MARATHON EDITION IT ALL STARTS HERE!
Casady puts chemo on pause for Boston
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Vol. 23 | No. 8 | April 13, 2022
COMMEMORATIVE
HOPKINTON INDEPENDENT Marathon Center moves forward
2022 ISSUE
INSIDE Page 4: Powers among honorary starters James Casady and his wife, Ilana, are joined in front of the Boston Marathon sign at the Town Common by their three daughters, (from left) Nili, Liat and Raya.
By Jerry Spar Managing Editor
R
unning the Boston Marathon after beating cancer is an impressive feat. James Casady, however, is an impatient man. The Hopkinton resident is going to run Boston this month while he’s still undergoing treatment. Casady was diagnosed in December 2020 with high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma. The cancer was
Casady | 8
Page 6: Kilduff lands on Start Line can The International Marathon Center will be built off East Main Street, near Mile 1 of the Boston Marathon.
By Chris Villani Contributing Writer
T
he planned International Marathon Center in Hopkinton is continuing to make strides toward becoming a reality, as the organizers recently hosted a preview night and plans have been drawn up to bring the space to life. Hopkinton’s Tim Kilduff, who in addition to being executive director of the 26.2 Foundation is a longtime Boston
Marathon television analyst and a former race director, highlighted a number of steps that have already taken place as well as those still in progress. Last May, the IMC inked a 99-year lease with the town for the 19-acre site. The property is located on the marathon route, less than a mile away from the starting line, on the north side of East Main Street (Route 135). Organizers also have worked with Gorman Richardson Lewis Architects of
Page 15: Librarian Miller books trip to Boston Page 17: Gilbreath makes return for youth lax Page 18: Gittlen back to support Baypath Page 22: MacLennan set to debut for Dignity Page 23: HMS teacher runs for music program
Marathon Center | 7
HOPKINTON
START
Wishing you well every step of the way!
2 • The Hopkinton Independent • MARATHON EDITION • April 13, 2022 COMMEMORATIVE
Hopkinton Independent
2022 ISSUE
The Hopkinton Independent is published by Hopkinton Independent, LLC, 32 South St., Westborough, MA 01581. The publisher assumes no financial responsibility for typographical errors or errors in advertisements, but will reprint that portion of the ad that was in error if notified in writing within three business days of the publication date. All material is the property of the Hopkinton Independent. Permission must be obtained in writing before reproducing any material. The Hopkinton Independent is delivered by the U.S. Postal Service to 100 percent of the homes and businesses in Hopkinton, reaching more than 7,600 addresses. It’s also available at Price Chopper and Hopkinton Drug as well as at many other local businesses.
STAFF
INTRODUCTION
Marathon Committee welcomes runners
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The Hopkinton Marathon Committee’s famous sign is installed at the Town Common every year to greet Boston Marathon participants and spectators.
It All Starts Here! As we put the finishing touches on all Boston Marathon logistics, we are excited to welcome 30,000 participants from over 100 countries to the start line. We all look forward to the return to the traditional Patriots’ Day race on April 18. After the cancellations of 2020 and postponement to October 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we worked diligently and in collaboration with all Boston Athletic Association officials and town departments to coordinate logistics and planning to ensure a safe and successful event. We extend a warm welcome to all the participants, volunteers and spectators Welcome | 4
The Boston Athletic Association, organizer of the Boston Marathon®, thanks residents of the Town of Hopkinton for their patience and cooperation as we have worked with many partners to plan a a safe and successful 126th Boston Marathon. This year’s historic race will be the first Patriots’ Day Boston Marathon in three years, and we look forward to welcoming many runners back to Hopkinton. For more race day information, please visit www. baa.org. 126TH BOSTON MARATHON® | APRIL 18, 2022 Nearly 30,000 entrants will participate in the 126th Boston Marathon, starting their 26.2-mile run on Main Street in Hopkinton and finishing on Boylston Street in Copley Square. Start Times 9:02 a.m.
Men’s Wheelchair
9:05 a.m.
Women’s Wheelchair
9:30 a.m.
Handcycles & Duo Participants
9:37 a.m.
Professional Men
9:45 a.m.
Professional Women
9:50 a.m.
Para Athletics Divisions
10:00 a.m.
Wave 1
10:25 a.m.
Wave 2
10:50 a.m.
Wave 3
11:15 a.m.
Wave 4
RACE DAY ROAD CLOSURES To ensure a safe and enjoyable race experience for all participants, race day road closures will be in effect on Monday, April 18. . Roads
within the Town of Hopkinton will close at 7:00 a.m. on-street parking will be allowed in Hopkinton. . Roads will re-open at 1:30 p.m. . No
Only official B.A.A. buses, official vehicles, and public safety vehicles will be permitted on roads in Hopkinton during that time.
PARTICIPANT SHUTTLE IN HOPKINTON Very limited parking is available for participants at the 52 South Street lot in Hopkinton. Participant shuttle buses will run throughout race morning. Please visit www.baa.org for a list of prohibited items that are not allowed near the start or on Hopkinton shuttle buses.
Entrants will be assigned a bus loading window that corresponds to their seeding and bib number. All bib numbers will be color-coded according to bus loading times, which corresponds to start windows in Hopkinton.
SPECTATORS IN HOPKINTON Several viewing areas in Hopkinton will have heightened security rules. Spectators entering these areas will be required to pass through security checkpoints and all bags and items being carried will be subject to screening. Spectators are strongly encouraged to carry personal items in clear plastic bags. Unattended items may cause delays. For more information on spectator policies, please visit www.baa.org.
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The Hopkinton Independent • MARATHON EDITION • April 13, 2022 • 3
Select Board takes pride in partnership with BAA
PHOTO/TOWN OF HOPKINTON
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The Hopkinton Select Board consists of (from left) Muriel Kramer, Amy Ritterbusch, Irfan Nasrullah, Brendan Tedstone and Mary Jo LaFreniere.
