On October 13, the Jones College Prep Cross Country team volunteered at the Elite Fluids station of the 2024 Chicago Marathon.

“We set up tables and set up the elite runners’ water bottles,” said marathon volunteer Isaac Veilleux ‘26. “We had somebody at each table as well as others directing the elite runners to the station. The runners came through, got the bottles, and then they threw them on the ground. We then went to get those bottles.”

Cross Country coach Picasso Russell helped set up and run the station. 

“Historically, I didn’t realize that the team always had the opportunity to volunteer, let alone volunteer at a very special part of the marathon,” said Russell. “I got an email from the Chicago Events Management team and was told about the opportunity. They asked if athletes on the team were interested and I thought absolutely.”

Despite volunteers having to be at the station at 5:15 in the morning, excitement was high among everybody.

“You think about Sunday morning at 5am, nobody really wants to be awake,” said Russell. “But to know that you’re awake and you’ve arrived to participate in something that’s a really big deal, especially with Chicago’s marathon being one of the world majors, I think the athletes responded really well and were super excited to be a part of it.”

The morning was a familiar setting for the student runners as they watched the elites come through.

“It’s just fun, because you have to get up early, everyone’s sleep deprived,” said Veilleux. “Then you get to set the tables up and watch people run and you think, I do that, that’s fun.”

The volunteers assisted in setting a world record, as marathon runner Ruth Chepngethich came through the station worked by the Jones Cross Country team. Chepngethich broke the women’s marathon world record, finishing in 2 hours and 9 minutes.

“I was in charge of the station where Ruth came in,” said volunteer Ben Smaroff ‘27. “I asked one of my friends to get her bottle when she dropped it, and thankfully he ended up getting it for me. So I now have the women’s world record bottle.”

Alongside getting to see some of the best in the world run the marathon, the athletes got to see their coach Max Crowninshield run the marathon after finishing their shift at the station.

“What’s really cool is the fact that we had already broken down the tables and were ready to transition in the day,” said Russell. “But everyone collectively thought no, we’re not going to go anywhere. We’re going to wait and cheer for Coach Max. And it was cool, because Max instantly recognized us and called us out. I noticed he was rocking a JCP hat and was representing Jones.”

Being a part of the marathon served as an inspiration for many of the volunteers to run in the future. 

“I’ve always wanted to run a marathon,” said Smaroff. “Having the opportunity to volunteer, especially at one of the biggest marathons in the world, really brought me closer to wanting to achieve that goal one day.”

Despite an early start in the day, the Jones volunteers at the 2024 Chicago Marathon helped make an impact on the event that hopefully can continue to be made in the years to come.

“The marathon is one of those things where it’ll always be there, but it has a place for everybody,” said Russell. “I think the athletes got to see that in another lifetime or in the future, that this is something that they can tackle.”