The Students Run Los Angeles (SRLA) season is just about over with the conclusion of Sunday’s LA Marathon. With only a 5K run later in May left in the schedule, SRLA leaders and students who crossed the finish line are glad to have the experience.
More than 4,000 students in the SRLA program ran in the marathon from hundreds of middle and high schools across the greater LA region, including San Fernando High, Pacoima Middle, Nobel Middle, Van Nuys High and George Porter Middle schools.
Pacoima Middle had a total of 10 members on its team, but due to certain circumstances, half of them were from another school – Arleta High. The five middle schoolers were Miguel Castellanos, Giovanni Gonzalez, Layla Jaime, Maynor Murga and Giovanni Penate; the high school students were Jazmine Acosta, Keyla Alfaro, Valeria Castellanos, Sofia Hernandez and Ashley Sanchez.
Rachel Rodriguez, an SRLA leader at the middle school, explained that some of her former students had enrolled in Arleta High. Unfortunately for them, the school doesn’t have an SRLA program.
Those five students approached Rodriguez to see if they could join her once more to participate in the LA Marathon. The school had several empty slots in which they could technically join, but not without some caveats. They had to practice on their own and were responsible for meeting time requirements for certain races.
Nonetheless, all five high school students met the requirements and were able to join Pacoima Middle on the day of the LA Marathon. But the day went slightly chaotic, Rodriguez said, as one student showed up late due to Daylight Saving Time and, once the marathon started, the high school students ended up getting separated.
Despite all the confusion, each member of the team managed to complete the marathon.
“That’s what’s beautiful about a marathon, is that it truly brings out the best in everyone, whether it’s other runners [or] it’s the people out there cheering the runners or buying water bottles and handing them out,” Rodriguez said. “It’s such a beautiful thing.”
San Fernando High
Thirteen SRLA runners came from San Fernando High, with 12 completing the race. The team is comprised of Janelly Abarca, Hazel Arce, Tonatiuh Flores, Cristina Marquez, Maliyah Mestas, Israel Moreno, Andrea Quevedo, Beatriz Ramirez, Emily Rodriguez, Mathew Ruiz, Julieta Tovar, and Lluvia Villagrana.
A few members of the team were seniors, but for some it was the first time participating in a marathon.
“It was a little tough, but I had a goal [and] … with all of the support from my coach and teammates and siblings that also did it, it motivated me to keep pushing,” Ramirez said.
Many members of the team have had experience being on cross country and track teams, but never running a full 26.2-mile course. Having that experience, though, has given them the confidence to keep going, even after they’ve graduated.
“I think it was challenging, but I feel like at the end, I felt very accomplished and proud of myself,” Villagrana said. “I feel very motivated to continue running and it makes me want to keep doing more marathons.”
Pacoima Middle School’s SRLA team at Dodger Stadium before the start of the LA Marathon, March 8. (Photo Courtesy of Rachel Rodriguez)