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to George and Walter Brown, Paul Bryan BrownBryan Brown Phipps, Tony Sicuso, Harold Rathburn Branch ManagerBranch Manager and Tim Kilduff have served as governors, and Tom Brown, Walter’s brother, eels like deja vu all over again, C: (978) 870-7138 C: (978) 870-7138 served as BAA president. doesn’t it? Credit the Boston AthletBryan.Brown@rate.com Hopkinton created the Hopkinton ic Association for bringing this together Bryan.Brown@rate.com ve me a months call and advantage low rates. Rate.com/BryanBrown Marathon of Committee in 1979. It is the just six after ourtake last successful Rate.com/BryanBrown only city or town through which the Boston Marathon. Well, here we are Applicant subject to credit and underwriting approval. Not all applicants will be approved for financing. Receipt of application does not represent an approval cants will be approved for financing. Receipt of application does not represent an approval for financing or interest rate guarantee. Restrictions may apply, contact Guaranteed Rate for current rates and for more information. Equal Housing for financing or interest rate guarantee. Restrictions may apply, contact Guaranteed Rate for current rates and for more information. Marathon runs that has such a commitagain. The collaborative effort between - MLO89425 - MC2611, NH - NH89425 - 13931-MB, RI - Licensed | Office: (617) 286-8904 | 22 South St., Suite 201, Hopkinton, MA 01748 | NMLS ID 2611 (National Mortgage Licensing System, www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org) • MA -Brown Guaranteed Rate, - Mortgage & Mortgage BrokerNH License MC 2611• Lenderrates Bryan NMLS IDInc. #89425; MA -Lender MLO89425 - MC2611, - NH89425 - 13931-MB, RI - Licensed | GR NMLS ID 2611 (National Mortgage Licensing plicants approved for financing. Receipt application not represent forRate financing or interest guarantee. 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The Hopkinton Marathon CommitSystem, www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org) • MA - Guaranteed Rate, Inc. - Mortgage Lender & Mortgage Broker License MC 2611• NH - Guaranteed Rate, Inc. the BAA and the town of Hopkinton’s Guaranteed Rate of Delaware, licensed• by New Hampshire Banking Department # 13931-MB • NHLicense - Guaranteed Rate, Inc. dba Guaranteed Rate A - MLO89425 - MC2611, NH - NH89425 - 13931-MB, RI - Licensed | Office: (617) 286-8904 | 22 South 201, functioning Hopkinton, MA 01748 | NMLS 2611 (National Mortgage System, www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org) MAthe - Guaranteed Rate, Inc. - Mortgage Lender- Lic & Mortgage Broker MC 2611• teeSt.,isSuite still andIDsupports the Licensingdba incredible team of volunteers made of Delaware, licensed by theIsland NewLicensed Hampshire Banking - Lic 13931-MB - RhodeLoan Island Licensed Lender Lic # 20102682LL, RI - Rhode Island nsed by the New Hampshire Banking Department - Lic # 13931-MB • NHhas - Guaranteed Rate, Inc. dba Guaranteed Rate of Delaware, licensed by the New Hampshire Banking Department - Lic # 13931-MB • RI - Rhode Lender Lic #Department 20102682LL, RI -#Rhode Island• RI Licensed Broker Lic # 20102681LB Licensed Loan Broker Lic # 20102681LB community’s efforts in hosting the start this possible. Certainly it is incredible to of this historic running competition. I’d see how we can team up and, yet again, like to thank Dorothy Ferriter-Wallace, bring a world-class event to our humble chair of the Hopkinton Marathon Comlittle town. mittee. Her tireless work and dedication We have seen some changes within to the collaborative effort by all makes the BAA, and we’d like to thank Tom this seem so seamless. Grilk as he transitions from his position The Marathon is part of our identity. as president and chief executive officer This identity shows up throughout town, to the role of senior advisor after more demonstrating Hopkinton’s respect and than 11 years leading the Boston nonadmiration of the BAA and its Boston profit and more than 40 years of connecMarathon. This includes: tion to the organization. His leadership — The Spirit of the Marathon has been critical in the successful runsculpture located at Mile 1, honoring ning of the Boston Marathon through 1946 champion Stylianos Kyriakides turbulent times. We would also like (commissioned by New Balance); to welcome another long-timer, Chief — The Team Hoyt sculpture (comOperating Officer Jack Fleming, who Selling your home missioned by John Hancock); will serve as acting CEO effective May — The Starter sculpture, which 1. It’s been through the tireless work of should feel like recognizes George V. Brown (commisboth Tom Grilk and Jack Fleming that sioned by the 26.2 Foundation); the Marathon goes on so smoothly, even — And our most recent addition last through a pandemic. a walk in the park, fall, The Girl Who Ran sculpture, recSpeaking of the pandemic, it is ognizing Bobbi Gibb, the first woman certainly worth noting how the BAA not a marathon... to run the Boston Marathon (commisand the Town of Hopkinton have been sioned by the 26.2 Foundation). flexible, first with the cancellation of the And let us not forget what I consider 2020 Marathon and then with institutto be the crowning jewel, once completing new protocols to allow for the 2021 ed, the International Marathon Center, Marathon to proceed without missing I will carry your sale from the start line which is progressing through the tireless a beat. And now here we are, back on work of Tim Kilduff. It is safe to say schedule and ready for the next incarnaall the way to the finish line. that the stature of the Boston Marathon tion of the Boston Marathon. and its ties to Hopkinton was, in part, We here in Hopkinton welcome the inspiration for the creation of the vision runners from around the world, the BAA Call Trina if you want for the International Marathon Center. and all the volunteers. It all starts here, to feel like you came in first! The BAA has been a contribuand we’re back! tor to a number of projects, including The Marathon is part of our identity substantial contributions to the restoraand our values. We wouldn’t have our tion of our Town Common gazebo and “identity” without the Boston Athletic the installation and upgrade of bleachers Association and the marathon. HopkinHopkinton’s at the high school football field, to name ton residents have played a role in the #1 AGENT a couple. Boston Marathon. George V. Brown and in 2020 for sales It’s all just an example of our shared Walter Brown provided strong leadervolume per MLS values, inclusion, education and divership in ensuring the longevity of the 508.435.8000 sity. But the most obvious example of HopkintonMoves.com | Trina@TrinaMacchi.com Boston Marathon. 11 GROVE STREET | HOPKINTON | MA 01748 those values is the international field Over the years, Hopkinton resiof runners, as we welcome all races. dents have been contributors on the Follow us on BAA | 5 BAA Board of Governors. In addition By Irfan Nasrullah Select Board chair
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4 • The Hopkinton Independent • MARATHON EDITION • April 13, 2022 COMMEMORATIVE
Run like a bunny...
