Just two weeks after her All-American run at the NAIA Cross Country Championships in Vancouver, Madison Nelson will take to the starting line of the first-ever NAIA Marathon Classic on Dec. 3.
The NAIA Marathon Classic is being held as a stand-alone event this year, as it was formerly a part of the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships but was removed as an event after 2022. It is currently classified as an emerging sport in the NAIA and not an official championship. A group of coaches spearheaded the effort to keep the marathon alive as an opportunity for NAIA student-athletes and found a partner in the California International Marathon (CIM). The CIM offered one hundred starting spots in their established race, which will take place on Dec. 3 in Sacramento.
The marathon will begin promptly at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3, near the Folsom Dam in Folsom. The scenic 26-mile, 385-yard course runs from Folsom Dam to the State Capitol in Sacramento.
Qualifications for the Classic took place from Aug. 9-Nov. 5 (12 weeks). Student-athletes who wanted to be considered for entry had to run an average of 40 miles per week during that 12-week training period. Secondly, during those 12 weeks of training, the student-athlete had to complete a minimum of two 2-hour runs to ensure that they were able to complete the 26.2-mile race. A total of 100 spots this year were allotted to the NAIA by the CIM, and they will be filled by 65 men and 35 women.
In 2022's final running of the event as part of the track and field championships, Nelson ran to a seventh-place finish in Gulf Shores, Ala. The freshman received her first All-American honor in that race. The event had been shortened that year to a half marathon due to excessive heat. Since then, she has earned two All-American honors in cross country, the most recent coming in last week's NAIA championship.
Like most of the entrants, this will be the first full marathon effort for Nelson. Nine of the entrants competed at the cross country national meet, with Nelson being the top finisher among them. The North Star Athletic Association will be well represented, with five of the 35 women entrants coming from NSAA member schools.
Coach Craig Christians shared his thoughts heading into the Classic: "Madison is very excited after having the event changed to a half her freshman year and then being canceled last year. So, she's essentially been training for this for three years, which is not entirely a bad thing. She definitely has the marathoner's determined temperament. She keeps grinding every day, and that's running by herself at 5 or 6 a.m. before she heads to work. There's an inner toughness that is hidden by her smile. It's been a pleasure to watch her compete."
