Connor Rockett

Date of Birth

09/15/96

Age on Race Day

Current Residence

New Haven, CT

Hometown

Sherborn, MA

High School

Dover-Sherborn High School

Current Affiliation

Tracksmith Boston Hares

Profession

Graduate Student at Yale School of the Environment

Marathon PB

2:16:45

Social Media

First Trials qualification

Yes

Number of attempts to qualify

College(s)

Bowdoin College

Career Highlights

Winner, 2021 Providence Marathon and 2021 Cambridge Half Marathon (1:08:09, course record); 23rd, 2022 Grandma's Marathon; 19th, 2021 California International Marathon; 2018 All-Region in Cross-Country, Northeast Division III; Bowdoin College Cross-Country Captain, 2017 and 2018

Family

My partner, Sophie Lenihan, is in her 2L year at Harvard Law School, where she is focusing on educational and civil rights law. She is the love of my life, and I feel blessed every day to be with her. My younger brother, Declan Rockett, is a graduate student in American history and library sciences at Simmons University, and my younger sister, Brin Rockett, is a junior at Tufts University where she is studying Russian and world literature. The three of us make a great trivia team. My parents, Dr. William Rockett (a renowned expert in the study of paper cuts) and Maureen Bernsee, are my greatest supporters. I hope to one day live up to the example of parenting they have set for me and my siblings.

Greatest Accomplishment

I consider my greatest accomplishment to be that I am pursuing a career of service to current and future generations through environmental conservation.

Interesting Story

I ran my first marathon with two of my best friends and teammates, Sean MacDonald and Naphtali Moulton, the day after we graduated from Bowdoin College. It was the 2019 Vermont City Marathon. I had not done any marathon-specific training beforehand, and relied on residual fitness from the spring track season. After a week of graduation festivities, I surprised myself by finishing in 11th with a time of 2:39:44. I was hooked on the marathon distance from this point on.

Favorite Book

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Favorite Movie

A Hidden Life by Terrence Malick

Favorite TV Show/Series

Chernobyl

Favorite Song

The Warrior's Code by the Dropkick Murphys

Favorite Post-race Indulgence

Beer

Favorite Breakfast

Breakfast burrito

Favorite Motivational Quote

"Show them who you are."

Favorite Running Memory

My favorite running memory is winning the 2021 Providence Marathon. My grandmother, Dr. Barbara Rockett, had passed away in the lead-up to the race. I was running for her, and all of my family. I felt her strength and spirit helping me to the finish line. It was my first victory in the marathon, and a personal record at the time of 2:23:00. This result showed me that achieving the Olympic Trials standard was a real possibility, and it was the beginning of my journey to Orlando.

Athlete Bios