GHS science teacher Mike Veilleux ran the 2025 New York City marathon on November 2nd. Before the race was starting his emotions were high for getting a chance to participate in this crazy thing with a huge group of other runners. He said, “standing with a ton of other like-minded folks is an honor and privilege.” 

He placed 455th out of almost 60,000 others, in one of the biggest marathons he took part in. He finished with a time of 2:40:21. He chose to run the TCS New York City Marathon, because New York is a world marathon as well as the 2025 master world championship. He wanted to see how he fared against “the best old guys in the world” and he did better than he expected. 

Veilleux said, “I decided to start running to challenge myself because I feel healthier when active.” Also, he believes “that staying fit is one of the most important things we can do.” Veilleux makes running his lifestyle and not just a sport. He wants to keep his body in shape. 

In addition to running on his own time, he is fortunate to also coach an amazing group of cross-country athletes at GHS who inspire him to run. He enjoys running with friends, but his favorite part of coaching is seeing the athletic passion carry through the lives of student athletes. Even today Mr. Veilleux runs with former students who have made running a part of their lives.