Three former Northeastern track and field athletes are lacing up their sneakers once again to take on their first Boston Marathon April 20. A 26.2-mile endeavor through Greater Boston, the Boston Marathon is not a course for the faint of heart, but Sarah Petersen, Malav Mehta and Daniel Caso are ready to take on the challenge. “I’ve been running since I was in early elementary school, so it was familiar for me. I’ve loved the community that came along with it, but a marathon is just a new challenge,” said Petersen, who graduated in 2024 and is now based in Toronto. She is representing PUMA’s Project3, the brand’s program that gives non-professionals training and gear for the Boston and London marathons. Since receiving her diploma in health science and business administration, Petersen’s relationship with running has become more meaningful. “I don’t really get the same team aspect as I did while running for Northeastern and competing for Northeastern,” she said. “So it’s a bit more personal. And I’m doing it because I want to, and not because a coach is telling me to do so. I get a certain level of empowerment.” Even though she’s no longer on a collegiate team, she started her own run club in Toronto and has a support system of other Northeastern alumni, family and friends. For Mehta and Caso, both of whom also qualified by time but aren’t representing a brand or charity, their teammates were invaluable to their college experience. “I miss the team environment because I was very lucky to be good friends, sometimes even the best of friends, with my teammates,” said Mehta, who graduated in 2024 with a degree in architecture. “I’ve been lucky to still keep a lot of my friends through running after graduating.” Caso, who graduated in 2025 and also currently works in Boston, said it was those same friends who encouraged him to go for the Boston Marathon. “[They] kept the momentum of my running career going,” he said. “Without my friends, I probably wouldn’t have been as motivated.” All three runners agreed that they are particularly excited about this marathon not only because of its notoriety, but also because of their connection to Boston. “It’s a historic race, and I was very grateful I’ve qualified for it,” Mehta said. “And I’m also about to move out of the city, so in a lot of ways it feels like closing up a chapter with Boston.” Having watched past Boston Marathons from the sidelines, the runners are very familiar with the route. The majority of the course is downhill before runners encounter the notorious “Heartbreak Hill,” a series of hills at the 20-mile mark, where many find themselves fatigued. Petersen competes in a track and field event. The runners prepared for the event via intense training and studying the route. Photo courtesy Northeastern Athletics. “I know [the hills] are coming but running them before and exposing myself to them before makes me feel not as nervous,” Petersen said. “I’m definitely going to be thinking about the hills that start around like 20, 22 miles in. But, you know, positive thinking.” Caso is also nervous for Heartbreak Hill, but looks forward to the last few miles of the race, where he hopes spectators will motivate him until the finish line. Mehta is more worried about the “pretty heavy downhill” that comes earlier in the race. But he’s found a way to mentally prepare himself for the tough parts. “You gotta be prepared to have a good time because your body’s already gonna be thinking that it’s a bad time, so you can’t let your mind start believing that,” he said. Mehta discovered his secret to success in his first marathon in Jersey City last year, where he found joy interacting with the crowd to “keep his spirits light.” And while the three may have graduated, the connection and passion they have for running hasn’t changed. “Running takes you somewhere that a lot of other things can’t take you,” Caso said. “It lets you see how far you can push yourself.” The post ‘It’s a historic race’: Three Northeastern track and field alumni take on 130th Boston Marathon appeared first on The Huntington News.
