Jake Martinez’s '23 passion for sports has touched every aspect of his time at Lehigh. As a member of the Mountain Hawk track and cross-country teams, he set records and joined other athletes in supporting the South Bethlehem community. Now his career path is leading to a graduate program in sports product management at the University of Oregon after graduation.
A love for running is at the center of it all.
“What’s so beautiful about the sport of running is that it’s so inclusive,” said Martinez ’23, a marketing major with concentrations in brand management and innovation. “You have people like me who are training very hard to run at an elite level and compete. And you have the other 99 percent who have so many incredible stories. Whether it’s the fact that they’re doing their first 5K and walking it or doing it to lose 50 pounds or it’s part of their mental health journey, it’s really powerful what the sport of running can do.”
Recovering from Lyme disease just before his first year, Martinez was unsure if he’d be able to continue his running career at Lehigh. He bounced back, eventually setting school records in the indoor distance medley relay and in the outdoor 4x800 meter relay.
