Danny Glass '07 battled through severe allergies on his way to finishing 20th of 25 runners in the 5,000-meter run during Friday's ECAC championships at Springfield College, but that is not the biggest obstacle he usually faces on the track. As a Sabbath observer, Glass faces several unique challenges as a competitive runner at Brandeis. While his teammate Joel Sunshine '07, featured in a March 28 profile in the Justice, also observes the sabbath, he still runs in Saturday and Friday night meets, Glass does not. JustSports interviewed Glass about what it's like being a varsity athlete, a Sabbath observer, and a part-time competitor.

JS: As many meets take place on Saturday, how drastically does this affect the frequency of your competitions?

Glass: I know that I can go through as many as four years of college and run as many races as other people do in one year. For as long as I have been running competitively, I have had to negotiate not running on Saturday and Friday night with being an athlete. People have been running maybe 40 races a year since freshman year of high school. Because of Shabbat, including high school, I have just run a fraction of those races."

JS: Does that lack of inexperience affect your performance when you do compete?

Glass: I feel like I sometimes lose to people who I am in better shape than because I just don't know how to race. When there is a gap in the pack, when I need to know where to be in a pack, or when it's just about feeling comfortable on a track, I just don't have much experience to work with. It's not something you can train for, you just need to race.

JS: How has the team reacted to your situation?

Glass: My teammates have been very understanding and accommodating. Not running on Saturday and Friday night diminishes not only the quantity but also the quality of events that I can compete in. A lot of times the races that I run in are not significant for the team. With my few chances to actually run well, I do feel a lot of pressure since I don't really have too many opportunities. [My teammates] respect my decision and are excited for me when I actually do race. I only wish it could be a little more often.

JS: What motivates you to keep running despite all the obstacles?

Glass: Running is a very self-motivated sport. I want to run well so I can remember it for the rest of my life. Besides the Brandeis events, I also run some invitationals on my own. Overall, I think that running well and with good sportsmanship and class while wearing a kippah makes me somewhat of an ambassador for Judaism, and I take a lot of pride in that. Whether I run in 10 races a year or 30, I just want to be able to say that there was no way I could have run faster. I know I have to take advantage of the chances I get.