Flee for your lives! The prospect of coin and cleavage sends these students down the wide and pleasant.

Run, Ripon College, Run!

Fleeing from the scene of the crime.

By: Katie Mead

Posted: 4/29/09

"Run Forest, run!" In the movie Forest Gump, Forest ran for miles. He ran from bullies, from opposing football teams, and just because he liked to run. But what makes Ripon College students run? On Saturday, April 25, the fifth annual RC2 run/walk was held. Over fifty participants from Ripon College and the Ripon community signed up to run either a 5k, 10k, or half-marathon. Proceeds for this event went to community agencies of the Ripon Area United Way and Ripon Noon Kiwanis. United Way is a national network of organizations working to advance the common good in communities by focusing on education, income, and health.

Six years ago, Professor of Psychology Joe Hatcher created the Theories of Motivation course. Hatcher wanted students to undertake a challenge well beyond their normal behavior and track their motivation.

"My initial reasoning for signing up for the half-marathon was that I needed motivation to work out during the winter," explains Hannah Bober, senior. "Throughout the semester it really helped to have that driving force to make me get out and run even if the weather was bad or I was tired."

While some students were new to the run/walk, others were returning veterans.

"I was in the marathon class with Professor Hatcher last year," states Kelcey Anderson, sophomore. "I never enjoyed running in high school, but after that class, I love running. It acts as a stress reliever and allows me to escape from my responsibilities for awhile."

Professor Jack Christ, who is teaching Theories of Motivation this semester while Hatcher is on sabbatical, explains why people are motivated to participate in this event.

"It is different from person to person and from age group to age group," says Christ. "There are social motives as well as personal-mastery motives. Especially in the running class, those who train together come to appreciate each other's effort."

"A huge factor in my motivation for running was having people around me who either encouraged me or ran with me," confesses Bober. "I liked to run with friends because it made what might otherwise be a lengthy and arduous run end up being something fun and rewarding. Everybody involved feels good about it because we all need someone there to push us toward our goals."

"The hardest part of training for the half-marathon was convincing myself I had to go running, especially when you're running by yourself," admits Anderson. "Once I start running, it's fine, but getting started is the hard part."

After all that preparation some runners will have to continue to motivate themselves throughout the run.

"When I'm running the half-marathon I'm just going to be thinking about how accomplished I feel for doing it and also about the other things I've accomplished in my last four years at Ripon College," predicted Bober. "I wouldn't be able to do something like this without the support of other people. That's how my whole college experience has been; I've had a lot of support from friends, family, and professors. I'll probably also be thinking about how a half-marathon is a pretty sweet way to end my senior year."

"Last year, I was in amazement that I was actually running a half-marathon," admits Anderson. "I kept looking around, realizing the distance that I had run, and felt so impressed with myself. This year, I'll just be enjoying running with my friends at my side."

Whether it was the encouragement of friends or the determination to try a new activity, the runners of the RC2 run/walk had the motivation to succeed and cross that finish line. As Ripon College students go into their final week of classes, perhaps they will have the motivation to carry on. If Forest can do it, why can't you?