Perhaps it’s a phenomenon that’s unique to me, but I can oddly remember where I was and what I was doing for the past several runnings of the Boston Marathon.
I can vividly remember cautiously (and frequently) checking my phone at work for updates on the 2018 race. It was a washout of a day in both Pennsylvania and Boston, but I can still feel my dreary spirits being lifted by the efforts of Desiree Linden, who splashed her to victory and became the first American female to win Boston since 1985.
Of course I’ll never forget the 2013 running, which we all know was marred by explosions at the finish line. I lived at my old apartment back then, and I can recall trying to care for my month-old son, but mostly I was just drawn in to the horrific news on the TV.
And Last year, as some long-time readers of this column might also remember, I found myself inspired to weed garden beds all day long while being accompanied by a radio broadcast of the race. It transformed a grueling day into an experience that still makes me smile.
Time can only tell if I’ll be able to remember where I was this year: Sitting in my “work” reclining chair and plucking away on my laptop. There was nothing memorable about where I was posted up for this year’s event, but what will probably stick with me for quite some time is the actual racing that went down in Boston. Here are my Top 3 moments/takeaways from this year’s Boston Marathon:
Stinson strikes again for the Keystone State
Pennsylvania’s place in Boston Marathon lore is further solidified every time Zach Stinson pedals his way to the starting line.
Stinson, from Chambersburg, conquered the handcycle race for the third time in four years, crushing the 41-athlete field by nearly five minutes with a PR time of 1:04:47.
Stinson, a Marine who lost his legs after stepping onto an IED in Afghanistan in 2010, has been competing in handcycling since 2012. Now, he’s one of the best on the planet and he’ll have another chance to prove that in the coming months as he sets his sights on the Paralympics. Stinson says he feel blessed to be alive and hopes that his story can have an impact on those who have gone through similar circumstances.
Dueling styles
There’s more than one way to run a race, and Boston winners Sisay Lemma and Hellen Obiri showed that as they each navigated to the finish line with different strategies.
Obiri stuck with the lead group, keeping herself in contention as other runners gradually dropped from the pack. In the end, it came down to Obiri and fellow Kenyan Sharon Lokedi, with Obiri pumping her arms to the finish line for a seven-second victory. It was this “big picture” approach that I believed helped to carry Obiri to the win over a very talented field.
While Obiri put on a tactical masterclass, the Ethiopian Lemma threw the chess board right out the window, instead employing a catch-me-if-you-can approach. Lemma gave up some ground down the stretch, but he had built enough of a cushion to ease to victory in 2:06:17, more than 40 seconds ahead of the field. After two DNFs and a 30th-place finish at Boston over the last three years, I’m sure there have been folks in Lemma’s ear trying to change the way he runs, but he stuck to what he believed in and it paid off with the biggest win of his career.
Congrats to both runners!
A bout of therapy for Clancy
Most of the Boston Marathon headlines are dedicated to the runners who finished in front of the field, and for good reason, but my eyes always seem to wander down the news search rabbit hole to the lesser-known stories of runners in this historic race.
I love to see the images of cancer survivors crossing the finish line and the stories about the working moms with three kids posting sub-elite times. But if there’s one storyline from this year’s race that will always stay in my heart, it’s that of Massachusetts’ Patrick Clancy, who ran the race in honor of his three slain children.
It’s a sad story, but one that required Clancy to pen the final chapter. Carrying items from each of his children, Clancy crossed the finish line with tears in his eyes. He told local media he ran the race as a form of therapy.
I know that running can’t heal all wounds, but I’m hoping this experience can help Clancy as he continues to piece his life back together.
Those were my top moments from the 128th running of the Boston Marathon. What were yours? I’d love to hear from you.
1 STEP BACK, 3 STEPS FORWARD
A quartet of Franklin County runners were among the 25,000-plus finishers at the Boston Marathon.
Chambersburg’s Michael Day was the fastest of the bunch, cruising to the finish line in 3:16:32. Rachel Stone crossed the finish line in 3:22:21, while fellow Chambersburg runner finished her 16th Boston race in 3:24:41. Waynesboro’s Heather Burns crossed the finish line in 5:17:15.
Boston wasn’t the only place runners flocked to for their destination race goals. Ryan Bland, of Greencastle, ran the Notre Dame Holy Half Marathon in Indiana, finishing in 1:53:20. A couple of Chambersburg runners were in Rehoboth Beach, Del., for the Coastal Delaware Running Festival, with Christine Metcalfe finishing the half marathon in 2:11:04 and Cheryl Oyler posting a time of 4:04:50 in the marathon. Staying in the First State, James Clapsaddle completed the Delaware Marathon in 5:26:10, while fellow Waynesboro runner Scott Smith finished the Delaware Half in 2:44:59. The Jersey City Half Marathon featured a finish from Chambersburg’s Sherah Blankenship (2:06:58).