2022 ISSUE
Best of luck to all Boston marathoners!
STARTERS
Trio of longtime town employees selected as race starters Recently retired Hopkinton Police Officer Phil Powers will serve as honorary race starter for Wave 2 of the Boston Marathon.
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his year’s official starters for the Boston Marathon, selected by the Hopkinton Marathon Committee, include three Hopkinton residents who, combined, have worked for the town for more than eight decades. Two of the starters, former Hopkinton Police Department School Resource Officer Phil Powers and Hopkinton Fire Department administrative assistant Mary Carver, retired earlier this year. The third, Mike Mansir, born and raised in Hopkinton like Carver, works for the Hopkinton Department of Public Works as highway manager and serves as the DPW’s representative on the Hopkinton Marathon Committee. Powers will fire the starter’s pistol for Wave 2, Mansir for Wave 3, and Carver for Wave 4. Since introducing the wave start in 2006, the Boston Athletic Association has asked the Hopkinton Marathon Committee to select starters for the later waves of the Boston Marathon. The HMC, which includes representatives from town departments, works year-round with the BAA to plan the logistics of the Boston Marathon within Hopkinton.
“We’ve been honored to choose starters for the Boston Marathon,” said Dorothy Ferriter-Wallace, Hopkinton Marathon Committee chair. “This year we have selected three individuals with longtime ties to the town of Hopkinton and to departments vital to the successful running of the Boston Marathon. Phil Powers, Mike Mansir and Mary Carver have given many years of service to the town, and we wanted to recognize them and their departments for all they do for the town and for the Boston Marathon.” Powers lives along the path runners take from the Athletes Village at Hopkinton High School to the starting line. “I’m very seldom home because of mandatory work for all officers, but my wife always opened the house for runners to keep warm and to use the bathroom and just rest before they head to their corral,” said Powers, who will be working for the HPD on Patriots’ Day for the 35th year. “She has hosted the Marine Corps Semper Fi Running Team for many years and many other runners.” Powers served in the U.S. Air Force before becoming an auxiliary police officer in Upton, then worked full-time for the Hopkinton Police Department starting in 1987 until his retirement in January. For most of those years, he Starters | 5
Marathon Committee welcomes runners Welcome | from page 2
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who will be spending time in our beautiful community for the start of the 126th running of the Boston Marathon. For the past 98 years, dating back to 1924, Hopkinton has been honored to host the start of the world’s oldest annual marathon. The spirit and genuine hospitality from residents, businesses and town officials will be evident throughout your stay. We thank the Boston Athletic Association officials and staff who have masterfully organized and perfected this prestigious world-class athletic event. We are grateful for all the cooperation from our town departments, partners, businesses and citizens of Hopkinton for your continued support: the Hopkinton Select Board, Town Manager’s Office, HMC liaison Mary Jo LaFreniere, Hopkinton Police, Hopkinton Fire, Department of Public Works, Parks & Recreation Commission,
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School Department, Board of Health, CVS, Dell/EMC, Korean Presbyterian Church, E.L. Harvey, Hopkinton Post Office, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Hopkinton Center for the Arts. Special thanks to the Hopkinton Marathon Committee members and the entire BAA Start Team who have worked tirelessly all year on the meticulous detailed logistics and planning as we prepare to welcome 30,000 participants and over 900 volunteers to Hopkinton on Patriots’ Day. We hope everyone visiting Hopkinton enjoys the beauty and hospitality that our community extends to you. Good luck! Dorothy Ferriter-Wallace Chair, Hopkinton Marathon Committee B.A.A. liaison and Organizing Committee member
The Hopkinton Independent • MARATHON EDITION • April 13, 2022 • 5
Best of Luck to our Hopkinton Runners
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Banner day
A worker from American Climbers installs a Hopkinton Chamber of Commerce commemorative banner on a utility pole on Main Street on April 2.
Trio of longtime town employees selected as race starters Starters | from page 4
worked as the school resource officer, and has been known as Officer Phil or simply O.P. to Hopkinton students and their families for decades. Over his years of involvement with the Boston Marathon, Powers said he most enjoyed “meeting and talking to people from all over the world, as well as the spirit and the positivity of the runners.” Having grown up in Hopkinton, Mansir said, “I remember there only being one start for all of the runners at noontime. Not four different waves like now. I also remember several residents that live in the downtown area having gatherings/cookouts and then walking around freely downtown to enjoy the day!” Mansir has little free time on Patriots’ Day now. Through his work with the DPW, he has been involved with 25 Boston Marathons. “In my position as the highway manager and the DPW representative on the Marathon Committee, I would have to say the most challenging aspect of the Marathon is coordinating and overseeing all of the work that goes into preparing for the Marathon and cleaning up and breaking everything down after the Marathon is over,” he said. Mansir and his crew work work both to make Hopkinton look and operate at its best for the thousands of runners descending on the town, and to return the roads and public areas to their best for residents once the runners have departed. He will take a short break from his Marathon-related tasks to start Wave 3. Carver grew up and still lives on Hayden Rowe Street, where runners used to line up for the start. She remembers setting up a water stop in front of her house for the runners preparing to head to Boston. She retired in February after 25 years as administrative assistant for the Hopkinton Fire Department.
She has been a part of securing permits from the HFD for vendors setting up in town for the Marathon. She enjoyed the buzz of many meetings in the station in the months leading up to the marathon. She’ll walk up to the start this year as usual with her family, but instead of just watching and cheering, she’ll be starting Wave 4. “I am honored,” she said. “My family is very excited.” Additionally, three local veterans will be honored at the start line: Paul Culliton, Art Brooks and Ben Tomlin. Below are the starting times for this year’s race: 6 a.m., Military 9:02 a.m., Men’s wheelchair 9:05 a.m., Women’s wheelchair 9:30 a.m., Handcycles and duos 9:37 a.m., Professional men runners 9:45 a.m., Professional women runners 9:50 a.m., Para athletes 10 a.m., Wave 1 10:25 a.m., Wave 2 10:50 a.m., Wave 3 11:15 a.m., Wave 4
Select Board takes pride in partnership with BAA BAA | from page 3
On Marathon Monday, a global village is welcomed and embraced here in Hopkinton … before they all run away. But it offers the most apt definition of diversity, of which Hopkinton is proud to be a welcoming host. We here in Hopkinton welcome diversity from the BAA. We thank the BAA for the awarding of invitational entries to the town as well as the 26.2 Foundation. As I said, the Marathon and the BAA are part of our identity, and we look forward to another 125 years in partnership with the BAA. Just remember: It all starts here.
