WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES - Lt. Megan Walsh, a psychiatry resident at Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) San Diego, led the Navy Women’s Marathon team to its second consecutive victory at the Armed Forces National Marathon Championships held in Washington D.C., Oct. 23-27. Walsh, a second-year resident, served as team captain for the All-Navy Marathon Team.

This was not the first time Walsh, a native of Southborough, Massachusetts, represented the Navy at what was also the 50th Marine Corps Marathon. At last year’s individual competition Walsh took the gold. This year Walsh takes the bronze at what was a podium dominated by Navy women winners.

Walsh's leadership and athletic prowess propelled the team to victory against fierce competition from other branches of the U.S. military. Her achievement highlights the dedication and well-rounded nature of Navy Medicine professionals.


“Competing on the All-Navy team the past two years has been such an incredible experience,” expressed Walsh. “To race with a team goal in mind, feeding off the energy of the amazing women on my team, is so special. We had a really powerful and infectious team energy this year and I think that’s reflected in the fact that we all outperformed our expectations for our individual races, with all four of us finishing the marathon in under three hours.”

Cmdr. David Nissan, the program director of the psychiatry residency at Naval Medical Center San Diego, praised Walsh's character and dedication.

"From day one of her training Dr. Walsh has impressed us by her dedication to her patients, her passion to perform her craft at the very highest level,” said Nissan. “Equally impressive is her character, professionalism, and spirit. She was the intern of the year at our program, is producing scholarship at the national level, and to top it off, is an amazing athlete! Navy Medicine is truly lucky to have her leading the way, and we are so proud of her accomplishments.”

Capt. Elizabeth Adriano, commander of NMRTC San Diego, echoed this sentiment.

"We are immensely proud of Lt. Walsh and her consecutive victories," said Adriano. "She ran for all of NMRTC San Diego, and it's a testament to the quality of our people that the Navy had such a sweeping performance at the marathon."

Balancing marathon training with the demands of residency can be challenging, with plenty of 04:00 a.m. wake-ups to fit in training before work, but it’s so energizing to pursue these diverse goals, added Walsh.

“I love running and I love what I do, and I’m grateful I have the space and support to pursue both,” said Walsh.

Walsh's accomplishment demonstrates the commitment of Navy Medicine professionals to not only provide exceptional care to warfighters, their families, and veterans, but also to maintain peak mental and physical readiness themselves. This dedication underscores the Navy Medicine mission to develop, generate, and preserve the Naval human weapon system.

Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command San Diego supports Navy and Marine Corps readiness by ensuring its medical forces are ready to deploy and provide medical support, ashore or at sea.