More Than 8,000 Runners Go the Extra Mile at 9th Annual Cambridge Half Marathon

More than 8,700 runners from across the country gathered in Cambridge Sunday for the ninth annual Cambridge Half Marathon.

The 13.1-mile race began and ended at CambridgeSide Mall, taking runners through the campuses of Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Joshua Kalapos, a runner from Somerville, won the race with a time of 1:03:02. Boston runner Jacqueline Gaughan finished first among women for the fourth consecutive year, crossing the finish line in 1:12:33.

Thousands lined the streets to support contestants in the race, including many Harvard students. Phebe Hong ’16, a Winthrop House resident tutor, said 15 to 20 Winthrop students participated in the race, along with Winthrop House Faculty Dean Stephen N. Chong. Hong said cheers from spectators near Winthrop House helped runners push through fatigue during the final three miles.

“It goes right by Winthrop, so there’s a bunch of cheering that goes on right outside the House,” Hong said. “It’s at mile 10, so it’s when you want to quit, and you can just go back to your dorm. We try to make it a tradition.”

Harvard on the Move, an initiative of the Center for Wellness and Health Promotion, brought its own team of 52 undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty members for the race. Olivia B. Lunseth ’28, who led the team, said the program was formed to foster student and faculty participation in outdoor exercise.

“It’s a good way to help get the Harvard community out there and promote running and walking on campus,” Lunseth said.

This year’s half marathon fell the day after Halloween, and some runners extended the festivities by racing in costumes — ranging from banana suits to Lorax mustaches.

Bruce Tang ’29 noted that training for the half marathon allowed him to “get back into” running after taking a break during his freshman year. The festive atmosphere made the race even more enjoyable, he added.

“What better way to motivate yourself than to run in a lobster costume?” Tang said.

Harvard runners said they were especially motivated by the crowds cheering them on as they passed campus. Jose A. Garcia ’29 said support from classmates helped propel him to the finish line.

“I didn’t think I was going to be able to finish around mile five, but the second time I came past Harvard, there were a ton of people cheering,” Garcia said. “It really pushed me on to get to the end.”

Michael X. Kostecki ’28, who ran the race for the second time, said running through Harvard’s campus made the race special.

“It’s super cool running through the stadium. That’s a very unique experience to be able to run on the field,” Kostecki said. “I’m in Dunster, so it’s so special to be able to run past Dunster and see all my friends.”

Christy Zheng, a student at Harvard Medical School, said that the half marathon is an embodiment of Cambridge and Boston’s running community.

“It’s a wonderful group of people, and I think it’s amazing and just really speaks to how wonderful Boston is as a city,” Zheng said. “In the next few years, I’ll probably move out of the city, and I hope to find a community that also has a big running scene.”