This week, upper school track athletes competed in the PCSAA Championship. And, on Sunday, several of our students, teachers, and parents plan on participating in the Capitol Hill Classic 3K, 10K or Fun Run events. This got me thinking about the importance of athletics and running in the classical tradition.
Competitive running evolved out of religious festivals and military training as far back as the second millennium BCE. The modern-day marathon was named after a run undertaken by a Greek soldier, from a battlefield near a town called Marathon to Athens in 490 BCE. The Olympic Games in Ancient Greece featured several running contests, including the “preeminent test of stamina and speed:” the stade race (which was about 200 meters).
Beyond the clear origins of this athletic endeavor in Greek history, it is not a surprise that Latin has terrific track and cross country programs, because so many of our teachers run for pleasure. Running is affordable, accessible, and requires stamina and persistence, with a focus on meeting long-term goals – all skills we value as a school.
Our coaching staff works to push our athletes beyond where they feel comfortable, spurring them on to greater speed, strength, and endurance. And, while we might think of running as an individual pursuit, teamwork is critical to our program. The athletes and their coaches go to great lengths to work together and support each other.
For a small school with limited facilities (such as no onsite track), we have had remarkable success in our cross country, indoor and outdoor track programs. We have a nationally ranked long-distance runner. We have been the number one or number two school in the public charter school league each of the past three years. We have had students qualify for nationals each of the past two years.
While these teams show just how far (and fast!) students can go with strong coaches, we are lucky at Washington Latin to have so many talented teacher coaches, in several different sports, who coordinate daily practices, supervise workouts (often on their own time), and manage games and meets that go late into the evening and on the weekends. I salute their commitment to continuing their teaching outside the classroom, helping facilitate wellness, camaraderie, and self-esteem.
Valete!