College of Arts & Sciences Dean David Edelstein Finds Community in Exercise
College of Arts & Sciences Dean David Edelstein’s relationship with exercise has changed and evolved in recent years. Instead of spending hours every week swimming, running and cycling on his own in preparation for triathlons and Ironman competitions, Edelstein has taken a more community-oriented approach.
“I think I’ve matured enough to enjoy exercising with other people,” Edelstein said with a chuckle. “I enjoy the community part of it.”
Every weekday at 5:30 in the morning, he joins a small group of people at a local gym before his workday begins. It was there that he learned about and started training for HYROX, a multi-disciplined indoor fitness race. He went on to compete in the event when it came to Washington, DC over Labor Day weekend this year. Edelstein has also hosted “Run With the Dean” events while meeting with Georgetown University community members on the road.
Dean David Edelstein competed in HYROX, a multidisciplined indoor fitness race, when it came to Washington, DC this September.
“An important part of my job is connecting with all elements of our community, whether it’s students, faculty, staff or alums,” Edelstein said. “To have the opportunity to do it in a different type of environment and context that I think authentically reflects who I am and the things that I enjoy doing is a nice shared common experience that we can have.”
Similar to his time as a competitive triathlete, these events enhance Edelstein’s well-being and help him “care for the whole person” — cura personalis — during his busy schedule and in his responsibilities as dean of the College.
“I think the most important part of exercise for me is psychological,” he said. “I feel better on days when I’ve exercised than on days when I haven’t.”
Embracing Discomfort
Edelstein enjoys training for the fun of it, but having a goal motivates him.
When he stopped doing triathlons competitively a few years ago, he joined a high-intensity interval training gym and started lifting weights more often. The gym is an official partner of HYROX, an indoor fitness race launched in Germany in 2017, and Edelstein learned last fall that HYROX would host a race at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center over Labor Day weekend this year.
As part of the HYROX competition, Edelstein had to complete 100 meters of sandbag lunges. (Courtesy of sportograf.com)
He quickly signed up.
“This was not as crazy as an Ironman but still something different and cool to aspire to be able to do,” Edelstein said. “The biggest difference is that triathlon, especially an Ironman triathlon, is all about endurance. With HYROX, the intensity level is higher but you’re not doing it for as long.”
Each race consists of a 1-kilometer run followed by one functional workout station, repeated eight times. The stations are, in order: 1,000 meters on a SkiErg machine, 50 meters of sled push, 50 meters of sled pull, 80 meters of burpee broad jumps, 1,000 meters on a row machine, 200 meters of farmer’s carry, 100 meters of sandbag lunges and 100 repetitions of a squat with a medicine ball throw.
Edelstein finished 45th out of 120 athletes in his age group. He can see himself competing in another HYROX.
“I’m fit in a different way now than I was when I was doing triathlons, so it was fun to see how that played out,” he said. “I did pretty well in an event with a lot of strength elements, and those have never been my best types of activities.”
Marcus “Dr. Du” Dumas, the Amato Family Head of Athletic Counseling Services at Georgetown Athletics, commended Edelstein for prioritizing physical activity and embracing new challenges. Choosing to do hard things in sports can be beneficial in multiple ways, he said.
“Exercise can expand our threshold for discomfort,” said Dumas, who also serves as the associate director of Athletic Counseling Services. “I think consistently exercising and putting your body in uncomfortable situations for the benefit of exercise can translate into being able to handle other forms of discomfort as well.”
Running With the Dean
Edelstein, top right, ran with three Georgetown University alums in Chicago last December for one of his “Run With the Dean” events.
Running, Edelstein said, is his first love.
He ran a marathon in 2014 before switching to triathlons and high-intensity interval training.
Since becoming the dean of the College in July of 2025, Edelstein has shared that love through “Run with the Dean” events, where he meets up with Hoyas for a casual run while traveling. It started last November in San Francisco, and Edelstein has hosted similar gatherings in Chicago, which took place in December, and at John Carroll Weekend in San Juan, Puerto Rico last April.
Runners of all paces are welcome, and more than 20 people showed up to the most recent run. He plans to organize more group runs in the future.
“I’ve really enjoyed them,” Edelstein said. “It’s about bringing people together and providing a community event.”
Top image taken at the “Run With the Dean” event at John Carroll Weekend in San Juan, Puerto Rico in April 2026.