Will the Academy accept an unofficial race?

D

dc2016vv

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Oct 27, 2015
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I recently ran my first marathon, however, it was not an official event. I did not have to register, there were no medals, I just went out on a Sunday morning and ran. I tracked the distance and time with a GPS watch. I was curious if the academy will accept an unofficial event like this as an update to my activities record? Or will it not be of any benefit since it was an unofficial run? Thanks in advance for any input.
 
Would the Academy be able to independently verify your time and the distance for the race?
 
My understanding from your post is that you went outside and ran 26.2 miles (I am not sure what else an unofficial race would be, given that you "measured" the course by using a GPS watch). I think you need to run an official race for this to count, as the poster above stated, how can it be verified? The good news is that you know you are capable of running the distance -- so doing it in a race shouldn't be a problem -- just make sure you do it wisely, as to not injure yourself. Also, I think pattern is important...

If a record gets briefed that "Candidate X has completed [3 marathons or 8 5k races or 4 10k races, etc.]" then it is obvious that it wasn't a one time deal and can show a performance trend. My point here is you don't necessarily need to run marathons (or multiple marathons), either. You can do combinations (numbers above are just random numbers I picked), but showing that you have a pattern is beneficial and can send the right message to the board (i.e. you take physical fitness seriously).
 
Or Rubics Cube! Navy is always looking for people who can rock that cube, once, with no one watching, and no competition.
 
OP, I can't see how it would hurt to ask your advisor. Perhaps you live in an area with very few "official" marathons - the ability to run is a good thing at USNA. Mids have a lot of varied athletic interests, don't be shy about it.
 
Just to give you an idea, a good number of male runners on the marathon team are typically running at or faster than 3:10, as this is the time needed to qualify for Boston. I think your times as a cross country or track runner might be more beneficial as you can obtain various accolades and be selected to different teams. Also, your track times can show trends. But if any of this road race information is briefed to the Admissions Board it is likely to be "Candidate X has ran 20 road races varying from 5k to half marathon throughout HS." Running one race, that is unofficial, is not likely to even be mentioned, honestly. You got about 90 seconds in front of the board and that includes your entire record....if something doesn't stand out, it probably won't be mentioned.

It is no different than if you participated in one community service event, but claimed to do community service. The briefer might not mention it...as it was a one time thing.
 
Okay I understand. If I continue to run more (official) road races and continue to update these to my portal would these go towards athletics or extracurricular activities?
 
The answer is yes. USNA considers athletic activities as extracurricular. Thus, when you initially filled out the Candidate Activities Record form, it included your athletics (sports teams).
 
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