The Evergreen State College’s Carstens wins women’s NAIA Marathon Classic

In her first-ever competitive marathon, The Evergreen State College’s Alauna Carstens topped 45 of the best long-distance college runners in the country and was crowned the champion of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Marathon Classic in the women’s category, finishing the 26-mile, 385-yard race with a record time of 2:47:04 on Dec. 8. 

The sub 3-hour finish by Carstens not only broke the school record, but also set a Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) record and was the second-fastest time recorded in the 44-year history of NAIA women's marathon competition. The previous Evergreen record was 3:33:00 by Bonnie McReynolds at the NAIA District Championships in Seaside, Oregon, in 1988. 

"Taking it all in — I enjoyed every moment, even the difficult ones," said Carstens, who earned All-America  status for her effort, in a post-race interview.

Evergreen Assistant Cross-Country and Track and Field Coach Katie Burnett said Carstens  put in the work necessary to win.

"The progress Alauna has made in the 16 months since she joined the team has been remarkable," Burnett noted. "We knew she had a lot more to achieve in running, and today she became an NAIA Marathon Champion." 

Carstens won the marathon by more than 6 minutes over Madison Nelson from Bellevue University, who placed second with a time of 2:53:10. 

The feat caps off a successful 2024 for Carstens, who earlier in May placed seventh in the women’s 5,000 meters in the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, along with multiple wins in the CCC on various long distance runs and on the cross-country competing as an unattached runner. 

Max Baeder placed 8th in the NAIA Marathon Classic.

Photo courtesy of The Evergreen State College Athletics Official Website

Also competing for Evergreen at the NAIA Marathon Classic was Max Baeder, who placed eighth in the men's race after finishing in a time of 2:30.24. He also earned All-America status. 

Baeder broke the 37-year school record of Evergreen in the marathon, which was previously held by Jim Schultz at 2:38:23. Schultz set the mark during the NAIA District Championships in Seaside, Oregon, in 1987

"This made me dig deep and I was able to let it all hang out, and have an awesome race," Baeder said. "I couldn't have done it without all the people who supported me this season!" 

The NAIA Marathon Classic was part of the California International Marathon (CIM), which was attracted some of the best long-distance runners from all over the world in all age groups.