In Harrisburg, a trio of “Halfity-Half” races took center stage and drew nearly 450 runners, with two from the Local.News area nailing down Top 10 finishes. James Kinton, of Chambersburg, finished sixth in 45:34 at the Halfity-Half 1/4 Marathon, while Fayetteville’s Wing Lam Cheung was the third female in 24:07 at the 1/8 Marathon.
Closer to home, in St. Thomas, the Tiger Trot 5K brought in 45 runners, and saw four area runners land in the Top 10: Chambersburg’s Matthew Cooper (2nd in 18:36), Allison Besore (6th in 21:06), and Craig Leisher (8th in 22:21), and Fayetteville’s Todd Barton (4th in 18:46).
Greencastle’s Emanuel Ciocan was a sixth-place finisher at the Heralds of Hope 5K in Shippensburg. Ciocan zipped through the race in 20:49 to lead a group of locals that includes Greencastle’s Bryce Ocker (22:44), Chambersburg’s John Gow (24:52) and Leah Forrester (25:40), and Fayetteville’s Danielle Portier (25:22).
A number of others were active in races across the region and beyond, including Greencastle’s Austin Scott (33:06 at Cal Tri DC 5K), Ryland Zimmerman (36:45 at The Piggy Trot 5K), Eric Pittman (59:24 at Wild Trail 10K), and Sarah Gonyea (1:05:41 at Discover Downtown Columbia 10K), Fayetteville’s Todd Barton (24:48 at ForShip 5K), Chambersburg’s Drake Swarm (21:50 at Red Shoe Shuffle 5K), Jenna Perry (25:06 at Paterno Family Beaver Stadium Run 5K) and Elizabeth Willson (1:15:13 at Columbia Duathlon), and Smithsburg’s Evan Winter (27:05 at Yuengling Light Lager Jogger 5K).
And finally, a shoutout to the two Franklin County runners who took on the mountains of the notoriously-hard Hyner 25K/50K. Fayetteville’s Philip Samotus finished the 50K in 5:55:52, while Chambersburg’s Toby Snider crossed the finish line in 3:24:26 at the 25K.
And now, a look ahead:
Johnston 5 Miler: Saturday, 9 a.m., in Mercersburg. This race, in its 12th year, will be held at Mercersburg Lion’s Club Park. Find the race on timberhilltiming.com.
Race to Share the Gospel Around the World 5K: Saturday, 10 a.m., in Chambersburg. Norlo Park will serve as the backdrop for this event, which will benefit program extension into the Balkan region. Check out the race on runsignup.com.
Shalom Christian Academy 5K: Saturday, May 4, 8:30 a.m., in Chambersburg. This race, part of Shalom Christian Academy’s Dutchfest, starts and ends on the Shalom campus. Register for the event on timberhilltiming.com.
Also: Let’s Play 5K (Saturday, in Newport); Logan’s Run 5K for Autism (Saturday, in Harrisburg); Luau 1M/5K/10K (Saturday, in Manheim); New Holland Farmer’s 5K (Saturday, in New Holland); On the Dam Trail 30K/50K (Saturday, in Hooversville); Snack Town 10K (Saturday, in Hanover); Spring Shuffle 5K (Saturday, in Berwick); YWCA Lancaster Race Against Racism 5K (Saturday, in Lancaster); Jim Thorpe Running Festival (Saturday-Sunday, in Jim Thorpe); April Foolish 10 Hour Endurance Trail Race (Sunday, in Elverson); Gettysburg Festival of Races (Sunday, in Gettysburg); Panther Prowl 5K Run for Education (Sunday, in Enola); St. Luke’s Half Marathon (Sunday, in Allentown); 5K Walk for Paws Color Run (Saturday, May 4, in Harrisburg); Cinco de Mayo 5K (Saturday, May 4, in Reading); Cinco de Mayo Pepper 5K/10K (Saturday, May 4, in New Cumberland); Girls on the 5K (Saturday, May 4, in Lancaster); Great Allegheny Ohiopyle Marathon Race Festival (Saturday, May 4, in Ohiopyle); Hills Creek 3H/6H/12H (Saturday, May 4, in Wellsboro); Not One More Run for Recovery 5K (Saturday, May 4, in York); Run to Restoration 5K (Saturday, May 4, in Harrisburg); St. Margaret Mary School 5K (Saturday, May 4, in Harrisburg); The Office 5K (Saturday, May 4, in Scranton); Turkey Hill Country Classic 5K/10K/13.1M (Saturday, May 4, in Lancaster); Pittsburgh Marathon Weekend (Saturday-Sunday, May 4-5, in Pittsburgh); Broad Street Run 10 Miler (Sunday, May 5, in Philadelphia); Greenwood Furnace Trail Challenge 13.1M (Sunday, May 5, in Greenwood Furnace State Park); York Marathon (Sunday, May 5, in York).
