World Marathons Take Sam Fetters ’26 Across the World

If you haven’t yet heard of the sheer explosion of run clubs around the world, count yourself as one of the few. The chance to connect with people through the sport has proven remarkably captivating. But for one Amherst student, senior Sam Fetters, running is more than a social trend—it is a crucial part of his lifestyle. And it has brought him around the world.

Running since his high school days, Fetters ran track and cross-country at Martha’s Vineyard Regional, joining for the sport's athleticism. But it wasn’t until college that he began taking running more seriously. In fact, he has maintained his training regimen since the spring of his freshman year.   

Part of what drew him to continuing the sport in cllege was the ability to meet and make friends through Amherst College’s Run Club. “Some of my best conversations have been on long runs,” he said. Just as important, though, is the joy he finds in the sport itself: “There's a thrill…that comes from exploring a new place, or competing against other runners who are passionate about the sport.” 

Fetters is no stranger to finding success in the sport, as well. After winning marathons in his hometown, he began setting his sights on some of the world’s most prestigious races. Training for major international marathons required a bit more commitment and dedication, but Fetters insists that enjoyment has always remained at the heart of his passion.

Now logging between 75-80 miles each week, he balances hard runs, including tempo and speed sessions to push himself, with a smaller share of his runs (approximately 30%) spent alongside his friends. To Fetters, it’s “a chance to catch up with close friends and get to know new people.”

As for how he manages running as extensively as he does alongside his schoolwork, the solution for Fetters is night runs, where he completes 45-55 of his miles each week. 

“If you've gone out on a Saturday night over the last four years, whether to Hitch, Seelye, or a bar, there's a good chance you've seen or passed by me once while I'm doing an 11 p.m. workout,” Fetters notes. “I like night runs because they're super peaceful, especially when you get out into the countryside. It feels almost like you're seeing an entirely different place.”

What began with local marathons on Martha’s Vineyard, has since taken Fetters to some of the largest races in the world. He has now completed the Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, and New York City marathons. Now counting the Tokyo Marathon that he completed two weeks ago, Fetters officially completed the Abbott World Marathon Majors series and earned the coveted SixStar Medal - an award given to the unique group of runners who have finished all six of the original major marathons. “I got to see so much more of the world than I ever dreamed of,” he says.

Just as meaningful to him are the relationships the sport has helped foster, explaining how he has “made friends at Amherst, but also grown closer to ones from the Vineyard, and met new ones from around the world.” Fetters recalls an example of the diverse people he is able to meet through the sport: “In Amsterdam, for instance, I trained with a friend from Amherst also studying abroad, a British track runner, a Dutchman who had just finished running in Kenya, a Spaniard looking for his first competitive race, and a Japanese woman who crushed it at the Paris Marathon. Everyone I've come across has amazed me in their own way, and I'm really glad I got to meet them.”

After completing the Tokyo Marathon (with an impressive time of 2:31:41) and receiving his Six Star medal, Fetters feels incredibly proud as he “started this project precisely because I thought it would be impossible.” 

For Fetters, the journey became far more than a physical challenge. It also served as a way to rebuild confidence during a difficult period in his life. “I was in a very tough place, and I figured one way to get myself out of that place was to do a project so massive that I had to start believing in myself and filling my brain with positive self-talk, or it wouldn't succeed.”

Thus, much of his dedication came not only from his enjoyment of the sport, but because of how it helped him develop as a person during the process: “By the time I was a year into it, I viewed it as the engine that powered the rest of my life.” 

Fetters also finds the personal skills he learns in running have spilled over into many other parts of life, notably “The confidence-building I'd been doing helped me make my first college friends, start pushing myself in my classes, figure out which subjects I was most passionate about, find the courage to study abroad, and be more open about my mental health.”

Running has been an instrumental part of Fetters’ time at Amherst feeling so grateful for being able to meet people and accomplish what he has already. However, he recalls, “There was a time, before this project, where I felt like I didn't belong here and almost left. A big part of this project was overcoming that and seeing that there was a place for me at Amherst, too.”

As for the future, the  around-the-world experience of running will serve Sam well in other parts of his life. As a history and political science double major with a strong interest in continuing the study of geopolitics and international relations after Amherst, Fetters is “hoping to either teach or do think-tank work for some time before going to [graduate] school abroad.” 

Next time you catch Sam on campus, consider joining him on one of his Run Club runs from Frost. You may find inspiration to start your own journey to run a marathon … or, at the very least, make a new great friend.