The journey of seven Latin alumni began as they laced up their shoes to tackle the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on October 13. Each of the alum’s races was extraordinary. Every runner achieved their personal goals.

Keely Moll ’22 shared the journey with her father, Ken. Having put in tons of training for the marathon, the father-daughter duo wanted to savor each mile as they pursued their goal. “I had trained for so long for race day and during the race, I was really just trying to not wish it way too fast,” Keely said.

Race day excitement gave Keely an unanticipated surge of energy. “In the second half, we both agreed that I would go ahead and he would stay behind,” Keely said. “This was one of the most symbolic moments I think I’ve ever had with him.”

Kenny Moll ’19, Keely’s brother, was ahead of his family grinding away at a 5:47-mile pace. He completed the race in 2 hours and 36 minutes, taking 298th place overall.

Meanwhile, in another display of determination and endurance, Simon Ricci ’16 completed the Chicago Marathon at a 5:38 mile pace, placing 102 out of 52,000 runners. He recently won the San Francisco Marathon after a neck-and-neck duel with another competitive runner. He plans to channel this same energy at the 2025 Tokyo Marathon.

Due to the flat nature of the Chicago Marathon course, the race attracted top athletes looking to break records. “It’s so inspiring to get to run in the same race as the best marathoners in the world, which you can only get at major marathons like Chicago,” Simon said.

Even the most advanced runners face roadblocks in the marathon. “This marathon was a difficult one because my legs felt tired early,” Simon said.

Latin Cross Country and Track and Field Coach Dan Daly, who coached Simon in high school, helped him on marathon day. “Coach reminded me that the marathon can be humbling,” Simon said.

Marathoners love to have something to look forward to post-race. “I celebrated with a big pizza dinner,” Simon said.

Matthew Kotcher ’23 ran the marathon quickly, finishing 14th in his age group with a time of three hours and 28 minutes. “My main ‘why’ for running the marathon was ‘why not,’” he said.

Matthew focused on pacing himself in the race. His weekend long runs proved crucial for fitness, allowing him to relax and soak up the crowd’s energy on race day. “It meant so much to me to have my family and friends out there, and Ms. [Latin School math teacher Michelle] Neely coming out to watch made it even more fun,” Matthew said.

Many Latin students, teachers, and parents came to support the alumni who were running. Their camaraderie is a testament to the strength of the Latin community.

While each runner has a different reason for participating in the marathon, Liza Kaniewski ’18 ran to support and raise money for Ronald McDonald House Charities, an organization that helps keep families together.

Alison Bowen ’00 was a part of a group effort to resurrect the Latin girls cross country team in the late 1990s and has improved on her running abilities ever since, completing the marathon in 4 hours and 2 minutes. She is mom to JK student John Bowen ‘38, who perhaps will continue her running legacy at Latin.

Lizzie Nash ’20 trained enough to pick up her mile pace by a full minute in the last 5k, showing off her fitness.

The seven alumni runners used various strategies to endure hours of running, facing obstacles including leg pain, chafing, and burning lungs. The Moll duo focused on fueling with gels. Matthew emphasized the importance of good running gear. “I just wore my favorite running shorts and running shirt,” he said. “I made sure to choose running shorts with zipper pockets because I needed somewhere safe to keep all my gels.”

As the race unfolded, Keely appreciated what this physical challenge symbolized. “The day really was a celebration of the journey of training and dedication,” she said.

The last six to eight miles notoriously challenge runners; mental and physical strength is necessary. “I reminded myself that this was the moment I’ve been waiting for,” Keely said, “and now it’s time to feel the pain and show myself what I can do.”

Coach Daly, who has completed 45 marathons, pushes athletes to achieve excellence and constantly offers valuable advice. “My number one piece of advice is to have fun and enjoy the process,” he said.

Keely, a trainee of Daly, said, “I told myself to trust the training and tried to make the day fun, because that’s what I was there for. And now I get to wear my medal forever.”