Miles of grit: Lydia Randolph’s endurance race through engineering

At mile 20 of the Boston Marathon, Heartbreak Hill lives up to its name. The crowd cheers, the incline steepens, and for many runners, exhaustion begins to outweigh adrenaline. 

When Lydia Randolph experienced this uphill battle, it was nothing new. 

In fact, it felt familiar—like finals week in thermodynamics or the long hours spent troubleshooting an experiment in the lab. 

The climb, the push, the grit—it was all part of the race she’d been running since before she set foot on Trine University’s campus. 

Toeing the line 

As a high school student, Lydia had a unique opportunity to experience a year-long apprenticeship in process engineering at INEOS pigments, one of the largest North American producers of titanium dioxide – a white pigment used in paints, plastics, ceramics and cosmetics. Her experience shadowing chemical engineers opened her eyes to the possibilities of a chemical engineering degree. 

Lydia arrived at Trine not only with a passion for engineering, but also a dream: to run the Boston Marathon. 

She was drawn to the university for its small class sizes, hands-on opportunities, chemical and biomedical engineering programs and bioprocessing minor, all of which provided options for setting her on a path toward making a difference in healthcare.  

Like marathon training, Lydia’s academic journey was not a sprint. Initially leaning toward pharmaceuticals, Lydia joined an undergraduate research group focused on mammalian cell culture. The experience provided her with personalized instruction on fluorescent analysis equipment, such as plate readers, cytometers and microscopes. Each challenge—whether mastering aseptic techniques or interpreting cell viability data—felt like an interval workout: intense, technical and immensely rewarding. 

Building endurance 

A new and unique opportunity presented itself when Lydia was offered an internship with Steel Dynamics following her first year of coursework. 

At its LaFarga-Copperworks site, she worked on both process and quality engineering projects, sharpening her skills on the plant floor. The experience went so well that she was awarded an AIST Steel Intern Scholarship to return to Copperworks the following summer.  

Back on campus, Lydia trained with discipline both in and out of the classroom. During marathon prep, she sometimes ran 70 to 80 miles per week—juggling long runs with fluid dynamics and design projects. When time was tight, she found creative ways to decompress: a treadmill session paired with an episode of Criminal Minds became her version of a reset button.  

“Running has always helped me manage stress,” she said. “It’s a way to push through, even when things are hard.” 

That mindset paid off when Lydia ran the Carmel Marathon in spring of 2024. She qualified for the Boston Marathon with a time of 3:00:17—on her first attempt.  

“Qualifying for Boston in my first marathon was incredible. Being surrounded by others who are just as passionate about running made the experience even more memorable,” she explained.  

That summer, Lydia made the decision to continue on her healthcare track, accepting an internship position with Medline, a surgical device company. She worked on validation and verification protocols for new vascular catheter devices.  The experience provided her with a wealth of knowledge in the medical device industry.  

Changing course 

Despite the positive experience, something didn’t sit right, and her mind kept drifting back to her SDI internships. With one year to go in her chemical engineering degree, Lydia ran down a new path. 

“During my time at Copperworks, I discovered a strong passion for process engineering. I enjoyed the fast-paced environment where new challenges arose daily, requiring creative problem-solving and hands-on involvement. I also began to appreciate the teamwork and shared goals within the company—especially how everyone worked like a family toward continuous improvement. Over time, I realized that this environment and type of work aligned more with my interests than the pharmaceutical path I originally pursued,” she reflected.  

She began to explore coursework beyond chemical engineering, diving into mechanical and design engineering classes like technical drawing, 3D modeling and tolerancing. With support from her advisors, she customized her education—meeting new faculty, engaging with different student groups and discovering new strengths.  

“I loved that I could take those classes and still graduate on time,” Lydia said. “It made me a better learner and problem solver.” 

Her new undergraduate research project brought everything full circle. Inspired by her love of microbiology and materials, Lydia designed and conducted a study on the antibacterial properties of copper alloys. After weeks of troubleshooting and persistence, her final results earned second place at the regional AIChE student poster competition. 

“Coming in second was extremely rewarding due to the fact that I developed the whole project independently,” she explains. “The part I enjoyed most was actually the failures I had along the way and how I was able to overcome them.”  

Crossing the finish line 

That same spirit earned her the McKetta Department of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering’s True Grit Award, recognizing students who go above and beyond in the face of adversity.  

For Lydia, the award was more than a certificate—it was a reflection of her journey. 

“Whether I’m running a race or working through a difficult class, I’ve learned how to keep going,” she said. “It’s not about perfection—it’s about showing up and doing the work.” 

It was with these new experiences in place that Lydia toed the starting line for the 129th running of the Boston Marathon in April 2025. She finished the race in the top 25% of all female runners competing. The race itself didn’t go perfectly, but the experience was unforgettable.  

“I gained the experience of my first world major ever with professional runners and a crazy 30,000+ competitors,” she said. “I crossed the line with one of my hometown marathon runners that I had looked up to for years.” 

In that moment, her two worlds—engineering and endurance—merged in a powerful way. 

“I have always wanted to push my limits mentally and physically,” she commented. “The pursuit of running has always allowed me to work hard and achieve the feeling of accomplishment, just like my chemical engineering degree.” 

The road ahead 

As she reflects on her recent graduation, Lydia has her sights set on new goals: a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University and a full-time role as a process engineer at Copperworks. She also hopes to complete all six World Marathon Majors someday, with Boston just the beginning. 

Looking back, she credits much of her growth to the mentorship and encouragement she received at Trine. 

“The faculty here saw my potential and helped me shape my path,” she said. “They didn’t just teach me—they listened, they guided and they made me feel like I belonged.” 

Her advice to future students is to stay open-minded and never fully close any doors. 

“I’ve always made an effort to keep backup plans and stay open to opportunities across different fields—whether it was bioprocessing, metal manufacturing, medical device manufacturing or even machinist-type engineering through my DET classes. Keeping that flexibility has allowed me to adapt and grow wherever my interests and skills align,” she said.  

Lydia Randolph ran toward every challenge college threw at her—with tired legs, a full heart, and an engineer’s mind. And with each mile, each course, and each finish line, she proved that grit isn’t just something you have—it’s something you continue to build, one stride at a time.