Two days after taking the LSAT in Switzerland, Ben Wolfe stood at the starting line of the Wizz Air Milano Marathon in Milan, Italy, surrounded by thousands of other runners.

For Wolfe, a College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences student and participant in the Honors College’s Presidential Global Scholars program, the race capped an intense stretch of his semester at Virginia Tech’s Steger Center for International Scholarship in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland.

He had spent the semester balancing classes, travel, LSAT preparation, and the everyday work of living and learning in another country. Then, in the 11th week of the program, he added 26.2 miles through Milan.

“Finishing the marathon was, above all, a massive wave of relief, both physically and mentally,” Wolfe said. “I had built up a lot of stress in the weeks leading up to it, not only because of the marathon itself but also because of the LSAT. Crossing the finish line felt like all of that pressure was released at once. It also gave me a huge rush of accomplishment, almost like I had won something, which was a feeling I had not experienced in a long time.”

Wolfe crossed the finish line in 4:03:27.

In the Presidential Global Scholars program, Wolfe’s semester was already full of high-impact, high-energy projects, classes, and excursions designed to connect academic work with the culture, history, and daily life of the region. Still, he made time to train for the Milano Marathon, his first organized race.

Between classes, LSAT preparation, and personal travel, he kept a loose training schedule, running about 7 miles most days and prioritizing one long run per week.

“I never felt like I had to stay home for a weekend or miss out on somewhere I wanted to go so I could complete a scheduled run,” Wolfe said. “Instead, it remained something I looked forward to doing when I had the time alongside my other hobbies.”

In a semester marked by fast-paced living and constant change, running became one of the steady rhythms of Wolfe’s study abroad experience. The experience also changed the way he thought about running — not just as an athletic challenge, but as a community.

“Completing this marathon made me realize how much bigger running is than most people imagine on the surface,” Wolfe said. “Everyone is so encouraging of each other, which I noticed from the already finished runners joining the crowd in the final few miles to cheer on the rest of the finishers.”

Wolfe plans to continue his training in Blacksburg to run the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C., in October alongside friends, this time with his family in the crowd.

Written by Grace Markusson and Sarah Jones.

Ben Wolfe poses for the camera at the finish line of the Milan marathon
At the finish line in Milan. Photo courtesy of Ben Wolfe.

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