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6 • The Hopkinton Independent • MARATHON EDITION • April 13, 2022
Kilduff latest to land on Start Line Marathoner IPA can T
im Kilduff is widely recognized as Hopkinton’s can-do man when it comes to all things Boston Marathon. Hopkinton’s Start Line Brewing Company, recognizing Kilduff’s contributions to the race and the town, is makhim its can man MARATHON ing for 2022. NOTEBOOK Kilduff’s image will grace limited edition Marathoner IPA cans, which are slated to go on sale at the Hayden Rowe Street brewery on April 13 and should last about two weeks, according to Start Line Brewing owner Ted Twinney. “This is our Marathoner IPA, we make it every year for the Marathon using the same beer,” Twinney explained. “Each year we introduce a new special limited edition can, kind of a collector’s item and a way for us to recognize different people associated with the Marathon.” The first honoree was Wayde Marshall from the Hopkinton Tim Kilduff is featured on the can for the 2022 Running Club. The second year, Start Line Brewing Marathoner IPA. the cans highlighted the planned International Marathon Center. Last year the cans honored women’s running pioneer Bobbi Gibb. Twinney said he looks forward to giving Kilduff “his day in the sun” to recognize all the work he has done. “He’s such a humble guy, he said there’s many others who are worthy,” Twinney said. Proceeds from sales of the IPA will go to the 26.2 Foundation — the nonprofit for which Kilduff serves as executive director. The 26.2 Foundation’s mission is “to promote and support the sport of marathoning,” and the organization is leading the effort to build the International Marathon Center on East Main Street. Start Line Brewing also will host its annual Marathon Monday Cool Down Celebration from 2-8 p.m., featuring a live Tom Petty cover band from 3-6 p.m. Tickets, which cost $15, are available at the brewery’s website (startlinebrewing. com) and proceeds will be donated to the 26.2 Foundation. The event sold out last year and is expected to sell out again this month.
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In recognition of the 126th Boston Marathon, the Hopkinton Center for the Arts is hosting a free exhibition titled “Coverage: The Boston Marathon As Reported By The Boston Globe” until April 23 at the HCA’s Lotvin Family Gallery. This exhibition, which is available for viewing during the HCA’s normal business hours, includes a collection of curated Boston Marathon images through the lens of The Boston Globe, now celebrating its 150th year of publication.
Honorary women’s team named The Boston Athletic Association recently announced a team of eight women who will participate in this month’s Boston Marathon, running in honor of the original eight finishers from the first official women’s field in 1972.
Women’s team | 7
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The Hopkinton Independent • MARATHON EDITION • April 13, 2022 • 7
International Marathon Center moves closer to reality Keeping your eyes happy & healthy!
Marathon Center | from page 1
Welcoming New Patients
Dr. Perryman
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Hopkinton to come up with the blueprint for the venue itself. “ We ’ v e d r a w n u p plans for a state-of-the-art, 25,000-square-foot facility that will include not only a world-class museum and hall of fame, but also 11,000 square feet of dedicated exhibit space, an auditorium, library, conference and educational space, and more,” Kilduff said. During the recent sneak peek, Terry Healy of HealyKohler Design demonstrated what visitors to Tim Kilduff speaks at a recent event to share details the IMC will see once the about the International Marathon Center, which is to center opens. be built off East Main Street. The experience will begin with exhibits focusing on ancient Greece and the very thon gallery,” he said. “When you’re foundations of democracy, Healy said, in this space, you have a large wall of before transitioning to the first modern glass, so you have that vista outside. Olympic Games in 1896 and, one year When you’re running in a marathon, later, the very first running of the Boston you’re looking down, you’re looking up, Marathon. you’re looking left and right, and you’re “The first part of this visitor exlooking where you’re going. That’s what perience is we are dictating to the we want to do with this experience.” visitor that you have to go along that Visitors will be able to customize path,” Healy told the crowd assembled their experience, Healy said. They will at Faith Community Church in early receive a tracking chip similar to those March. “Because along that path gives that used to be given to runners at the you that history, the rich history of the start of a marathon, and can move marathon.” through the experience and personalize The exhibits also will demonstrate their visit by building their own marawhy the center is in Hopkinton and thon, he said, even allowing visitors to provide the history of the town’s condesign their own route and logo for their nection to the event. The best part of “fantasy marathon.” the experience, Healy said, will be the After visitors cross the “finish line,” “start line” visitors then cross as they they will proceed to the Hall of Excelmake their way farther into the IMC, lence, where they can learn about some where an array of exhibits await on all of the people who have helped shape sides of the space. the Boston Marathon for well over a “You actually walk into the maracentury.
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Honorary women’s team named Women’s team | from page 6
The honorary team is comprised of eight women who have made a powerful impact in areas from athletics to human rights. Among the eight women is Valerie Rogosheske, one of the original eight finishers in 1972, who returns 50 years later to once again cross the finish line on Boylston Street. “I am so looking forward to returning to Boston this year with my daughters to celebrate 50 years of women being welcomed into the Marathon,” said Rogosheske. “In 1972, the students at Wellesley yelled ‘Right on, sista!’ On the 25th anniversary the students looked like my daughters, and this year they could be my granddaughters! I celebrate the progress through the generations as women claim their places on the start line.” Joining Rogosheske on the honorary team are Mary Ngugi, Manuela Schär and Melissa Stockwell, each of whom will be competing at the front of the race as part of the John Hancock Professional Athlete Team. Football and soccer star Sarah Fuller, U.S. national women’s soccer team alum Kristine Lilly, Guinness world record holder Jocelyn Rivas and running activist Verna Volker round out the honorary team, which will be celebrated throughout race weekend at various Boston Marathon events and activities.
