Lucy Scholz

Lucy Scholz is my “shero” because she ran 300 miles from Los Angeles, California, to Las Vegas, Nevada, as part of The Speed Project. That’s roughly like running to Houston, Texas, or Seaside, Florida, from New Orleans! Not only did she win the 2023 competition and beat the record by nearly nine hours (!), she also raised money for Live Oak Wilderness Camp, an amazing summer camp she helped start for kids from New Orleans. Lucy inspires me, so I wanted to ask her a few questions.

What do you do when you’re feeling down and discouraged?

“I try a few different things! First, I smile because I heard that it releases feel-good chemicals in the brain. I also talk to people who I know will make me feel better (my crew was SO good at this during the race). The other thing I do is remember why I’ve decided to take on a challenge. I remind myself that I like to do hard things and that running is so fun. I also make sure that I eat and drink enough because sometimes not feeling well is related to what we put—or don’t put—into our bodies.”

Tell us a little about yourself!

I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, and attended the University of Virginia, where I studied history and bioethics. After graduation, I moved to New Orleans and taught high school math with Teach For America at Bonnabel High School. During that time, I helped found Live Oak Camp and also coached a running team with Youth Run NOLA. I’ve worked with Live Oak since we started in 2015 and get to do that work full-time now. In 2017, I started running with The 504th, a run crew in New Orleans that runs every Tuesday at 7 p.m. When I’m not working on Live Oak or running, I love cooking, spending time outside, and listening to live music.

How did you become a runner?

In high school, I played field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse, so most of my running was to stay in shape for those sports. I signed up for my first marathon in 2008, during my first year of college, and completed the Richmond Marathon. I was immediately hooked and ran the Richmond Marathon every year of college. Once I graduated, I continued running marathons and had the chance to run the New York Marathon twice and also qualified for and ran the Boston Marathon in 2017. My first ultramarathon (a race longer than 26.2 miles) was a 50-miler in Mississippi. Shortly after that, I signed up for my first 100-mile race and haven’t looked back. I love running very long distances and am excited to keep trying to get better at them.

What do you wish you had known when you were 13?

“How powerful it is to believe in yourself and surround yourself with others who also believe in you. I would tell myself to find positive and supportive people and hold them close.”

What is The Speed Project and why did you run this race?

The Speed Project started 10 years ago and is an unsanctioned relay race with ‘no rules.’ It starts at the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles and ends at the Las Vegas Sign. Teams design their own route and race to get to the sign the fastest. I ran it with a team from New Orleans in 2022, the second year they had some runners doing the entire distance solo. I was in awe that individuals had completed the approximately 300-mile distance themselves, and I wanted to see if I was capable of it. I love doing really hard things, taking on new challenges, and having adventures with my friends—this race seemed like the perfect combination.

You brought a group of girlfriends with you to help you run. What made running with your friends so special?

I love team sports and I’ve come to realize that running is a team sport. Despite the race being called ‘The Speed Project Solo,’ this was far from a solo event. My crew took care of me and made sure I was able to succeed and hit my goal. They made the race so much fun. When I was struggling, they made me laugh and cheered me up, and when I had doubt, they made sure I believed in myself.
How much sleep did you get while running to Las Vegas?
I slept for a total of about 11 hours over the 84 hours and 45 minutes that I was running. I slept four times for two to three hours at a time.

How did you stay energized?

I ran with different people for almost the entire race, so we got to talk about all sorts of things. My crew did a great job making sure I was entertained; everyone came prepared with stories to tell me. When I was feeling too tired to talk, we listened to music—lots of Taylor Swift and EDM (electronic dance music).

Why did you choose to raise money for Live Oak Camp through The Speed Project?

I think that having incredible adventures in the outdoors is a really powerful experience, and I want as many New Orleans kids to be able to experience them as possible. The fundraiser was to raise money so that Live Oak could buy 15-passenger vans for our wilderness trips. Ciele Athletics funded my RV for The Speed Project, and it made it possible for me to have a great adventure. I wanted to be able to help make that happen for Live Oak campers who want to venture beyond the camp site in Mississippi and go on backpacking trips throughout the United States.

Lucy’s Top Five Places to Run in NOLA

1. City Park
2. Around the bayou
3. Crescent Park
4. Along the levee
5. Anywhere when I’m with The 504th on a Tuesday at 7 p.m.