Elmira College

« Back to Recent News

Going the Distance: Faculty Member Qualifies for Boston Marathon

Elmira, NY (02/12/2019) — Clinical Supervisor, Donna Coss, has a passion for running which has earned her a spot in the 2019 and 2020 Boston Marathon races.

Coss' running career started six years ago when she would run simply for exercise. That quickly transpired into something much bigger., While Coss had run several 5k and 10k races and six half marathons, she had no desire to ever run a full marathon. That changed with some encouragement from her family.

"At the encouragement of my husband and teenage daughters, I signed up for my first full marathon," said Coss. "I wanted to teach my teenage daughters about setting goals and putting in the time and effort it takes to reach that goal. I ran my first full marathon in November of 2017 & ended up running a Boston Qualifying time for my age and gender."

However, she notes, qualifying for the Boston Marathon is never a guarantee of getting in to the race.

"The registration process goes in waves; those who beat their qualifying times by 20 minutes or more get to register first, than ten minutes, then five minutes."

When asked on what her thoughts were in preparation for the marathon, Coss says "I am very excited and incredibly nervous to be a part of such an amazing event. Attending something this big is way out of my comfort zone but I am determined to go and do my best. I want my daughters to experience and embrace the history of world's oldest marathon."

The 2019 Boston Marathon is Monday, April 15. According to the Boston Athletic Association website, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon and ranks as one of the world's most prestigious road racing events.

Media Attachments

Clinical Supervisor, Donna Coss, has a passion for running which has earned her a spot in the 2019 and 2020 Boston Marathon races.

Copyright © 2025 Merit Pages, Inc. • All Rights Reserved. • Terms of Service • Privacy Policy • Opt Out