About the Challenge

The President’s Marathon Challenge fields a team of 200 Tufts students, staff, faculty, alumni, parents, and friends from around the country, who train to run in the annual Boston Marathon, while raising funds to support nutrition, medical, and fitness programs at Tufts. The team is the largest known collegiate marathon program in the United States and attracts runners and supporters from around the country.

History

President Lawrence S. Bacow initiated the program in 2003, and the Boston Athletic Association awarded 25 spots to Tufts runners to participate in the marathon. The goal was to connect students, faculty, alumni, parents, and friends while raising funds for university programs related to health and fitness. Since then, Tufts has been awarded 200 spots each year.

Fundraising Commitment

Runners raise money for the Personalized Performance Program- a health and fitness program for Tufts students, faculty, and staff- and for The Friedman School of Nutrition Professor Christine Economos’ efforts to curb adolescent obesity. Staff, faculty, alumni, parents, and friends of Tufts are required to raise $2,500 and students are required to raise $1,000. During the 2008 marathon season, the team raised $428,814. Since it’s inception in 2003, the PMC has raised $1,923,977. 

Training

Training starts September 10 with short runs (less than half-a-mile), and continues through a 30-week program until the marathon on Patriot’s Day in April. However, there are unofficial training runs year-round. No previous running experience is required. Runners must participate in a “qualifying” run (for commitment, not ability) in early December. The 200 numbers are assigned at the end of January.

Staff

A professional staff, including Coach Donald Megerle, who has been involved with the program for four years, and two physical therapists are onsite to support the team during training sessions and the actual race. Megerle, who was the 2007 recipient of the Tufts Athletics’ Distinguished Achievement Awards and an athletics coach at Tufts for 37 years, dedicates endless hours to the team and each individual runner. Runners will attend at least one lecture on nutrition from the Friedman School. 

For more information, email or call Don Megerle at marathonchallenge@tufts.edu or 617.627.4775.