The 10K for Babson: A Rainy Run and a New Fundraising Record 

The weather for the campus run wasn’t great. Actually, it was pretty far from great. It was rainy. And windy. And miserable. “The conditions were pretty rough,” says Rob Major, director of undergraduate administration at Babson. 

Nearly 30 staff and faculty members participated in the annual 10K for Babson Fun Run/Walk last month, and despite the lousy weather, a hearty baker’s dozen of them chose to run outside in the elements.  

Most of the others decided to run inside on Babson’s indoor track in the Len Green Recreation and Athletics Complex, which came with its own unique challenge. While the track was warm and dry, runners needed to complete roughly 50 laps if they sought to finish the 10K run. That’s a lot of racing around in circles. 

“I was very impressed with the way the participants responded to the weather challenges,” says Major, the run’s organizer and co-founder. “I was impressed by their resilience and commitment to the cause given the conditions.”  

The runners’ efforts raised funds for the Melissa Shaak Student Emergency Fund, which supports Babson students facing unexpected circumstances, such as emergency medical treatment not covered by insurance or travel expenses in the case of the death or illness of a family member. This year, thanks in large part to an anonymous donor offering a matching gift, the run raised $7,440, the most in its history. 

A Rolling Course  

For those running outside, the 10K for Babson covered a lot of ground. It encompassed two rolling 5K loops that began and ended at the Babson World Globe and winded their way across the hilly campuses of Babson and Olin colleges, from Woodland Hills to Govoni Field. 

After those two loops, the runners were drenched but not defeated. “Once we got running, the conditions were manageable but wet,” Major says. “The rain let up just a little on the final three miles, which was nice.”  

This year’s soggy run was the sixth edition of the 10K for Babson. The annual tradition began in 2020, when a group of faculty and staff organized a socially distanced run during the heart of the pandemic. Over the course of its history, the event has raised more than $30,000 for the student emergency fund. 

“This event is a vivid reminder of the impact and commitment of the Babson community,” Major says. “I am looking forward to continuing to bring people together with future runs.” 

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