BAA announces leadership transition Thomas S. Grilk will transition to the role of senior advisor to the BAA after more than 11 years leading the Boston nonprofit as president and chief executive officer and more than 40 years of connection to the organization. Chief Operating Officer Jack Fleming will serve as acting CEO effective May 1 as the BAA’s Board of Governors initiates a search for a new CEO. “It has been an enormous and gratifying privilege to lead the BAA and to serve with a magnificent group of colleagues who have been instrumental in the organization’s development and growth,” said Grilk. “These include my fellow staff members at the BAA; our Board of Governors; our relentlessly supportive sponsors; the Organizing Committee; public service, safety and medical officials; and the thousands of volunteers who come out every year to take care of athletes from around the world.”
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8 • The Hopkinton Independent • MARATHON EDITION • April 13, 2022
Casady takes break from cancer treatment for Boston challenge Ilana and James Casady will run and walk Boston together, about a year after James began treatment for cancer.
Happy Marathon Day to Hopkinton! Good Luck to All the Runners “After a career in social and economic justice, ensuring that people’s needs are met, and that the voices of the community are heard, I’m running for the Massachusetts House of Representatives”
James Arena-DeRosa Director of Public Advocacy, Oxfam America New England Director, Peace Corps Led a $12 billion USDA Food and Nutrition program during the Obama Administration Holliston Finance Committee Community Volunteer for Arts & Music/Little League baseball coach
Casady | from page 1
caught very early, and he was fortunate to be able to participate in a drug trial which has been very successful. He’ll take a break from his medications leading up to the April 18 race and walk the five blocks from his house to the start line, prepared for a different kind of marathon than he’s tried before. Then it’s right back to the hospital to continue the fight against the disease. “It should be an amazing day for a lot of reasons,” said Casady, who is running as part of the Dana-Farber Health & Safety Matters Marathon Challenge team. “They’re giving me one extra week of treatment Most To Us off, I have a little time off from the meds before the marathon, so I should feel good. Then I run the Marathon on Monday, and then Tuesday I head in for early morning treatment, so I’ll be right Health & Safety Matters Most To Us back in it.” Casady, who owns Platinum Physical Therapy, which has locations in Hopkinton, Ashland and Milford, first was made aware of a problem in the fall of 2020 after some routine bloodwork. “In December 2020 I ended up in Dana-Farber, and they gave me a diagnosis of high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma,” he recalled. “They caught it super early, which is great, and it improved my prognosis, of course.” Casady was told that in most cases elsewhere in the country, doctors would just watch and wait for symptoms to arise, including kidney failure and bone fractures. However, Casady was fortunate to be placed into a trial at Dana-Farber that includes four drugs — two that he takes in pill form and two via an injection. He began the treatment last April. “The first six months were pretty brutal because I was going every single week and getting a lot of the drugs,” the 48-year-old said. “Now I’m technically on maintenance, which is every other week, and the doses are a little bit less, so it’s much more tolerable. I’m doing much better, I’m working almost fulltime now, I’m able to exercise a little bit and things like that. Comparatively, amily Family Owned Family Owned &Owned Operated & Operated &Operated Operated Serving Serving MetroWest Serving MetroWest MetroWest Boston Boston Since Boston Since 1968 Since 19681968 Family Owned & Serving MetroWest Boston Since 1968 I’m doing way better. My treatment weeks are still a little bit rough, but they’re doable.
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“When I started the trial, about 20 percent of my bone cells were myeloma cancerous, and they said usually around 50 percent is when you start breaking bones and having kidney failure and stuff,” Casady continued. “Now I’m down below 5 percent. Two of my three markers are within normal limits and I’ve got one more I’m trying to get down. So it’s definitely helping a lot.” Of course, the other challenge with cancer treatment is psychological, and Casady acknowledged it often can be more difficult than the toll on the body. “It definitely has been a big rollercoaster, those first six months especially,” he said. “I was very surprised. I didn’t know what to expect. The mental and emotional was at least as hard and probably harder than the physical. Because the physical you just kind of deal with — you don’t feel well, you’re sick, you’re tired, you have all sorts of other side effects going on. But man, that rollercoaster of emotions, with depression, there’s just a whole lot to deal with there. It was definitely a rollercoaster and it continues to be. Less so now, we’re in more of a routine, we’re getting comfortable with it, I’m feeling better physically, which helps. But it’s still up and down. It’s tough for sure. “Definitely any time I’m getting outside and exercising I feel much better. Then also, I’ve done the runs with the Dana-Farber team a few times. Just being in that group of people in that environment is very positive and kind of empowering. So that’s all definitely helped a lot.” Added Casady’s wife, Ilana: “One of the drugs that James takes is a pretty strong steroid, and it’s definitely like a rollercoaster of emotions, especially for the four days after. So the kids will joke, ‘Oh, it’s just Dad’s steroids.’ It’s kind of a joke in the family where if he gets mad at them, they’re like, ‘Dad, it’s just your steroids talking, you’re not really mad.’ So we can kind of laugh at it.” Casady had a conversation with his doctor before deciding to try his first marathon since Boston in 2019. He was given the green light, in part because Casady | 9
The Hopkinton Independent • MARATHON EDITION • April 13, 2022 • 9
Levenson volunteers for long haul By Jean Cann Contributing Writer
H
