Heat, Hills, and Heart: Babson’s 10K Draws Record Turnout

Before the annual 10K for Babson last month, Jennifer Tosti-Kharas was thinking about the hills that awaited here on the campus course. Babson has a fair share of ups and downs.

The rolling campus, though, wasn’t the only challenge she and the other runners and walkers would face. At the start of the mid-afternoon run, the temperature hovered around a toasty 85 degrees, with plenty of sun and not a lot of clouds.

“I think I should have been more worried about the heat than the hills,” says Tosti-Kharas, professor of organizational behavior and the Camilla Latino Spinelli Endowed Term Chair. “It’s a gorgeous course that covers much of Babson and Olin, but it does not get a lot of shade.”

For his part, Rob Major wasn’t too concerned about the temperature. He was just relieved that there wouldn’t be a repeat of last year’s soggy slog. “I was happy to see that it was not going to rain,” says Major, Babson’s director of undergraduate administration.

Major serves as the run organizer of the 10K for Babson, which raises funds for the Melissa Shaak Student Emergency Fund. The fund 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 is a reminder of the impact we can have. The Student Emergency Fund is an important cause for our students. We are making a difference with each mile.”
Rob Major, Babson’s director of undergraduate administration and the run organizer of the 10K for Babson

This year, more than 50 faculty and staff members (along with one alumnus) ran and walked the course, which is the highest number of participants in the seven-year history of the race. That’s a sizable jump from last year, when about 30 people took part.

“I am thrilled by the response from our community,” Major says. “We are seeing more offices represented and more faculty members joining each year.”

The 10K for Babson encompasses two 5K loops that begin and end at the Babson World Globe and wind their way across the campuses of Babson and Olin colleges, from Woodland Hills to Govoni Field.

The run’s fundraising continues until the end of the month. So far, it has raised nearly $3,200 for the Student Emergency Fund, with an anonymous donor promising to match whatever the final tally is.

“Babson is at its best when we come together as a community for an important cause,” says Tosti-Kharas, the chair of Babson’s Management Division.

Major agrees. “This is a reminder of the impact we can have,” he says. “The Student Emergency Fund is an important cause for our students. We are making a difference with each mile.”