<p>I'm training for a fall marathon. Should I put that on my app?</p>
<p>Are you in track or cross country at your school?</p>
<p>Sure, doing a marathon is a big deal. Whether or not you’re doing track at school, including your marathon training. It is an EC even if you’re training on your own.</p>
<p>Completing a marathon as a teenager is a big, big deal. It demonstrates a perseverance and mental maturity that most high schoolers can only dream of. Afterward I think it could be a pretty good essay topic, too. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>(Which race, by the way?)</p>
<p>I’m xc and track, but i don’t think this really falls under that category.</p>
<p>I’m running Long Beach(CA)</p>
<p>Definitely, running a marathon is extremely impressive. It definitely shows some amazing willpower, perseverence, dedication, etc. that looks great.</p>
<p>If you don’t finish the race, don’t say anything on your applications. Because any fool could sign up for a marathon, run the first block, and then put “I was in the … Marathon,” and that’s gimmicky and I’m sure colleges have seen stuff like that before.</p>
<p>And If you do finish and put it down, be SURE to use the word “finished.”</p>
<p>It depends on what your time is. </p>
<p>Plenty of people just jog marathons and it’s no big deal. If you can get under 3 hrs “marathon” could be something legitimate to put on your app.</p>
<p>Don’t listen to the above…going under 3 hours is a ridiculous pace at a high school age. That’s a bit over a 6 minute mile pace for 26+ miles! I think that if you can finish the marathon while actually trying (regardless of time) you should put it down as an EC because it shows strength in you!</p>
<p>DO NOT listen to jamesford. DO NOT!</p>
<p>Your time isn’t what’s important: The passion and commitment that allows you to run a marathon is what is important.</p>
<p>Most distance coaches I know do not recommend that teenagers run the marathon. It’s too physically demanding and destructive to a still-growing body. </p>
<p>But, to your point. Is it an EC that you can put down? Sure.</p>
<p>But, if I was an adcom, I’d yawn since marathoning has almost zero in what an adcom is seeking. Teamwork? Nope. Community impact? Nope. Helping others? Nope. Adding to your future (college) community? Nope. Making you a good roomie? Nope. In essence, marathoning is a single-participant sport. </p>
<p>Full disclosure: a couple of years ago a student posted an essay on running with her dad, which I though was absolutely trite and boring, but many parents on cc liked it. So take my $0.02 with a grain of salt.</p>
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<p>Many marathoners train as a team.
Many marathoners run for a charity.
All marathoners know a thing or two about self control and personal responsibility…highly desirable roommate characteristics.</p>
<p>Lastly, lots of activities have merit outside the scope of college admissions. Running a marathon is one of them. In the world outside of CC real people do real things because they want to, not just because of how it will look on an application. </p>
<p>Dare I say, that might called passion? </p>
<p>Keep training, ORANGE. You will set yourself apart from > 99% of kids your age.</p>
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<p>What I like to call facts not in evidence.</p>
<p>Whatev. :rolleyes:</p>
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<p>Actually it’s much closer to 7 minute pace. 3 hrs is not unreasonable for a good HS runner, but anything 3:XX is a good time.</p>
<p>Honestly the OP just seems to be looking for things to add to the app. I’m doing _____ is this something I can put on my application? If you really have to ask that question A) maybe you shouldn’t be doing this activity or B) don’t put it on the app.</p>
<p>And no, doing a marathon as an (I assume) able-bodied healthy teenager is really not a big deal. Completing it relatively quickly is an accomplishment.</p>
<p>jamesford, I’m curious, how fast do you complete your marathons?</p>
<p>I need to interject something. I’ve never done a marathon, but I do a lot of running. A good hs distance runner trains at a much greater volume and intensity than the average middle aged marathoner. A kid on my team did a marathon in 3:30 and came to practice two days later, and I’m generally in better shape than him. Also, I’ve done a 1:22 half marathon, and while I’m a good hs runner, I’m barely even recruited. So my point is, while merely finishing a marathon is the pinnacle of athletic achievement for the moms on this forum, it’s honestly not hard for a male high schooler to finish one.</p>
<p>It most definitely is hard. The mileage done by the average high school male is not geared towards marathons. The cardiovascular systems of teenagers are not completely matured and therefore running a marathon could be damaging (The Boston Marathon has a minimum entrance age of 18). True, there are high school runners who do finish marathons. But running one and doing it under 3 hours is something significant. </p>
<p>I’m not sure if it is something that adcoms would consider important in a college app unless there was some story behind it.</p>
<p>It would make a great essay.</p>
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<p>That’s my point. Of course a high schooler can finish a marathon. Finishing is the easy part. The hard part is starting. </p>
<p>If it were so easy for teens to do marathons, they’d be doing them all the time. But they don’t. In my last marathon there were 18,279 finishers. Only 67 were 18 and under. That’s a small, elite, population. They demonstrate far more physical and mental maturity than their classmates and teammates who could do it, but don’t even try.</p>
<p>Yet, the cynics on this forum talk about ORANGE’s goal as if it’s no big deal, won’t set him apart, self-centered, is so easy any runner could do it, a yawn. Where do you get off spewing such arrogance at a kid who is about invest 13, 16, maybe even 20 weeks training for an event that will be over in a matter of hours? </p>
<p>Would you treat a figure skater the same way? A pianist? A steeplechaser? Or, if ORANGE was your kid, would you dismiss and invalidate his marathon goal? I certainly hope not.</p>