Race Entry Student Scholarship

Race Entry is an online race registration company that supports students of all disciplines who pursue self-improvement and enhanced health through race preparation and participation. Annually Race Entry is offering a $500 scholarship to the winner of our annual “Race to Inspire” essay contest. Many people have different reasons for running in a race. We want to hear & share your inspiring story.

Eligibility:

Participants must be able to verify enrollment for college at an accredited university inside the USA during the fall semester of the same year the essay is submitted.

How to Apply:

Whether you ran a 5K, 10K, half marathon, or marathon, write a short essay explaining what inspired you to run, what challenges you faced, and what you learned through the experience. Prepare an essay sharing your race story between 1,000 and 2,000 words in length. Send your essay to support@raceentry.com with “Race to Inspire – Scholarship” in the subject line – All applications must be submitted between January 1 and August 15 to be included in the contest of the same year. The contest winner will be notified on or before October 1.

Scholarship Terms

Race Entry is committed to protecting the privacy of all our visitors. By using www.raceentry.com and submitting a scholarship application, you grant all rights and ownership of submitted content to Race Entry, regardless of whether your entry is selected as a winner. Race Entry reserves the right to publish submitted work at the conclusion of the entry period in any manner Race Entry sees fit. Selection of winning submissions is entirely at the discretion of Race Entry. Each scholarship winner will be contacted by Race Entry via the same email address that was used to submit the application. Winner(s) will be confirmed ONLY after providing proof of enrollment in the form of a copy of a tuition bill OR letter of proof from the accredited United States college or university at which the winner(s) is enrolled. Winners will be publicly announced on RaceEntry.com, and Race Entry will mail the winner(s) their check.

2023 Scholarship Winner

Devon Cobos Garcia Race Entry 2023 Scholarship Winner

Our 2023 Scholarship goes to Antoine Caleb Lucas from Jonesboro, Georgia

Below is his submission:

Discovering My Stride: A Journey of Resilience and Triumph

In the urban sprawl of Atlanta, Georgia, where the rhythm of life can sometimes feel like a perpetual sprint, I found my stride. As a dedicated gym rat, a passionate baseball player, and an avid boxing enthusiast, the world of sports has always been my sanctuary. However, my journey as a runner was born from a desire to transcend my comfort zone and embrace challenges head-on. My name is A. Caleb Lucas, and my race story is not just about running; it's a testament to the power of determination and the pursuit of growth.

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2022 Scholarship Winner

Devon Cobos Garcia Race Entry 2022 Scholarship Winner

Our 2022 Scholarship goes to Emily Kohnen from Creve Coeur, Missouri

Below is her submission:

Running wasn’t a fundamental building block in my childhood. Quite the opposite was true. I played sports as a child but never took any too serious. I started playing ice hockey when I was in elementary school, close to the end of fourth grade. I was usually the only girl on my team and the boys had no issue letting me know they didn’t like that. After playing through middle school, it became clear that the male body was speeding up a lot faster than mine and I became discouraged. I turned down an offer to play for an all-girls team, and eventually I quit altogether. It was then that my sedentary lifestyle took over. Ironically enough, this is exactly when running became a part of my family.

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2021 Scholarship Winner

Devon Cobos Garcia Race Entry 2021 Scholarship Winner

Our 2021 Scholarship goes to Devon Cobos Garcia from Jacksonville Beach, Florida

Below is her submission:

My father was an avid runner. Having grown up in Belchertown, Massachusetts, he had dreamed of running the Boston Marathon since he was a child. The Boston Marathon, said simply, is just one of those races; one of those races that runners put on their Bucket List; one of those races for which runners constantly strive to have qualifying times; one of those races that brings athletes and their families from all over the world together for a common goal. The Boston Marathon, for many runners, is the ultimate race. My dad talked about the Boston Marathon constantly, and worked hard towards qualification. He trained heavily by running, swimming, and biking to ensure he was physically well-rounded and ready for his moment on the starting line. He ran and biked and swam and ran some more, grinding away and staying true to his training; he was quite successful with this grind, a grind that many others had trouble keeping up with, a grind for which he was gratuitously praised.

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2020 Scholarship Winner

Alexandra Schiessl Race Entry 2020 Scholarship Winner

Our 2020 Scholarship goes to Alexandra “Aley” Schiessl from Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Below is her submission:

Everything hurt: my heart, my mind, my legs, my neck. It felt easier to lay in bed or stare blankly at the computer screen at work than exert any kind of effort into- well, anything. My only sister had died suddenly of an accidental overdose. Worse, a court case was becoming involved. I despaired, certain that the pain was going to be unending. Navigating grief while also living with bipolar II disorder made me into a ball of frayed nerves. I went to therapy. I was outspoken about my struggles and tried to reach out to others. Still, I felt incredibly alone, and nothing I did made me feel anything. I was unhappy in my relationship; my job felt like a dead end; I was slowly realizing, through the haze of grief, that my life felt despondent. For a long time in my life I felt like I deserved to be unhappy. But my sister’s death was what truly broke my back. I could no longer accept these horrible feelings as being a constant. As odd as it sounds, it took losing my only sister to realize that I only have one shot at life. And here I was, stuck in a cycle that was both comfortable and hurtful. Slowly, I felt like I was waking up and clearing my mind of what my depressed brain told me. I deserved to be happy. In February 2019, I finally found the strength to change. I broke off my engagement, moved back into my parents’ home, and applied to go back to college after a four-year hiatus.

