ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Junior Sets Standard at Penn Relays

To his parents, he is Charles. To his teammates, he is Sir Chasington, or man-with-the-beard, or even simply beast. To the running world, though, Harvard junior Chas Gillespie is just fast.

Last weekend, at the prestigious Penn Relays, Gillepsie proved just how fast he was, running his personal best in the 5000-meter championship event with a time of 14:01.99.

Although he was fifth in the race and three seconds behind the winner, Gillepsie’s performance puts him second in the Ivy League. More importantly, Gillepsie now sits fourth on Harvard’s all-time top-10 performance list for the event.

“It was a great race for me, a big break-through and a very large improvement for me,” Gillepsie said.

“Great race” is an understatement, according to his teammates and coach, especially since Gillepsie demolished his previous best by 22 seconds, almost two seconds faster per lap on a 400-meter track, while qualifying for the NCAA Regionals.

“It was a monstrous PR,” said junior distance runner Robert Kenney. “That kind of a leap is almost unprecedented, so it’s a big deal for him personally.”

“It’s pretty significant,” Harvard coach Jason Saretsky said. “Obviously, Harvard has a rich history and tradition in track and field. It’s one of the original sports at Harvard, so to have a time that ranks on that all-time list is a great achievement.”

The last time someone made it onto the 5000-meter top-10 performance list was in 2003, when Matt Seidel ran a time good enough for sixth.

“Harvard has been around for a pretty long time, so it’s a big honor and I’m really happy about it,” Gillepsie said.

Since starting track in ninth grade, Gillepsie has always wanted to go far, both literally and figuratively.

“I’ve had pretty big dreams about running for a long time and they are starting to come true, so it’s very exciting for me,” he said. “I hope that this performance is the tip of the iceberg, so to speak, except a good iceberg.”

Remaining modest, Gillepsie also emphasized how although his performance is starting to peak, what’s more important is that the team’s performance is hitting its stride.

“We are starting to have big goals, and it’s really exciting to be part of a team that is sort of redefining itself and becoming better every year,” Gillepsie said. “There is a lot of pleasure and satisfaction from getting that experience.”

But even though the track and field team has begun to see success, it’s the individual performance that matters.

“He has probably the strongest work ethic [on] the team,” Kenney said. “I’m his roommate, and he always makes sacrifices for running—like on the weekends instead of staying out late, he chooses [not to]. That’s something that’s easy to do when you are a freshman here, but not after a few years.”

“He’s been a tremendous worker for us and has done a great job buying into the work,” Saretsky said. “He is definitely the type of person who leads by example.”

“He’s not a very boisterous personality, but he shows up everyday, works hard, [and] does a great job,” he added.

To top it off, Gillepsie does it all with a massive beard.

“I think it makes him look like a 40-year-old man,” Saretsky said. “He is certainly a free spirit. It’s his thing and I’m all about the individual.”

“I haven’t performed any sort of experiment, but I guess I could shave half of my face and go half as much faster,” Gillepsie joked. “I like having it. It makes eating meals more entertaining and also difficult, and I think that’s a good lesson in humility.”

Whether with half of a beard, a full beard, or nothing, Gillepsie still knows how to make it count on the track.

“There is still more to be done,” Saretsky said. “He has more potential. It’ll be fun to see how he develops over the next year.”

“He, more than any other teammate, really lays it out all on the line, really gives it his all, so there is more in the tank for him,” Kenney said. “He is always excited for running fast…that’s something admirable, to have a pure joy for it, and we all notice it and respect it a lot.”

For now, as he prepares for both the end of the year and the start of the championship season, Gillespie continues to focus on just doing what he loves.

“I love being on the team, and I love running,” he said. “I’ll be running until the day I die. Maybe later.”