opkinton’s Bob Levenson has been volunteering for the Boston Marathon since 2003. “And I still have the jacket to prove it,” he said. He’s amassed many colorful jackets since and has worn many volunteer hats as a member of the Hopkinton Marathon Committee, coordinating parking, or- Hopkinton resident Bob Levenson (with his dog, Daisy) ganizing VIP hospitality has served in a variety of volunteer roles for the start of and currently serving as the Boston Marathon since 2003. team captain for the start front lines, the last group of volunteers marshals. to see the runners before they head to A runner since seventh grade, and Boston. In his work with the start marseriously since high school, Levenson shals, Levenson coordinates a group of competed for Boston University and between 100-125 volunteers who patrol continued to run competitively into his the corrals to allow only authorized run40s. He grew up just outside Boston and ners in and also clean the street between used to go watch the Boston Marathon waves of runners. with his father. “In those days, there The most rewarding part of his was no crowd control and you got right position, Levenson said, is “seeing the up close,” he said. One of his favorite smiling faces of returning volunteers memories as a spectator was giving water who love being part of the race, and all to Henry Rono, a Kenyan distance runner the thank yous we get from runners who who set four world records. are thrilled, and a bit nervous, to be at “We moved to Hopkinton in 2000 the start and appreciate the supportive for the schools,” said Levenson. “The atmosphere in Hopkinton.” Marathon was a close second. As soon While it can be challenging to stay as I moved here I heard about the smiling on severe weather days, which Hopkinton Marathon Committee and have occurred many years, Levenson’s was able to connect with Dottie [HMC team keeps it up. chairperson Dorothy Ferriter-Wallace].” “I have a group of ladies who have The all-volunteer HMC was established been doing this for years — you know in 1979 to work in conjunction with the who you are, Sheila’s Shamrocks — one Boston Athletic Association to coordiof whom showed up during a torrential nate all aspects of the Boston Marathon and cold downpour,” he recalled. “She within Hopkinton. Levenson is one was covered head to toe in plastic and of the committee members working used a walker. She was smiling from through the year to make the event safe ear to ear. Boy, was that heartwarming. and enjoyable for participants, spectaProbably brought a tear to my eye, which tors and residents. I attributed to the rain.” While coordinating parking, LevRain or shine, runners can count on enson was stationed on South Street. He Levenson to be there making their Boston moved closer to the start while taking Marathon start a positive one. care of race VIPs. Now he’s right on the
Casady takes break from cancer treatment for Boston challenge Casady | from page 8
exercise is a key part of staying healthy. “As long as I do everything in moderation, now that I’m down below 5 percent of myeloma cancer cells in my bones, they want me to exercise and do what I can, what I have energy for, because it will ultimately strengthen the bones,” he said. Added Casady: “I said, ‘Listen, I’m going to be smart. If I start training for this and I get to 8 miles or 10 miles and that’s just that, I’ll just not do it.’ I would love to be able to do it, but I was like, ‘Believe me, I’m not going to do anything stupid to hurt my health.’ ” Casady also has the support of his family — wife Ilana, their three young daughters, and his two older daughters from a previous marriage. Ilana, also a veteran marathoner and Boston qualifier this year, will run and walk Boston alongside James. (She’ll then head to California to run the Big Sur Marathon the following weekend.) When it came to choosing a charity to support, James had one organization in mind. “Dana-Farber is just such an amaz-
ing place,” he said. “I’ve been so impressed with them this entire time, from the time I started and got diagnosed, from the parking attendants to the phlebotomist, every single person in there is just unbelievable. So I wanted to give back.” As a longtime runner — he’s competed in almost a dozen marathons — Casady has had to dial back his expectations this year. “Training hasn’t been what I first envisioned it would be,” he said with a laugh. “I just can’t do nearly as much. I need a lot of recovery between runs, and during treatment weeks I can’t do much, so I’m doing way less than I ever planned to, even though I was going to do it conservatively anyway. But with the walking breaks it seems to be OK. I think I’ll be all right. “[Monday is] going to be a walkrun, it’s going to be a much different marathon than I’ve done before. But I was like, hey, if I can just finish and raise a bunch of money for Dana-Farber that would be awesome. It should be a good day. I think it will be fun and meaningful.”
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10 • The Hopkinton Independent • MARATHON EDITION • April 13, 2022 COMMEMORATIVE
RUNNERS
McCann runs to honor former teammate
2022 ISSUE
Kayla McCann, a 2020 graduate of Hopkinton High School, is running this month for the Canty’s Underdog Scholarship Fund. A nursing student and Army ROTC cadet at Northeastern University, McCann ran the Boston Marathon virtual LOCAL RUNNERS event in 2020. McCann was a ROUNDUP swimming teammate of scholarship namesake Brad Canty, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 17. “Brad Canty was an important part of the Hopkinton community,” McCann writes on her fundraising page. “Brad was a loyal, kind and caring individual who was always putting his friends and family before himself. Brad was an energetic participant on the Hopkinton swim and dive team, where a lot of students got to know him most, including myself. Despite having to fight ongoing gastrointestinal disorders, he did not let the illness nega-
tively impact his life. “Brad’s determination and selflessness is remembered by many people and inspires me every day to not take anything for granted.”
Clancy hits course for Hopkinton Little League Jessica Clancy is a CrossFit enthusiast who will take on her first marathon this month. “I have always been an enthusiastic spectator,” she writes on her Hopkinton Little League fundraising page. “This year I will skip the early morning mimosas and line up as a runner.” Clancy and her husband, Kevin, have four children ranging in age from 2-13. “I am feeling all of the emotions, but most importantly I am proud to be running in honor of the Hopkinton Little League,” she writes. “Time for me to Lace Them UP!”
Khoo back for Friends of Hopkinton Friends of Hopkinton has some friends in faraway places. The organization known for hosting the annual Family Day and last month’s inaugural Family Fling is benefiting from the efforts of runner Tom Khoo from Penang, Malaysia. Khoo has run marathons all over the world, including Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, London, Rome, Stockholm, Croatia, Berlin, Prague, Oslo, Valencia, Sydney, Melbourne and Gold Coast. He ran Boston in 2019 for the Friends of Hopkinton as well.
Vivian trades skates for sneakers
daughters on the ice. This year, he’ll also run the Boston Marathon to raise money for the organization. “Growing up on the marathon route, running Boston has always been a bucket list item of mine,” he writes on his fundraising page. “After completing several half-marathons in recent years, that goal is now in reach. Being granted the opportunity to support Demons Youth Hockey and help raise funds to create an unparalleled hockey experience for our Demons players and their families is truly an honor and a challenge I am excited to undertake.”
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Hopkinton’s Joy Donohue is one of eight runners supporting the Hopkinton Center for the Arts this year. Donohue is captain of the team that includes Peter Coffey, Katharine Lagasse, Josh Reed, Michael Schatzberg, Mary Beth Spencer, Raymond Wong and Carlos Zhanay. “In Hopkinton, a sign placed at the Town Common near the start line every year just before race day reads, ‘It All Starts Here.’ But I say — no. It all starts with YOU,” Donohue writes on her fundraising page. “People like you who choose to support our running team and efforts to raise money for deserving nonprofit organizations like the Hopkinton Center for the Arts.”
