With his race number attached to his singlet, math teacher Mason Frank ran the streets of Los Angeles with more than 150 other competitors in the Olympic trials.

Frank said he enjoyed his experience in the marathon Feb. 13.

“The atmosphere was electric. The crowd was awesome. I felt like I was a celebrity out there because everyone was yelling and waving American flags and taking pictures,” Frank said.

Senior Dorothy Slater, who has participated in five marathons, said she thinks it’s impressive that Frank competed with the top runners in the country.

“To have someone that’s from a smaller town that also has that same dedication and talent and work ethic is really cool and I think he can be a really good motivator for students,” Slater said.

Frank said he dropped out of the marathon after mile 14 because of a knee injury.

“Things were a little iffy for me if I was even going to finish (the marathon) because I hurt my knee back in late December,” Frank said. “Most of January was dedicated to trying to heal my knee and to stay in shape at the same time.”

Frank said although he wanted to finish the race, he prioritized his health.

“I told myself if my knee started to act up at all I was going to drop out, because I didn’t want to risk being injured for the next year just to finish this race,” Frank said.

Frank said his fan section consisted of his parents, relatives and a few friends.

“It was nice to have those cheering sections that would be there for me when I needed them,” Frank said.

Frank said the marathon helped him realize how far his hard work has brought him.

“I belong there. All my work that I do is not just for nothing. I belong in that group of elite marathon runners,” Frank said.

According to Frank, his goals for the future include getting a running coach, upping his mileage per week once his knee heals and returning to the Olympic trials in four years.

Frank said he encourages other athletes with injuries to let their bodies fully heal before returning to activity.

“People are so focused on the short term, but if you don’t let your body heal you might not be able to do your sport when you’re 35 or 40 years old,” Frank said.

Slater said she believes runners need to value their bodies in order to avoid injury.

“If it’s just one time it’s not worth pushing yourself if that could end up impacting a long term goal,” Slater said. “It’s very important to treat your body with respect so it will continue to be able to have fun and work hard.”

Frank said he felt honored by the opportunity to race at such a high level.

“It was just really cool being surrounded by the people who the running community talks about all the time — the top marathoners in the country right now -— and I was one of them,” Frank said.