Villanova runner Marco Langon chases an NCAA outdoor title, fueled by a near miss indoors
The Wildcats senior finished third in the 3,000 meters at the NCAA indoor meet. Next up for Langon and Villanova: the Penn Relays, a signature event for the program.
While track and field is not a contact sport, the 3,000-meter final of the NCAA indoor championships on March 14 ended with some unusual pushing and shoving.
Caught in the scuffle was Villanova’s Marco Langon. As the nation’s top competitors made the final turn, New Mexico’s Habtom Samuel briefly used his arms to break ahead of Langon and Northern Arizona’s Colin Sahlman.
Samuel, who crossed the line first, was ultimately disqualified for “impeding progress of a runner.” Meanwhile, Langon finished third with a time of 7 minutes, 42.56 seconds.
The Villanova senior and six-time All-American’s podium finish was yet another impressive achievement in a success-filled college career. But at the moment in Fayetteville, Ark., all that the insatiable Langon could think about was missing his goal of winning a national title.
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“The fact that I didn’t execute the plan on the day, it was just demoralizing,” Langon said. “But I just got on with it and stopped feeling sorry for myself and continued to train for the outdoor championships.”
During his post-race interview, Langon was asked questions about his emotions, his disappointment, and whether he would file a protest to the NCAA.
In the past, Langon may have been less poised after a frustrating finish. After all, he has become known in the collegiate running world for his unfiltered interviews, fiery competitiveness, and seemingly unshakable self-confidence. But at the indoor championships, he simply accepted defeat while vowing to do everything he could to take the outdoor title in June.
For Villanova coach and alumnus Marcus O’Sullivan, Langon’s resolve at the end of the indoor season marked his mental maturity and potential. Langon has used it to fuel his outdoor season as the Penn Relays approach this weekend.
“No one really cares about your emotions or how you feel,” Langon said. “At the end of the day, all you can do is focus on yourself, and you motivate yourself by things that have happened in your past.”
Creating his image
Langon’s athletic talent and persona have allowed him to parlay his online following into Name, Image, and Likeness opportunities.
In collegiate track, only the nation’s top runners typically garner significant NIL deals. Many athletes, including Langon, have to take initiative and use personal connections to seal partnerships with brands and post online advertisements.
He now has NIL deals with multiple brands, including Diadora sportswear and Maurten, a sports nutrition company. According to Langon, his NIL earnings have become a source of motivation to keep running to support his family and look toward a professional career.
Meanwhile, he hasn’t let the increasing attention he has received online — both positive and negative — define him, or distract him from his goals.
“I don’t think there’s really one cookie-cutter way to be the best or be in the national spotlight,” Langon said. “I think you have to do it your own way. I feel like it’s the same way for everything — people are going to push back on the way you are, until they see that it works, and then they have no choice but to accept you. So no matter how much pushback I get from people, no matter how many people doubt me or criticize me, I want to be the best.”
Langon received mentorship from 2025 Villanova graduate Liam Murphy, now a professional runner. Without Murphy on the track next to Langon this season, O’Sullivan has noticed how Langon has embraced the individuality of the sport.
“He’s acknowledged that he misses Liam, but he’s also shown that he can do it on his own, which is a skillful characteristic that you need to race professionally and to stay in the sport for a long time,” O’Sullivan said. “He’s checking all the boxes [to start a pro career]. I think it’ll be exciting for him beyond college.”
Penn Relays await
A native of Raritan, N.J., Langon is part of a lineage of exceptional runners to come through Villanova’s program over the decades. He also sees a mentor in Villanova Hall of Famer Eamonn Coghlan, a three-time Irish Olympian.
The 4xmile relay has become one of Villanova’s signature races at the Penn Relays, as a team including Langon and Murphy recorded the second-fastest time in 2024. O’Sullivan and Coghlan still hold the world record in the 4xmile relay with the Irish national team in 1985, along with Frank O’Mara and Ray Flynn.
O’Sullivan is excited about Langon’s potential to excel at this weekend’s Penn Relays and continue to cement himself in the school record books.
“[Langon] will certainly go down as one of [Villanova’s] greats as a collegiate in the long history that we’ve had,” O’Sullivan said. “He’s just made such an impact in a relatively short period of time.”
While victories have historically been plentiful for Villanova at the Penn Relays, O’Sullivan has aimed to teach Langon to reframe his mindset to look beyond the wins and put losses behind him.
“What the Penn Relays means to us, there wasn’t very much that ever came close to the level of stress I felt as a collegiate,” O’Sullivan said. “Maybe it’s the alumni that show up. Maybe it’s the feeling of history that you feel responsible for. The week of the Penn Relays, it becomes overwhelming.
“The moment that you’re on stage and you’re out there, you do feel a certain pressure, but you’re just naturally able to cope with it. You’re more at home when you’re out there. For us, [the Penn Relays] are bigger than the NCAAs.”