Wilmington College’s Audrey Wagstaff still carries her medal a week after completing her first marathon on May 5. In fact, after conquering Cincinnati’s Flying Pig Marathon, she’s already registered for a half marathon this fall with intentions of returning for another full Flying Pig — one might call it the “Whole Hog” in 2025.
“It feels really great to be able to say, ‘I did it!’” she said, noting that the race was a, now-joyous, mixture of “commitment, misery and lost toenails.” Indeed, the exhilaration of successfully completing her goal tempers what she went through to get there. “Of course, it was worth it. I guess it’s like childbirth. I remember it being very painful at the moment, but I don’t have a recollection of how painful.”
Wagstaff, a professor of social sciences and communication arts, represented the College at the Flying Pig, along with faculty colleague, Dr. Chris Silette, assistant professor of exercise science, and two now-graduated seniors, Elijah Brock and Nicholas Young.
Wagstaff started distance running in middle school and, as an adult ran 5K and half-marathon races, however, her last half was eight years ago. She credits her training regimen at Strength Lab, where she does a lot of cross-training, as the means for conditioning her body for the rigors of a marathon.
“Everyone knows that I like to run, and we were talking quite a bit this winter about marathon running — I said, ‘Why not just do it?’ I have always wanted to do a full (marathon) so I figured it was my time,” she added. “I trained with a great, little group of ladies in some of the most miserable conditions. In fact, our 18-mile run was rife with thunder, lightning and even hail.”
Silette started running in graduate school after participating in an exercise study as part of a lab. He subsequently ran two half marathons and planned to run the Flying Pig in 2020 before it was canceled in the early weeks of the pandemic.
This year, he walked the walk after talking the talk about the benefits of running in his exercise science class. In fact, he made a deal with one of his students. “Eli (Brock) said he would do it if I wanted to run one after his football life was done (Brock played four years at WC),” Silette added, noting he logged 396 miles during the spring semester in preparation for the Flying Pig. He ran with Brock until mile 14 when the heat caused him to slow his pace for the race's second half — but he finished!
“It was exhilarating and exhausting to cross the finish line,” he said,
Silette’s marathon shows the dedication he has to his students. “It also means that I am ready to run one next year and organize some students to run some length of it with me — the full, half or even organize some relays so that more can participate while only running six or seven miles each. This was my first marathon and it will not be my last!”
The day’s heat and humidity also affected Wagstaff. She noted that, on race day, the course through Cincinnati had been “red-flagged” at 8:30 a.m., meaning the misery factors (heat and humidity) were potentially dangerous for runners, so she adjusted her pace a bit and still finished the 26.2-mile race in an impressive 5:25.17.
“I felt the proverbial runner’s high as I got to mile 25 — it was so hot and humid. Then, I crossed the finish line and heard (the announcer and WC alumnus) Nick Wiget say my name. “I couldn’t wait to get that medal!”
And her victory lap can be just as long as she wishes.
PHOTO: Pictured from the left are Audrey Wagstaff, Nicholas Young, Elijah Brock and Chris Silette.