Isabelle: Enjoying the Run

Isabelle is an 8th grader at Marco Middle School. Last month she completed her first ever Marathon with Students Run LA . She reflected on the experience in an interview with SRLA…

What new place or thing did you discover during the Los Angeles Marathon?

During the LA Marathon and basically these past six months leading up to the marathon, I have learned about dedication, determination, and accomplishing your goals.

How did you feel Crossing the Finish Line?

Crossing the finish line was a dream! I never thought I would be able to do it. I never thought I would make it to the Marathon. I never would’ve been able to do it without my team. When we all met at the high school, at one point, half of us started crying! I’m gonna miss them.

What was the most challenging part of the run?
Definitely one of the most challenging parts of the run was in the end. The part where we passed the finish line and we could see it on the other side of the street! That was brutal because you kept thinking you were gonna turn around but then you turn to another curve and run another street. I remember on my way back with all my coaches on the other side of the switch back they really encouraged me to just keep going, to finish the race.

What was your favorite part of the run?

I definitely love the course for the marathon! It was so cool to be able to see all of Hollywood, West LA, Chinatown, and lots of other places I’ve never seen before! I loved it! It was like doing a week’s worth of sightseeing in five hours!

Were there any moments when a fellow member of the running community helped you during the event?

Another one of my favorite parts of the marathon was how supportive everybody was! People that came to cheer for us I bet some of them didn’t even know people running in the race! For example, at the very end, I was so tired, but this guy I didn’t even know cheered me on. He comes and starts running next to me and he’s like “come on I know you can do! it finished that race! you’re almost there!” It was so amazing how the community just comes together to cheer you on!

What advice do you have for someone who is planning to run the Los Angeles Marathon next year?

Advice I have for someone who is planning to run the LA marathon next year is the following: Enjoy it! You’ll be sad when it’s over, believe me! You’ll value this wonderful experience for the rest of your life so have fun with it!

Anything else you want to share?

I just wanted to share how grateful I am this amazing program stumbled in my path! I am so grateful to all those wonderful sponsors we’ve had throughout training for the marathon! This is definitely a way to slowly emerge out of the pandemic with style!

YOU CAN KEEP ISABELLE AND HER TEAMMATES RUNNING

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