For decades, Boston College students have taken “Marathon Monday” off from classes to support runners of the Boston Marathon. Drinks in hand, they flood the streets and sidewalks of Boston to cheer on and encourage the fastest and most talented runners in the world.
At Villanova, “Marathon Monday” looks a little bit different.
Villanova student’s twist on this tradition is attending, planning, setting up, breaking down and participating in a 12-hour dance marathon on Saturday, running the Philly Love Run half marathon on Sunday and still going to an 8:30 a.m. class on the fourth floor of Tolentine on Monday.
Villanova students filled Jake Nevin Saturday, March 29 for the 12th-annual NOVAdance dance marathon and raised a cumulative $708,269.10 this academic school year for the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation.
On Sunday, March 30, many of these same students woke up at 5 a.m. and made their way into Philadelphia to run the Love Run, a half marathon which takes place annually in March. This Villanova “double-header” showcases the dedication and high pain tolerance of many Villanovans.
In addition to serving as one of the co-Executive Directors of NOVAdance this year, senior Jack Doolin also ran the Love Run. When planning the date of the dance marathon for this year, the intent was not to plan for the same weekend. However, when they happened to fall together, it became clear that it was going to stay.
“We chose this date because we wanted a longer fundraising season,” Doolin said. “I was really excited that it lined up together because it has become like a bit of a tradition for students [to attend both].”
Doolin ran the race alongside other committee members, including senior Carissa Van Veen, senior Evan Eames, sophomore Dylan Cahill and sophomore John Tropeano. Members of Morale Committee (MoCo), Team Captains (TCs), Hero Liaisons and Engagement Coordinators (ECs) and general dancers also attended the run.
Junior Grace Janofsky and sophomore Viola Lake were both ECs who also ran the half marathon.
“For me, it wasn’t just about running another half, it was about proving to ourselves and everyone else that after dancing for 12 hours straight, we could keep pushing,” Janofsky said. “We know that the kids and families we fundraise for have to fight everyday, whether it be through treatments, insurance or finances, these challenges that they are able to overcome drives and inspires us to dance for 12 hours and run 13.1 miles the next day. It really felt like we were continuing the mission and our dedication to a cause that doesn’t stop just when the marathon ends.”
While the task at hand was difficult, many of these runners found motivation in the community.
“The community of NOVAdance was like ‘you’re going to do awesome, push yourself, you can do it,’” Cahill said.
Van Veen echoed this statement.
“So many Villanova people do it,” she said. “It is such a sense of community.”
However, it physically was not an easy task.
“While it was a physically demanding and exhausting weekend, the lack of sleep, soreness and energy consumption were more than worth it,” Lake said.
Janofsky agreed.
“Standing for 12 hours is not easy,” Janofsky said. “There is just such great motivation throughout the day for NOVAdance…I think you could definitely feel the physical toll, especially by the end of the day. Going into the next day, standing on the starting line, you know your feet hurt, but they hurt for such a good reason.”
For Doolin, the wake up on Sunday was rough, but running was the easy part.
“There was so much positive energy from the day before,” he said. “The day before was such a testament to what can happen when you have a positive mindset about something…it felt like riding the high of the night before.”
Pushing limits for an important cause, these students showcased what it means to be dedicated to both others and themselves.
“Although this weekend was exhausting, it was worth every minute and every mile,” Janofsky said.
