Columbus Ave. principal is training for her 31st marathon

Columbus Avenue School Principal Alma Rocha will hit the streets of the five boroughs in November in the annual New York City Marathon, and will run with a mission to help veterans and their families.

Rocha, a long-distance runner who lives in Freeport, is one of eight runners on Team Mission United, a group of athletes who run for Long Island’s over 100,000 veterans and military families. 

Mission United is an organization that helps U.S. military service personnel, veterans and their families readjust to civilian life. This encompasses areas such as job preparation and training, emergency financial assistance, case management assistance, and housing development.

Rocha moved to New York City from Mexico City when she was 26 years old. She ran her first New York City Marathon that year, and has raced every year since. Running, she said, helps her clear her head and tackle the problems of an elementary school principal.

The marathon is especially significant to Rocha because she is running to make a difference.

“The first time I ran the Long Island Half Marathon was the first time I saw veterans running with just one limb,” she said. “In Mexico, war was something far from me. So when I ran the half marathon, it was real for me to see someone with a lost arm or leg. The impact that had on me to be able to come back to the world with crutches or wheelchairs takes my heart. I thought, if veterans can run this, what can a regular person do?”

Rocha is answering her challenge this year by running to collect donations to assist those who have selflessly served. She is running “not for recognition but contributing.” This year’s race  will be the 31st New York City marathon she has competed in. 

“I have never remembered my time to get faster or to win,” she said. “I never did it for that. I run it for me. Because I love it, and then every year it becomes a little bit harder. The fact is, to run is not to qualify for anything. No, it’s just my love of running.”

When Rocha isn’t racing, she is devoted to the students of Columbus Avenue Elementary School. She became principal in 2018, after years of gaining experience and working her way up through the education system, from teacher to assistant principal.

“I think education is the way to go in life,” she said. “You know, education is what you take with you wherever you go. Education is what our future is going to be. Children depend on us like we are a medication that we give them.”

Rocha has been jogging almost every morning in preparation for the forthcoming marathon, a habit she has grown to love.

“You look at the race, and then you plan your training accordingly to make sure that you run that certain distance before the race and practice leading up to it,” Rocha said.

The New York Marathon attracts nearly 50,000 runners, ranging from top professional athletes to runners of all ages and abilities, as well as 10,000 charity racers. Over 125 nationalities are represented as participants traverse the different areas of New York City’s five boroughs—Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan.

More than a million spectators and 10,000 volunteers line the streets of the city to cheer on the runners, while millions more watch the worldwide broadcasted program.

The TCS New York City Marathon recognizes United Way of Long Island as an Official Charity Partner.

“United Way of Long Island is excited to announce that we are an official charity partner of the 2022 TCS New York City Marathon,” said Theresa A. Regnante, United Way of Long Island President & CEO.

“We are proud of our Team Mission United members, and will be there to support them from the start to the finish line as they raise funds to benefit our Long Island veterans.” said Theresa A. Regnante, president and CEO of United Way of Long Island.

Team Mission United runners still require assistance, and have established a collective fundraising target of $25,000 for United Way of Long Island’s veteran initiatives. Readers may help Rocha and her teammates reach their goal by visiting https://www.unitedwayli.org/team-mission-united-0.