Geneva's Nick Edinger Places 10th in Pittsburgh Marathon

1st Pennsylvanian, 5th American to Finish

Nick EdingerNick Edinger, 2013 Geneva College alumnus, current Geneva graduate student and Assistant Coach for cross country and track, placed 10th overall in the Pittsburgh Marathon on Sunday, May 7. His time of 2 hours, 21 minutes and nine seconds was only 40 seconds off his personal best time, and just 5 minutes, 46 seconds behind the overall winner, Jacob Chemtai of Kenya. Edinger crossed the finish line as the first Pennsylvanian and the fifth American to complete the 26.2 mile course.

“I’m really happy with it,” says Edinger. “I stuck with two of the best Americans for 17 miles, so I’m confident that with more training I can continue to get better, and eventually I’ll be able to make it through the whole race with those guys.”

Edinger, widely considered the best distance runner in Geneva history, currently holds four school records at Geneva in track, all set in 2013: the 5000 and 10000 meters outdoors and the 3000 and 5000 meters indoors. In 2012, he also set the cross country record for 8000 meters at 24:23, the college's only sub-25 minute 8K ever recorded.


I stuck with two of the best Americans for 17 miles, so I’m confident that with more training I can continue to get better.”
― Nick Edinger


Edinger believed in the value of a Christian education at Geneva enough to come to Beaver Falls and he never looked back. He excelled in the classroom and on the track, growing in many ways. His life was forever changed. While earning his Psychology degree at Geneva, Edinger met and then married Communication Disorders alumna and fellow Geneva track and cross country star Alayna (Merkle '14). The couple lives in Beaver Falls. He is currently pursuing his M.A. in Counseling in Geneva's graduate studies program.

In Pittsburgh earlier this month, Edinger wanted to see how he could do competing with some of the top marathoners in the country.

“Around mile 11, it was just me and two other Americans,” he says. “I was starting to feel like the pace was quick, but I decided to stop looking at my watch and do everything I could to stick with those two guys.”

Edinger Marathon 2017Edinger hit the three-mile stretch from miles 15 to 17 — full of rolling hills — faster than he knew he could sustain. “That was what put me over the edge and caused me to slow down a lot for the rest of the race,” he says.

After mile 17, he lost contact with the other Americans with whom he had been running, but that was part of the risk. “I decided to go for top American and stick with those two guys,” Edinger says. “I could have backed off earlier and probably just maintained that third position, but because I went for it and pushed the pace, I ended up getting caught by two other guys later on.”


I was starting to feel like the pace was quick, but I decided to stop looking at my watch.
― Nick Edinger


As the 5th American, Edinger won a $1,000 prize, and he also won an additional $1,000 as the top Pennsylvanian finisher.

This was his third marathon; he ran the 2015 Chicago Marathon and the 2016 Indianapolis Marathon, where he set his personal best time of 2 hours, 20 minutes and 32 seconds. He is hoping for a big summer of training that will pay off in a monumental way for his next marathon race. “I don’t have it set in stone, but the next one will most likely be the Chicago Marathon in October.”

Chicago’s course is flat, in contrast to Pittsburgh’s hilly course, which is much more difficult. It will be Edinger’s first attempt at qualifying for the 2020 Olympic trials, which requires a time of 2 hours, 19 minutes.

"I love the dedication and commitment that running teaches," Edinger says. "I’ve learned a lot from my own running and I am excited to share it with others."


From the Geneva Blog: Why Complete a Bachelor's Degree at a Christian College?

ADP Christian CollegeProbably the best way to answer this question is to first describe what a Geneva College ADP major is not and then work backwards. First, a Geneva College Adult Degree Program major is NOT a “Bible” degree. All our majors are in professional fields like human resources, management, organizational leadership, criminal justice, child and family services, aging services and public relations. These majors are focused on relevant and current trends in the field, and the goal is to prepare students not for the pastorate, but for their chosen line of work. Second, one does not need to be a Bible expert or know much about the Bible to do well in our program. We will guide you.  More...

May 2017

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Prizes and Awards at 2017 Commencement
Dozens of graduates in the class of 2017 received recognition for special achievements.

“God took me through adversity in order to show me how to handle it like a man and to be a better person.” ...Read more

- Chaese Vaudrin Psychology


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