On Boylston Street last Monday, Villanova junior Matt Nawn collapsed just a few steps from the Boston Marathon finish line. Wearing the Villanova emblem across his chest, Nawn found the strength within himself to cross the line on his hands and knees, still completing the race.
While coverage in The Boston Globe and social media content portrays Nawn’s finish as inspirational, the competitive runner and Naval Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (NROTC) student looks back on the moment differently.
“I’m happy I finished, and just relieved I wasn’t seriously injured,” Nawn said. “I’m glad people see it as motivational, but it was a disappointing race for me.”
According to Nawn, it started out as an exceptionally strong performance. He was on a personal-best pace for the first 15 miles of his first Boston Marathon before the pain of dehydration and cramping began to set in.
By the time he nearly reached the end, the pain became too much. He still finished the race in a net time of 03:09:31, placing 6,916 overall in the marathon that had around 30,000 total participants.
Nawn credits his Villanova ROTC training for helping prepare him to pull through the moment.
“Part of our military training is that you don’t quit, you keep pushing,” Nawn said. “Going through the ROTC program for three years now, that becomes part of your personality and ingrained in you. When I collapsed, I didn’t think about laying there and waiting for medical staff to come help me. It was, no, ‘you got down, but you gotta finish the race.’”
Nawn also mentioned the unwavering support from crowds lined up throughout the 26.2 miles in Boston.
“It felt like every half mile there was someone cheering for Villanova,” Nawn said. “Running the entire marathon, there were people lining the whole course who saw it. I’m glad it’s something people recognize.”
Despite the grueling end to the race, Nawn was proud to complete the Boston Marathon. Qualifying for one of the world’s most prestigious marathons was a goal of his since he began competitive distance running in high school. He secured his trip to Boston from his performance in the Harrisburg Marathon in 2023. While Nawn also ran the Philadelphia Marathon in 2024, he said that the energy in Boston stood out from the rest.
“It was a really surreal experience,” Nawn said. “Boston’s a point to point race, all of those 26.2 miles are lined with crowds. It’s really a great experience to have crowd support the entire time, and you’re never running by yourself.”
