Setting off from the historic academic building in Camden, 11 runners—alumni, students and employees—honored Rowan University’s rich history by completing a 26.6-mile Torch Run in celebration of the institution’s Centennial.

Taking two-mile stints at a time, the team carried Rowan’s Torch of Knowledge through South Jersey, passing academic buildings in Camden, Stratford, Sewell and Mantua, before delivering the torch to the Centennial Homecoming celebration on Oct. 14, 2023. The journey honored the University’s history and highlighted the 100-year impact Rowan has had in South Jersey.

Read about their journey on Rowan Today.

The torch, an icon of enlightenment and knowledge, is a familiar University emblem. In 1931, a torch was first used at Lantern Night, a ceremony to welcome new students to campus. Torch Runs, some 56 miles from Trenton to Glassboro to show the institution's commitment to public education, began in 1958 and were popular through the 1960s.

Still part of the University's iconography, the torch symbolizes the passion for education Rowan students must possess to succeed in their studies.