Coming into college, Elly Heskett, a fourth-year psychology major at Point Loma Nazarene University, emphatically hated running. Now, she goes to bed every night by 8:30 p.m., just so she can be up and running by 5 a.m.
You might know her as a leader for the Loma Hikes club, the president of the Run Club, or you might have seen her walking down Caf Lane with her signature colorful Nalgene and a kombucha in hand.
What you might not know about Heskett is that she is gearing up for a 50-mile ultramarathon this month — a race that she hopes will take her about eight hours.
The pendulum swung from hatred to adoration for running when she transferred from Multnomah University halfway through her second year. She had played soccer her whole life, but after a year and a half of playing collegiately, she wanted a change.
During the winter break before her first semester at PLNU, she said she felt lost. She had never been without sports and was feeling antsy, so her dad suggested that she train for a half marathon. She hasn’t stopped running since.
After the half marathon, Heskett jumped right into the ultramarathon distance, signing up for a 31-mile race with her running buddy, just to see if she could do it.
Now, when Heskett describes herself, the first thing that comes up is running.
“I am a runner first, because that’s what I love most,” she said. “I love school, but running is more my choice, my passion and my love. Being a student feels like a means to an end, but running is who I am.”
To run as much as she does, Heskett requires a strict schedule. One that involves getting up early to run, afternoon strength training and being in bed by 8:30 p.m. The discipline is hard, but Heskett said it has taught her about resilience and perseverance.
“Through running, I have learned that there is always an end to the pain,” she said. “I’ve learned how to build commitment. When it gets hard, I just have to stick it out because there will always be an end.”
Her commitment to the sport is inspiring for those around her, including Annika Schramm, a second-year environmental studies major. She said that she is constantly astounded by Heskett.
“Being friends with Elly inspires me to keep pushing myself,” Schramm said. “She is super humble about her running, but she pushes herself hard, and balances life well.”
Similar to Heskett, Nathan Gibbs, a media communication professor at PLNU, is also an extreme endurance athlete. He hopes to complete a 50 km ultramarathon someday, but for right now, he sticks to what he knows: Ironmans.
An Ironman is a triathlon that starts with a 2.4-mile swim, continues on into a 112-mile bike ride and ends with a 26.2-mile run. To train for this event is a huge time commitment, but it wasn’t too bad for Gibbs, he said.
“It is a lot of effort, but surprisingly manageable,” Gibbs said. “The discipline is really centering for me.”
The daily training is worth it for Gibbs for three reasons: getting to work toward a tangible goal, the race day and the food.
“I really just love eating,” he said. “It is honestly worth it to me to be able to eat whatever I want.”
The daily ice cream isn’t the only sweet reward that comes from the hours spent on trails running and cycling.
“The races are like the dessert,” Gibbs said. “Even though you are hot, or cold or something hurts, and you are sweaty and stinky, and you’ve been eating straight energy packets for hours — it’s just awesome.”
For Gibbs, the race is a celebration of the work and sacrifice that have been put in.
“On the day of the race, you just feel lucky to do it,” Gibbs said. “You are celebrating the months of effort that you put into it.”
Heskett shares the same love for race days as she reflects on her running journey. Her most memorable moment in her running career was the completion of a 31-mile ultramarathon.
“It was just so much fun,” Heskett said. “My family and friends were there, and my only goal was to finish and have fun.”
Heskett completed the race in March of the 2024-25 school year and has finished two marathons since then. As she looks toward her graduation, she doesn’t know what the future holds, but she does know it involves running, specifically a 100-mile race.
“People don’t understand why I do it; they always tell me I’m crazy,” Heskett said. “But I am not signing up for these races because I want to put myself through hell — I just love it.”
