Alumna Runs Marathons in 50 States and D.C., Sets Record!

By now most Slice readers know that MIT alumni are an extraordinarily talented group, and not just academically. In the past couple of years there was the alumna who scaled Everest, the Class of ’59-er who biked to his 50th reunion (from Cleveland!), the ultramarathoner, the man who sailed around the world, and the man who swam the English Channel. Now, meet Morgan Cummings, a 2009 grad who just broke the record for being the youngest woman to run marathons in all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia. View the slideshow.

Slice: When did you first begin long distance running? Cummings: I started running along the Charles River the summer before my senior year at MIT. I had a 40-hour per week internship, and most of my friends were either out of town or had 100-hour per week internships, so I was a little lonely and decided to run in my free time. I had never run a race of any distance before, but decided to sign up for a marathon so I'd have a goal to work toward while I was running so much. My first one was in Lowell in October 2008. I thought I would just do that one marathon, but I ran well and qualified for Boston so then of course I had to run that too.

Slice: Do you have a coach or trainer? Cummings: I've never had my own personal coach but my boyfriend is a sub-3-hour marathoner and gives me a lot of advice. When I was getting ready for my first marathon, I trained with the folks at Boston Sports Club on Newbury Street and they were incredibly helpful.

Slice: What does a typical week of training look like for you? Cummings: Saturday and/or Sunday, I run a marathon. Monday I go to a spinning class to help me loosen up. Then Tuesday through Friday, I run anywhere from 3-6 miles a day (depending on how I'm feeling) and in the evenings I either do the elliptical, spinning, or lift weights. I don't really think of it as training, it's just what I do to stay in shape like anyone else who likes to work out. I still go out with friends on weeknights and try to make my life as normal as possible aside from the fact that I run marathons every weekend.

Slice: What is your diet like on the day before and the day of a marathon? Cummings: If I have enough time to go out, I love pizza and beer the day before a marathon. But if it's a Saturday race, I'm usually flying in after work on Friday so I get there around midnight. Then I usually just rent a car and eat a loaf of bread while I'm driving to the race. Cinnamon raisin bread is the best. In the morning I eat a granola bar or toast, plus something sweet like a donut or a muffin.

Slice: What compels you to run? Competition? Record setting? Enjoyment? Cummings: I just love to be out there running! When you do it every weekend, you start to see the same people over and over and you make a lot of friends. I met my boyfriend at a marathon so now we're always traveling to races together. Also, I work [as a senior pricing analyst at an], airline so I thought this would be a fun way to use my travel benefits. As for the 50&DC record, that was a cool side thing but I didn't even know there was a record until I was almost halfway done with the states! I like to think of the record-breaking part as kind of an accident.

Slice: Do you prefer to run alone or with others? Cummings: If I'm just going for a run down the street, I like to run by myself, but at a marathon I always try to find other people to run with. My favorite thing about races is getting to chat with other runners and share my story and hear theirs. I've made tons of great friends along marathon courses.

Slice: Have the marathons gotten easier as you've become more experienced at running them? Cummings: The process of running a marathon has definitely gotten easier because I know what to expect. I know how heat, cold, wind, rain, hills, or trails are going to affect my body; I know when I need to take in more calories or fluids; and I know how to properly drink water from a paper cup as I'm running. A lot of the details just get easier the more you do it. As for the actual running part--I recently overcame a broken hip that had me on crutches for two months, so I'm still trying to get back to the pace and stride I used to have. Returning from that has been a huge challenge, and I'm still not totally up to speed. So I'd have to say running is harder for me these days than it was when I started.

Slice: What is your favorite part about the process of prepping for and running a marathon? Cummings: The best part is the people you meet before, after, and during. Also, getting there is half the adventure for me. I'm always flying all over the country, driving for hours, staying with friends, or sleeping in rental cars. I'm sure it's much less eventful for normal people who buy plane tickets or hotel rooms, but I'm young and adventurous, and I love the problem-solving aspect of working out all the logistics for each weekend.

Slice: Any particularly memorable/extraordinary marathon moments you want to share? Cummings: At the Oklahoma City Marathon, I got to run most of the race with Bart Yasso (one of the most famous runners of all time). Then I met my boyfriend at the Delaware Marathon--that was the most life-changing event for me; we literally coordinated our running schedules a week after we met and have never spent a weekend apart since. And at the Missoula Marathon this year, my hip was broken and I completed the entire race on crutches. That was the most challenging thing I've ever done.

Slice: Will you keep running? Cummings: Of course! I'm already working on a second round of the states. I'm running Boston again this year, and once I finish recovering from my hip, I'll be going back to a bunch of states again to get sub-4-hour finishes

Slice: How did your experience at MIT impact your running? Cummings: I was never on any running team in college, but so much of what we learn at MIT translates into the running world. Psetting all night or cramming for an exam was often like a marathon in itself! That definitely helped with my endurance and showed me that I can make it through anything if I work hard enough. I did cheerleading and dance troupe in college, so that gave me some experience at balancing work and a social life with athletic training. Also, since I work for an airline, I always travel standby so I have to create a lot of my own travel routings to optimize my chances of making it on a flight. I honestly think back to the logistics problems we solved in 15.053 every weekend while I'm planning out how to get to a race. I always make it work, even when it seems nearly impossible! I've had to be creative at times, but I've never missed a race due to not making it on a flight. I don't think I'd be able to say that if I hadn't gone to MIT.