Just one week ago, two of our very own Gladiators competed in the 10^th edition of the Roma21K, a half marathon (21km or 13.1 miles) that traverses the historic streets of Rome with over 4,000 competitors!

Representing JCU were students David Simpson and Rachel Romano.  For David, this was the second half marathon that he had completed in his life, after the RomaOstia half marathon the previous March.  For Rachel, this was not only her first half marathon, but the first running race she has ever completed.  Great job!

Both Rachel and David successfully completed the race faster than their goal time.  According to David, the race was “a nice way to see the city from a different lens.”  “I had no idea what to expect,” Rachel says, “on race day, I felt super excited, but also out of my element…”

Hear what these Gladiators had to share when asked about the overall experience this semester:

The community and athletic experience since I’ve been at JCU is special, as I feel the community is very tight knit when it comes to events like this and looks to be inclusive when organizing events and gathering people from school. It allows you to feel welcome and important to the cause, regardless of athletic ability or experience in races, events, etc. – David

I would never have imagined signing up for a half marathon if Nicholas [one of the JCU Athletics coordinators] hadn’t mentioned it to me at the Clubs/Activities Fair. I only put my name on the list in the moment, knowing I could never do something like that. But once I signed up, I figured, why not try it out? Even when JCU was no longer able to sponsor the event [due to a last-minute race rescheduling], the athletic staff was still super supportive to me in my training, and I’m so happy that I was encouraged to try something new and push my own limits. – Rachel

Thank you both for your great effort and for representing JCU as true Gladiators!