Running for change

Yale students have earned a reputation as ambitious, competitive people, especially when contending with Harvard. On Fri., Sept. 28, and Sat., 29, a team of 12 Yale Law students rekindled this competitive spirit in a cross-country relay race. The "Reach the Beach Relay," the longest race of its kind in America, spanned 200 miles of New Hampshire countryside. Though there were 198 other teams, all eyes were on the Bulldogs and the Cantabs as they raced through the New England night.

Battling hilly terrain and unkempt highways, hunger and lack of sleep, the Eli attorneys-to-be finished in 26 hours and 27 minutes, an hour ahead of schedule and 18 minutes ahead of their Cambridge rivals. Yale runners averaged 7:56 miles.

Surprisingly, none of the athletes seemed perturbed by the mammoth blisters on their feet or by the massive dehydration caused by the thin mountain air. Elbert Lin, LAW '03 reminisced, "The experience in its entirety completely defies explanation."

Captain Kevin Keenan, LAW '02, added, "The whole experience was grueling, beautiful, and surreal, often at the same time."

While Yale's runners enjoyed the experience, they also ran to improve the lives of New Haven citizens. Yale raised over $10,000 for charities, including Habitat for Humanity, All Our Kin, and Summerbridge. Even after the last Bulldog crossed the finish line, team members continued to benefit from a life-changing race.

—Keely Robinson

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