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Ann-Michele Dragsbaek will be competing in her 16th Boston Marathon this spring. She started running after having her first child in 1997 but did not run a marathon until after her fourth child in 2006. “Running became my passion,” she states. “I felt I was setting a good example to my children and teaching them they could do anything they set their mind to.” Dragsbaek owned a hair salon in town for 26 years. She and her husband, Torin, still live in town, where they raised their four children. They also spend time at their second home in York Beach, Maine, enjoying time with family and their dog, Kobe.
Coutinho supports 26.2 Foundation Mia Coutinho ran in last fall’s event and is looking forward to her first race on Patriots’ Day. “I’ve lived in Hopkinton now 20 years and am proud to say I have witnessed MANY Boston Marathon starts. But to be *running* the famous 26.2 miles to Copley Square is an absolute privilege and a dream,” she states in her fundraising appeal. Coutinho notes that donations last year helped sponsor the creation of a sculpture depicting Bobbi Gibb, the race’s first-ever female competitor. “Donations to the 26.2 Foundation will go towards bettering community health, encouraging marathon preservation and strengthening international ties,” she states. “The 26.2 Foundation will use funds to build the International Marathon Center and Center for Human Endurance — a museum that will be a hub for heart-healthy education, cardiovascular training and a beautiful gathering space in Hopkinton, my hometown.”
The Hopkinton Independent • MARATHON EDITION • April 13, 2022 • 11
Reilly books trip to Boston to support library By Courtney Cornelius Contributing Writer
T
he motto on the Hopkinton Public Library Foundation website reads: “Honor our past, build our future.” That sentiment is appropriately demonstrated by Hopkinton resident Colleen Reilly, whose first job was stacking books at her high school library after class. “It was always just a relaxing, peaceful time,” Reilly shares. “And I love to read, it’s one of my favorite things to do!” Later, as a student at Northeastern University, Reilly would go to Boylston Street to cheer for the Boston Marathon runners at the finish line. “It was an emotional time for me, watching their pride and their hard work,” she remembers. “You can see the grit, trying to get to that 26.2 miles. It’s a lot of work! And I always said, ‘One day, that’s going to be me.’ ” In 2022, indeed it will be her. Reilly will participate in the Boston Marathon and raise funds for the Hopkinton Public Library Foundation. Reilly started running 15 years ago
Hopkinton runners There are 50 Hopkinton residents registered to run this year’s Boston Marathon: WAVE/CORRAL
26040 24083 14828 24145 27860 27650 28098 24016 28426 26830
4/3 4/1 2/7 4/1 4/4 4/4 4/5 4/1 4/5 4/3
27279 16525 29236 24647 27167 28848 9663 24659 26795 24683
4/4 3/1 4/6 4/1 4/4 4/5 2/2 4/1 4/3 4/1
15803 27197 27944 23010 27017 27207
2/8 55mm
28308
4/5
28515 27004 27237 25299 26587 27159 28476
4/5 4/5 4/4 4/2 4/3 4/4 4/5
24839 24681 24565
4/1 4/1 4/1
29109 6348 488 6982 22293 26930 26998 26763 28616 22490 24677 27015 6039
4/6 1/7 1/1 1/7 3/7 4/3 4/3 4/3 4/5 3/7 4/1 4/4 1/7
4/4 4/4 3/8 4/4 4/4
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Thank you for your endless work supporting Marathoning, the 26.2 Foundation and the Town of Hopkinton! 152
Michael Bird Matthew Bruno Ilana Casady James Casady Adam Castoreno Jessica Clancy Mia Coutinho Julie Deal Jaimee Demone Joy Donohue Ann-Michele Dragsbaek Kim Elia Pierce Farrell Peter Frasca Rachel Gilbreath Jerry Gomez Masilo Grant Jeremy Hartman Jeffrey Hopkins Sarah Hopkins Michael Hovagimian Margot LaFreniere No Hard Copy Katharine Lagasse 18mm From Top Scott Lennox Evan Levine Nicole MacLennan Venkatram Mahalingam Christopher Mastroianni Kayla McCann Jessica Miller Carly Panciera David Pete Colleen Reilly Elizabeth Ridgely Mitchell Riesenberger Meredith Ronan Olivia Rosen Guruprasad Samaga Caroline Schroeder Michael Schroeder Alex Scott Marjory Selig Mark Selig Bill Shander Jill Shugart Paramjit Singh Dawn Smith Wendy Sousa Tyler Vivian Andrew Worth
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when a group of her coworkers at Children’s Hospital signed up for a half-marathon and she decided to join them. “That was the first race I had ever run in, and it kind of took off from there,” she says. She’s since completed five half-marathons and says her motivation comes in part as a result of her profession. As a physical therapist, she notes, “I appreciate being able to move my body, because Hopkinton resident Colleen Reilly is I work with people who running to support the Hopkinton Public Library Foundation and its push have a hard time with to launch a Library of Things. that. So I think I have always appreciated the gift that I can move, I can run, I can do it, and that’s part of why I love to run. “The other part is that exercise has always been my stress relief — I’d go to the gym, I used to run with my little ones in the stroller, and it’s just always been my outlet.” Meanwhile, reading had remained another favorite outlet. Reilly fondly recalls taking her children to story time at the library when they were younger and says that she, her husband, their two sons (seventh- and fifth-graders) and one daughter (a third-grader) still are regular patrons. “It’s just a calming, peaceful place … especially right now, with everything people have gone through with COVID. … It’s just a nice escape to go into the library and find a good book,” Reilly observes. So when she had the opportunity to fulfill her one-day dream of running in the Boston Marathon, supporting the Hopkinton Public Library Foundation (HPLF) seemed a natural choice. In honor of its 10-year anniversary, the HPLF is committing $10,000 to launch a Library of Things at Hopkinton Public Library — technology, instruments, games and other items to be available for loan. According to the HPLF website (hopkintonpubliclibraryfoundation.org), the project “aims to provide the physical tools needed to support lifelong learning and creativity, and provide new ways for kids and adults to interact and explore,” as well as “enhance the library’s mission to inspire exploration, discovery and engagement” in the community. “It will provide opportunities for more people to try different things,” Reilly says. “I think what they’re trying to do is a great idea. So I figured, why not take running and reading — my two favorite things — and raise money for the library?” Reilly’s family will be in attendance as she runs to contribute to their library’s future. And as she’d determined back when she was a college student, she now will be among those cheered at the finish.
