September 27th 2021

Management & Law Graduate Runs Vienna City Marathon

MCI Alumni Kevin Erhart runs the Vienna City Marathon and shows how continuous training and a positive mindset are the key to success.

Our Bachelor of Management and Law graduate Kevin Erhart has just recovered from the demanding final phase of his studies and already faced the next challenge. We asked him to document his experience at the Vienna City Marathon, to tell us how he prepared for this challenge and what parallels he can draw with his time at university.

“In sports as well as in normal life, be it at work, or in studies, there are always moments when motivation falls a little short and you have to grit your teeth. Here you see clear parallels to running because especially in studies the final goal is always in the back of your mind and you work towards it every day. There are often days when everything goes easily, but on the difficult days, you can see how strongly your mind can withstand the pressure. Especially in the daily study routine, a good focus and continuous "training" was the key to success.

Another similarity can be seen in the people around you. In my studies, I was more motivated when working with ambitious fellow students and achieving something as part of a team. I had a similar experience when running the marathon and being part of a mass of like-minded people moving forward. Although everyone pursues his or her own individual goal, you still push each other to achieve new heights - and that's exactly what I experienced during my studies.”

The moment of crossing the finish line is described by Kevin Erhart in a particularly remarkable way and he lets us know what he gained from this experience:

“Crossing the finish line was a relief and I felt the joy and satisfaction of having reached my goal. The last few kilometers were a tough battle, but the closer you get to the finish line, the more convinced you are that you can do it.

I felt the same way during my studies. Towards the end of my Bachelor studies, my degree was more and more within reach and I was highly motivated to successfully complete the last few steps. Especially the moments of handing in the bachelor thesis and leaving the room for the bachelor exam are very close to crossing the finish line in a marathon. A certain burden - in a positive sense - is lifted and pride and satisfaction take over. In short, simply an extremely good feeling!

I'll probably need that perseverance and determination in tough situations during my professional future, too. Often, it's like the last few meters of a marathon - almost everything happens in your head, and if you're mentally prepared to push yourself to the limit, then you can do it. When you run through the streets of Vienna for more than four hours, you realize how far a positive mindset can take you. It's exactly this persistence and self-confidence that I want to continue to demonstrate in my professional and academic future.”

We congratulate our graduate for such a strong mental and athletic performance and wish him success in all future challenges, which can be excellently mastered with a positive mindset, both in private and in professional life.

By the way, Kevin received his outfit from our MCI store. If you also want to dress in MCI style for sporting or student success, you can find more information here: www.mci.edu/shop