Clad in four-leaf clover headbands and green attire, a throng of students crammed in between the Mods on Friday to watch Boston College’s second annual ginger run—a new but already cherished tradition.
“I love the fellowship of gingers here at Boston College’s campus,” said Alex Weingart, MCAS ’25. “It’s so much fun to be around everyone today, and you can tell everyone really wanted to be here.”
The run, which began at 5:30 p.m., started at Mod 16 and took runners on a course around the Mods, finishing near 30A.
Julia Galanek, MCAS ’25, said she felt supported by her friends and the enthusiasm they brought to spectating the event.
“All my friends were here—they were all so excited for the run,” Galanek said. “We had a great time.”
Weingart said she enjoyed being a part of the run—especially because it was filmed by many spectators and shared widely across social media.
“It was amazing,” Weingart said. “Everyone was filming, and we kind of had our 10 minutes of fame. It was awesome.”
Paul DeJacimo, CSOM ’24, said the event was remarkably crowded with fellow gingers, causing him to trip near the finish line.
“It was actually so packed you couldn’t even run down the path,” DeJacimo said. “So it got pretty cramped, and I actually got tripped up at the end. Otherwise, great run.”
It is BC students’ Irish heritage that draws them to rally behind their red-headed brethren, according to DeJacimo.
“Everyone comes out,” DeJacimo said. “I feel like 60 percent of the school has some Irish in them, so it’s definitely a good day to rally behind the Irish heritage.”
In a new twist to the event, the Irish Society of BC set up a table near the finish line to hand out Irish candy, snacks, tote bags, and—above all else—potatoes.
Reilly O’Shaughnessy, CSOM ’24 and co-president of the Irish Society of Boston College, said that she and fellow co-president Sophia Maher, CSON ’24, opened up the table to celebrate all of the gingers at BC.
“The BC gingers obviously do the whole run, but we kind of discovered that Sophia’s Mod is right by the finish line,” O’Shaughnessy said. “We kind of just wanted to celebrate the run, the winners, all of the gingers.”
O’Shaughnessy said she felt the “Irish energy” while watching the run, and that BC is where she most strongly feels the support of Irish people, especially around St. Patrick’s Day.
“[There was] great Irish energy,” O’Shaughnessy said. “It happens once a year where you really feel it, especially in Boston, especially at BC.”
In total, the Irish Society gave away three 15-pound bags of potatoes, according to Maher.
“We had potatoes ready, so we figured it was great timing that we do this now,” Maher said.
Josie Beer, a junior and an exchange student from England, said the ginger run provided a strong display of the BC community’s unity and enthusiasm.
“This has been—coming from England—the most beautiful sight of American camaraderie that I’ve ever experienced,” Beer said.
Beer said that she ran the race to honor her Celtic heritage.
“[I ran] for the gingers—for my Celtic blood,” Beer said.
After the race, Galanek expressed how much she enjoys being a part of the ginger community at BC.
“Honestly, I love being ginger at BC,” Galanick said. “There’s so many gingers here—it’s great.”
Weingart concurred.
“I feel so welcomed and accepted,” she said.
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