fifth annual Residence Hall Association (RHA) Stride for Others 5K.
This year's race raised over $650 for the Boston Rescue Mission, an organization that attempts to offer resources that prevent and end homelessness and to support those who have a history of substance abuse or incarceration.
The money was raised through the donations of participating runners, each of whom donated $10. Out of 67 registered runners, around 40 actually ran the race, partly due to the chilly weather as well as Saturday night's hockey victory, which made the participation of the runners who completed the 5K all the more impressive.
"It's hard to wake up on a Sunday morning anyway, so waking up and pushing yourself and working for something is a great way to support a cause," said Monica Kelly, one of the organizers of the event and A&S '10.
The event was started by a former RHA president when he was a freshman on Newton Campus. While the race has since moved to the Chestnut Hill campus and become an annual tradition sponsored by both the Newton and Upper Residence Hall Councils, the course still winds solely through the town of Newton with the support of the Newton Police Department. The race has also traditionally been held the weekend after the Boston Marathon, a change that Kelly partially blames for the decreased registration, as in the past many marathoners have used the event as a cool-down race.
Prizes were awarded to the top three male and female runners. Brian Hughes, A&S '10, finished first among the men for the second year in a row and was rewarded with a $50 gift certificate to the BC Bookstore.
"It's amazing to watch how hard [Hughes] pushes himself," Kelly said.
Kate Broderick, A&S '11, took first place among the women, an accomplishment made all the more impressive because Broderick had never competed in any type of race before.
"I was going to bed last night and my friends were like 'What, are you going to win?' and I said 'No, but I at least have to try,'" Broderick said.
Her morning had an inauspicious start when she missed the Newton bus and had to run to campus to even participate in the race. Never having run seriously before college, Broderick was understandably thrilled to take first place in her first competitive race.
Jake Mazar, CSOM '08, and Scott Veazey, CSOM '11, took second and third place, respectively, for the men. Caroline Byron, LSOE '09, and Alyssa Martin, CSOM '10, took second and third place, respectively, for the women.
In addition to the gift certificates awarded to the top three finishers, RHA also gave T-shirts to all participants and raffled off prizes that included cases of Monster Energy drinks and an iPod Shuffle.
"I think it was great because we have prizes but we didn't really advertise that, and people came out anyway," said Alejandro Montenegro, vice president of RHA and A&S '09.
Between the early morning, cold weather, and Saturday evening hockey victory, participants in RHA's fifth annual 5K showed their dedication in their choice to get up, go out, and stride for others.
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