The LOVELLSTRONG Legacy Run/Walk, originally called the President’s Fun Run, was created to help raise funds for sarcoma research in 2023. When Marquette University’s 24th President Michael Lovell died in 2024 after a three-year battle with sarcoma, the university used the run as a way to honor him.
But this year, the 5K run around the “Marquette Mile,” took on another meaning. While still paying tribute to Lovell, it also brought the Marquette community together to honor the lives of two men’s lacrosse players who died in a Sept. 5 car crash.
“This year, we will also pay tribute to the lives of our two student athletes, Noah Snyder and Scott Michaud, whom we lost far too soon,” Sarah Burkhart, executive director of the Marquette University Alumni Association, said at the event. “As a close-knit, Catholic, Jesuit university, we believe deeply in the power of community as we heal, honor and celebrate together.”
The run fell over Family Weekend, so students and their families, entire Marquette Athletics teams, coaches, alumni and community members checked in under the Raynor Library Bridge before the race’s kickoff at 9 a.m. on Sept. 27.
The crowd then gathered in front of the St. Joan of Arc Chapel to hear Amy Lovell, widow of the late president, and Mike Broeker, vice president and director of athletics at Marquette University, deliver opening remarks.
Amy Lovell used her speech to address the importance of remembering individuals for who they were, not how they died, and Broeker praised Amy for how she keeps moving forward.
“[Amy’s] strength and the strength of their family inspire us every day,” Broeker said.
Broeker reminded attendees that Lovell was not only a president for the university, but also a supporter, mentor and friend to those around him.
When the run started, participants followed the path from 11th Street to 16th Street, and Wisconsin Avenue to Clybourn Street. The route was known to be one of Lovell’s favorite runs.
Despite campus still healing from the losses of Lovell, Snyder and Michaud, attendees ran with smiles on their faces. Members of the men’s lacrosse team stood on the perimeter of the path holding signs with Snyder’s number 43, and Michaud’s 88, cheering on the runners.
“Marquette is a strong-knit community,” Nicole Chadwick, a senior in the College of Health Sciences, said. “If you have the time and resources, it’s important to show up.”
Women’s lacrosse assistant coach Annie Carroll said the teams’ presence helped build a bridge between the university’s athletic department and the rest of campus.
Azaria LeJeune-Woloszyn, a sophomore on the women’s lacrosse team, said the annual LOVELLSTRONG Legacy Walk/Run creates an opportunity for students to talk about grief rather than keeping it to themselves.
“It’s more productive to heal as a community,” LeJeune-Woloszyn said.
During the event, Amy Lovell and the entire Marquette men’s lacrosse team all stood together for a photo outside the St. Joan of Arc Chapel, somewhere Marquette calls:
“A place of community, especially in times of joy and sorrow.”
This story was written by Mina Marsolek-Bonnet. She can be reached at [email protected].
