As a medical student at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Varun Mishra has spent three years immersed in a world of rigorous study, long hospital shifts, and clinical challenges. But in the mornings before donning his white coat, he laces up his running shoes. In the evenings when most would be crashing out, he is often just getting started.
To Mishra, running isn’t just a sport. It’s a discipline that shapes how he trains for both races and life as a future physician.
“I was not very good at running at first,” he said. “But I really enjoyed it. Over time, it became something more than exercise. It became a foundation for connection, mental clarity, and discipline.”
Originally from Maryland, Mishra attended Johns Hopkins University, where he joined the club running team and began coaching peers. That’s when running became more than a passion — it became a purpose.
Now in his third year of medical school, Mishra has continued to train and race at a high level even while balancing the demands of his studies. In addition to lowering his personal best times, Mishra set a goal to average 10 miles per day for more than a year, logging more than 3,700 miles.
“I had these personal goals when I started med school,” he said. “One was to run all three U.S. major marathons while I was still a student. So far, I’ve done Boston, New York, and I’m heading to Chicago this fall.”
He completed the Boston Marathon for a second time on April 21, finishing in 2:45:46.
Star City strides
His passion for running played a key role in his decision to study medicine in Roanoke. “The running community here is amazing,” he said. “Between the greenway, the mountains, and the people I train with — it’s been the perfect environment.”
Mishra has felt right at home competing in Roanoke’s very own, extremely challenging, and mountainous road races. He won the Blue Ridge Half Marathon, speeding past the Mill Mountain Star and the Virginia Tech Carilion campus to clock a time of 1:27:37.80 in 2024. He ran the 10K race on April 12, 2025, as a warmup for Boston, clinching first place in 37.45.
Mishra sees striking parallels between running and medicine. Both require perseverance, consistency, and an ability to stay focused through long, sometimes grueling processes. But perhaps most importantly, both emphasize progress, not perfection.
“It’s about appreciating the journey,” he said. “In running, you train for months to get to one finish line. In medicine, we work toward big milestones too: graduation, residency, making a difference in someone’s life. But the growth happens along the way.”
Despite his impressive pace and passion, Mishra emphasizes that it’s not about numbers, it’s about the balance. For fellow students, or anyone in high-stress fields, he encourages finding a physical outlet. “It doesn’t have to be running,” he said. “But having that space to move, to decompress, is so important. It’s how I stay healthy and grounded.”
More than miles
Through running, Mishra has also found community. From medical school classmates to local Roanoke runners, the connections he’s formed have been meaningful and sometimes life changing. “I met my significant other through running in college,” he said. “It’s brought so many important people into my life.”
“I am so impressed by Varun. Varun is a wonderful person and such an easy person to root for in life and in running. He works incredibly hard to balance running, school, friends, and being the father of two adorable kittens,” medical school classmate Katie Voegtlin said. “I remember one night, I got off the treadmill at 10 p.m. in our apartment complex, thinking that I was the only person who was crazy enough to be running that late. No sooner had I had the thought than Varun walked in. He was determined to make sure he got his run in for the day despite having been hard at work at the hospital all day. His talent for the sport is so inspiring, but even more inspiring is the dedication and commitment that he displays through his consistent training and hard work. I am proud to have a friend like him.”
Even non-runners have found inspiration in Mishra.
“I am not a runner. In fact, runners baffle me. That being said, I have never admired a human more than I admire Varun. I am constantly and perpetually impressed by him,” classmate Jacqueline Urdang said. “He is the most dedicated person I have ever met. He is dedicated to three things: his running, his career, and his friends and family. Somehow, he knows how to balance these three passions without dropping any of them.”
Looking ahead, Mishra hopes to continue blending his passions for health and human movement. He is applying for a residency specialty in physical medicine and rehabilitation, which involves restoring function for a person who has been disabled because of a disease, disorder, or injury. The field relates closely to Mishra’s belief that exercise is medicine.
While his immediate focus is completing medical school and beginning a residency, he isn’t ruling out future ultras, trail races, or mentoring others who want to run while pursuing demanding careers.
“I think there’s something really beautiful about going long,” Mishra said. “Whether it’s in a race or a career in medicine, you just keep putting one foot in front of the other.”
By Josh Meyer