The middle of April turned out to be a whirlwind time for our newest Creek Road Runner and the first University of Delaware President among our connection of runners past and present—CRR Laura Carlson.

From the very beginning of her stint as Interim President at UD, Carlson had made a point of getting runners on campus involved by holding weekly early-morning 5K group runs. On April 16, however, the eve of her inauguration as President of the University of Delaware, she held a special 3 p.m. version, which was attended by nearly 100 runners. The field for this fun run, led by Carlson, included CRR Bill Farquhar, CRR Mark Deshon, CRR Tripp Shenton, CRR Jeff Chase, and CRR Artika Rangan Cassini. Leaving from Mentors’ Circle next to Hullihen Hall, which houses Carlson’s office, the run headed south to UD’s outdoor track for a lap around the track and back.

The following day was a gala celebration on campus, as Carlson shed the “Interim” title and officially became President. For her, that pre-inaugural 5K was just a leg loosener, as she was due to run the Boston Marathon the following Monday morning.

Carlson is no stranger to the Boston Marathon, having grown up in the Boston area. She completed her 15th Boston, the 130th edition of the storied marathon, on Monday, April 20, clocking in at 3:51:10 (3:48:04 chip). As one of more than 30,000 competitors, she placed 19,339th overall, 7415th among all females, and 119th in her age division. Pretty impressive.

In relation to her position at UD, here’s what Rangan Cassini said about Carlson in the recent issue of University of Delaware Magazine. “Carlson’s approach is steady. Like a seasoned marathon runner who knows that the journey of 26.2 miles begins with a single step, she leads with skills gleaned on the course: preparation, consistency, purpose and an uncanny ability to listen…. Now as president, she’s zeroed in on one question: How do we position ourselves for success 10 years from now? It’s the kind of endurance Carlson knows well.”

Welcome to the group, President Carlson.