Senior Nick Agrillo is known for meeting every physical challenge presented to him. Recently, after finishing his cross country season, Nick ran his first marathon.

Nick recently participated in the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM), one of the biggest marathons in the world. The marathon’s mission statement is to “showcase physical fitness and generate community goodwill in order to promote the high standards and discipline of the Marine Corps.”

“This was my first marathon ever,” Nick said. “My mother told me about it, and we’ve been trying to sign up for two years.”

In order to be a part of the marathon, Nick had to enter a ticket into a lottery and be one of the 30,000 people selected. The marathon is a 26.2-mile run, and Nick faced this challenge head-on.

“I really enjoy exercising, and my cross country training really helped me for the marathon,” Nick said. “I did not do anything specific to prepare. It was a really cool experience because you run near all of the U.S. monuments.”

The MCM starts in Arlington, VA on Route 110 between Arlington National Cemetery and the Pentagon. Nick enjoyed seeing all of the museums and historic landmarks like the Lincoln Memorial, the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian museums, the U.S. Capitol, and many more. The course leads alongside Arlington National Cemetery and then finishes at the access road to the Marine Corps War Memorial. Nick enjoyed seeing all of the runners united and running for the same cause.

“The marathon was exciting and felt really good,” Nick said. “It wasn’t until twenty-four miles when I started to cramp up.”

Nick knows that he has great physical abilities, and he believes he can do something meaningful with them. He is currently enlisted in the Marines Corps because of people who have served, like his grandfather.

“My grandpa is the type of person that is always going to help you,” Nick said. “He’s a really positive person, and he finds a way to make light of any situation. Also, the movie Black Hawk Down really sparked my interest in the military and physical training.”

Nick does physical training at the marine center, which starts with a max set of pull-ups, crunches, and running. They do calisthenics, which works the whole body, so they can take their final physical test to become a recruit.

Every little thing Nick has done up to this point has helped him succeed in life. The quote that Nick continues to live by each and every day is from Sgt. Jeff Struecker in Black Hawk Down: “It’s what you do right now that makes a difference.”