One Mile at a Time: Anna Oeser ’18 Wins Philadelphia Marathon

Anna Oeser ’18 was the first woman to cross the finish line at the Philadelphia Marathon in November, completing the 26.2-mile race in two hours and 34 minutes. But while the race began in front of the city’s iconic Museum of Art, Anna’s running journey began at Canterbury.

Anna was already a talented basketball player when she entered the School as a Third Form student. When the time came to choose a fall sport, her father suggested that cross country could help her become a better overall athlete. It wasn’t long before she found strong camaraderie on her team and a deep passion for running. In her senior year, she was recruited by Boston College, where she competed on the Division I cross country and track and field teams.

“Running is an important part of who I am,” she explains. “The lessons I’ve learned through running have helped me in all aspects of my life.”

Earlier this year, her curiosity and competitive spirit prompted her to sign up for her first marathon in Philadelphia. Even for a seasoned athlete, preparing for such a grueling distance is no small feat. Anna approached both training and her race with advice from Coach Tracy Garcia-LaVigne, whom she describes as one of her biggest supporters to this day.

“Tracy always used to say to us: ‘Be in the mile that you're in,’” she explains. “It became my mantra. Her advice helped me not worry about what other people were doing or the 26 miles ahead of me. I could focus on my own plan and simply be present.”

Anna knew a lot had to go right for her to win the race, but she also knew that while her ambitions were lofty, they weren’t unrealistic. And as she neared the marathon’s finish line, she says, a familiar feeling began to rise inside of her.

“​​I won my first race at Canterbury,” she recalls. “I remember thinking then, with about a mile to go, ‘how crazy would it be if I won this?’ That was in the back of my mind when I was finishing Philly. I’d imagined it—I wanted to win—but actually breaking the tape was shocking and amazing.”

Anna’s time qualifies her for the 2028 Olympic trials, and she looks forward to competing. But as she prepares for her future, she still draws inspiration from her past.

“I literally started running because of Canterbury, and thank goodness I did!” she shares. “I hope students keep an open mind about joining something new; you really never know where it'll take you.”

Congratulations, Anna! We can’t wait to see how far you’ll continue to go.