The end of the race: Did these guys even break a sweat?! Eller College Dean Mark Zupan (far right) with running pals Kevin Conrad (left) and Chris Mihm (center). Zupan was especially proud of his time given that he beat out both Conrad, a former high school decathlon champion in Papua, New Guinea, and Mihm, a former long distance runner. It was Conrad, CEO of Trinity Holdings and a long time friend, who challenged Zupan to enter this year's Run to the Top.

On Labor Day Dean Mark Zupan raced up California's Mt. Baldy–an eight mile run to the mountain's peak at 10,064 feet! His time? A personal best of 1 hour, 56 minutes, and 55 seconds. That beat his time of 2 hours, 12 minutes, and 30 seconds the last time he ran the race in 1991.

The Mt. Baldy Run to the Top is known as one of the toughest runs in California. It starts at 6000 feet with a 4000 foot gain to the summit. 2002 marked the run's 37th year

"Maybe there is a moral here about learning to pace oneself," Zupan said, commenting on his showing 11 years later.

Zupan has vowed to put the same persistence to work for the College's developing Strategic Plan. That goal? Targeting the Eller College as one of the top-5 public b-schools in the country–a very ambitious mountain to climb, indeed!