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2019 Scholarship Winner

William L. Williams Race Entry 2019 Scholarship Winner

Our 2019 Scholarship goes to William L. Williams from Fairfax, Virginia

Below is his submission:

To run is to feel. Or at least that was the reasoning I presented to my mother when she demanded to know why I kept skipping school to roam and wander the dilapidated corners of my hometown. Being that it was the middle of my junior year in high school and my family was already 4 months into homelessness, I found myself desperate to objectify the muddled feelings I had brewing and bubbling deep within me. Spending 4 months in a roach infested, trifling, and insufferable motel with bold pedophiles, domestic violence, blatant child abuse/neglect, and thieves was enough to make any sane individual want to scream or run as far away as possible no matter the consequences. However, there were strict policies in the motel against any “rambunctious or suspicious” behavior. This meant that you weren’t allowed to be loud with excitement or spend your time laughing into the night with your many brothers and sisters or yell out in pain from an injury. If you expressed yourself in any way someone would come pounding on your door with a solemn PROMISE they would have you kicked out by the morning. As if the pressures of being in the International Baccalaureate program weren’t enough, every day I was tormented by the fact that my family was one noise complaint away from quite literally living on the streets – no matter if we had been coughing up the $200 it took to stay in our cramped one room space (who knew how expensive it was to be homeless!).

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2018 Scholarship Winner

Carissa McAfee Race Entry 2018 Scholarship Winner

Our 2018 Scholarship goes to Carissa McAfee from Kansas City, Missouri

Below is her submission:

Running was an activity I did not enjoy. It took a long time, it was hot and sweaty, and I was miserable. My eighth-grade year, to my horror and dismay, my coach placed me in the two miles purely to torture me (actually, she thought I would be good at it, but oh! The horror!). I did a decent job, but I was miserable! I vowed to never run more than four-hundred meters every again.

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2017 Scholarship Winner

Erin Stenzel Race Entry 2017 Scholarship Winner

Our 2017 Scholarship goes to Erin Stenzel from Washington, DC

Below is her submission:

“If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.” Those are the words that continue to inspire and motivate me as I complete my lofty goal of running a half marathon in every state and Washington, DC. Over the past five years, I have run 15 half marathons, as well as numerous 5Ks and 10Ks. From the Golden State of California, to the peachy-keen state of Georgia, I have seen some truly amazing places. With 36 half marathons left, and an average of 3 half marathons per year, I am well on track to finishing my goal by 2029.

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2016 Scholarship Winner

Race Entry 2016 Scholarship Winner William Whalen Profile

Our 2016 Scholarship goes to William Whalen from Manhattan, Kansas

Below is his submission:

The outdoors has always played a large role in my life, whether in Webelos Scouts, on my own, or with the US Navy for ten years. Thus far, I have used my military training to educate myself, make myself healthy, and make myself strong. However, there is an outdoor experience of mine that did involve being in good shape, overcome hardship, and adapt to obstacles. I also did not get any award for this experience as I did in the military, yet it has had a more profound impact on who I am than any other single event in my life. It’s the 2nd Annual Wildcat Warrior 5k in the nice little town of Manhattan Kansas from Kansas State University which includes a tour past the war memorials all the way through campus.

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2015 Scholarship Winner

Race Entry 2015 Scholarship Winner Jonathan Blue Profile

Our 2015 Scholarship goes to Jonathan Blue from Columbus, Ohio

Below is his submission:

“Fight! No matter what happens in the next 24 hours I want you to fight and never give up. You hear me?” Those were the words whispered to me on November 4, 2013, and they have forever shaped the last year of my life. You see, that was the day I was rolled back into an operating room for a gastric bypass surgery. Everyone was scared of what would happen once I came out of surgery. The doctor was preparing everyone for the possibility I would wind up in the ICU for a couple days or longer. It was a surgery that, not only saved my life, but gave me a new body and a new lease on life. I never went to the ICU. Though I had no major complications from the surgery and my recovery was a breeze, that comment about fighting has stuck with me this last year. It has become my motivation and my credo. No matter what happens, each and every day I need to fight. I need to fight to get my body back.

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2014 Scholarship Winner

Race Entry 2014 Scholarship Winner Tiffany Chu Profile

Our 2014 Scholarship goes to Tiffany Chu from Warren, New Jersey

Below is her submission:

Movement is naturally essential to life, especially in health. My family likes to explore movement by playing sports and participating in charity walks together. I have been running and walking in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, De-FEET Breast Cancer 5K Run/Walk, JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes, and the American Diabetes Association’s STEP OUT Walk to Stop Diabetes since before I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and Graves’ Disease at the age of 13. Movement is not just important to life in general, but it is also important to my life and well-being, and I intend to share that with the world through my art.

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