Contrary to popular belief, the life of a college professor isn’t all about lecturing students and grading papers. Not only are Dr. Laurissa Hamilton and Dr. Nhuy Stessman full-time professors at California State University, Stanislaus, but the two are also marathon runners—and pretty accomplished ones at that.
The pair first began running and training together early last year after another professor on campus suggested they might make a good team.
“I didn’t know her at all before we started running together,” Hamilton said.
“She thought I was too slow,” Stessman quipped.
Although Dr. Hamilton initially had her doubts about whether Dr. Stessman would be able to keep up, the two ended up joining forces and have been running together ever since.
Currently, the two train together seven days a week. They meet very early in the morning, typically between 4:45 and 5:45 a.m., and run the canals near the campus. The distance they run varies, averaging around four to five miles everyday, sometimes more when a big race is coming up.
Recently, on Sunday, March 18, both Dr. Hamilton and Dr. Stessman ran the Modesto Half Marathon. Stessman’s time for the half marathon, which is 13.1 miles long, was 1 hour, 40 minutes and 37 seconds, just barely beating out Hamilton’s time of 1:40:41. 
Yet, the Modesto Half Marathon was hardly their first major running event.
Dr. Hamilton, a Biology professor, started seriously running in July 2008. She began training under Larry Blaylock, a CSU Stanislaus alumnus and former college athlete. Since then, Hamilton has raced in three marathons, five half marathons, and several 5Ks.
On April 16, Hamilton will compete in the prestigious Boston Marathon, a race that she had to qualify for. The 26.2 mile marathon is sure to be the crowning moment of her racing career thus far.
Dr. Stessman, a Chemistry professor, is no running novice either. She has participated in two full marathons over the past two years, and her next marathon will be in Eugene, Oregon on April 29. Although she has also qualified for the Boston Marathon, she has yet to apply for it. Ultimately, she does plan to follow in Hamilton’s footsteps and run it one day.
Dr. Hamilton and Dr. Stessman invite their fellow CSU Stanislaus faculty members and students to join their makeshift “running club.” The two are hoping to get a group together for May’s Bay to Breakers, a cross-city race where runners will make their way across San Francisco. Anyone interested in participating is encouraged to contact either Dr. Hamilton at [email protected] or Dr. Stessman at [email protected].