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12 • The Hopkinton Independent • MARATHON EDITION • April 13, 2022 HOUSE WASHING
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ince the age of 2, Sophie LaFreniere has demonstrated strength and endurance in her long battle with glycogen storage disease (GSD). This month, her mother, Margot, will put her own endurance to the test as a participant in the Boston Marathon. “I always wanted to run the Marathon, and wanted to do it for a good reason — and what better reason than to run for my daughter?” Margot says. GSD is a rare and life-threatening genetic disease wherein the body is missing the necessary enzyme to convert glycogen to glucose. GSD has many forms. Sophie has Type 1B, which is the most rare, affecting only one in a million people. The condition requires constant monitoring of Sophie’s blood sugar levels. Her parents used to have to prick her finger several times a day, but recently, thanks to a Dexcom continuous glucose monitor, that process has gotten easier. “The Dexcom helps a lot,” says Margot. “We’re able to watch her carefully and watch what her blood sugar is doing all the time. It allows her to do things like gymnastics, and she’ll go to school next year.” “It helps us see trends, see what’s working and what isn’t,” explains Sophie’s father, Jamas. “And it can catch dangerous moments, catch a low coming. We still have to do finger-pricks sometimes to make sure it’s accurate, but it’s been incredibly helpful and allows us to give her a little more freedom.” Maintaining steady blood sugar levels requires a special diet — low carbohydrates, high protein and very little sugar. “She has salad for lunch every day, mostly with grilled chicken and pistachios. For breakfast she usually has a vegan egg, an egg alternative, because
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she has a dairy and egg allergy, too. For dinner, she eats what we’re eating — chicken or fish with vegetables. Just a very lean, healthy diet,” says Margot. “She’s a good eater, she does good with it,” adds Jamas. “We’re lucky that she’ll eat like that, it’s pretty rare for a kid.” Keeping her sugar level stable also requires that Sophie ingest corn starch every four hours around the clock. If a dose is missed, she risks seizures from hypoglycemia. “The corn starch is literally what keeps her alive,” notes Jamas. Sophie, now 4, was diagnosed in September 2019. Her parents established Sophie’s Hope Foundation (sophieshopefoundation.org) in May 2020 to raise funds for research and, ultimately, find a cure. “There’s not much research, because the disease is so uncommon,” says Jamas. Currently, there are approximately only 500-800 people with GSD in the United States. In such cases, money for research often comes from private foundations and nonprofits. So far, Sophie’s Hope Foundation has been able to award a grant to fund one research project and is in the process of evaluating more. Meanwhile, the foundation has morphed into a global patient advocacy organization. “We’re launching an online patient registry in March,” shares Jamas. “We’re building a network of doctors and researchers, and as we’ve raised money, we’ve formed a pretty good strategy on how to move forward.” Sophie hasn’t let her condition slow her down. She loves farm class, animals and playing outdoors, especially with her 6-year-old sister, Alison. “She’s very active, she’ll pretty much do anything her older sister is doing,” Jamas says with a fond chuckle. Margot isn’t slowing down, either. She took up running and competed in a LaFreniere | 13
The Hopkinton Independent • MARATHON EDITION • April 13, 2022 • 13
Mastroianni set to live Boston Marathon dream By Chris Villani Contributing Writer
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ike most Hopkinton residents, Chris Mastroianni grew up watching the start of the Boston Marathon. He remembers having some of the elite Kenyan runners visit his school and the pomp and circumstance of being at the beginning of the world’s most famous road race. “The start of the Marathon has been a holiday around these parts,” Mastroianni said. “I remember biking over to the start line on Patriots’ Day and I always thought it was so cool to see the elite runners. Being in that atmosphere, seeing all the people cheering, it’s always something I have wanted to be a part of.” Mastroianni will get his chance this year when the 23-year-old lines up with the thousands of other runners. This will be his first attempt at running 26.2 miles, but he has competed a half-marathon before and is no stranger to athletic events. Mastroianni enjoys competing in Spartan races, which involve various obstacles and physical challenges. He also competed in tennis, wrestling and soccer during his time at Hopkinton High School. “I am probably a little bit more suited to the Spartan races, but I have always liked working out, lifting and going to the gym,” he said. “Spartan races incorporate a lot of upper body strength and other aspects of physical health, other than running.” But the marathon is, of course, just running. Mastroianni has been building up his mileage throughout the winter. The training has led to some nagging injuries. His hamstring has been sore and his shins took a little bit of time to get used to pounding the pavement. “I have never run this much or this frequently in my life,” he said. “My
Child’s endurance inspires mom’s marathon LaFreniere | from page 12
triathlon last summer as well as a halfmarathon in November. “Exercise has become my stress outlet throughout Sophie’s diagnoses,” she explains. Now, in preparation for the Boston Marathon, she runs four times a week and also does strength training. Choosing the Boston Marathon was a natural fit — the Hopkinton residents live less than 2 miles from the starting line. “We grew up in the area, and with the money they raise, the energy, the good that they’ve done over 126 years, it’s something really exciting to be part of,” Jamas says. “It gives us a great opportunity to spread awareness and reach a different type of network. “And it’s sort of an analogy to Sophie’s journey. It’s been kind of a marathon to find a way to deal with it and to search for a cure.” Margot agrees: “With everything that Sophie goes through daily for her treatments … if she can do that, I can run a marathon to raise money to find a better treatment for her, and for others who struggle with GSD.” LaFreniere’s Boston Marathon fundraising page can be found at givengain. com/cc/sophieshope2022bostonmarathon.
A veteran of Spartan races, Chris Mastroianni will tackle his first marathon this month.
cardiovascular health feels pretty good, I am just trying to get the legs ready.” Mastroianni is running to benefit a local charity, Project Just Because, which provides services including food and clothing for people in need. “PJB is an absolutely amazing nonprofit that runs various programs throughout the year serving the basic needs of families, children and seniors,” he wrote on his fundraising page. He said the programs PJB runs during the winter and through the holiday season helped inspire him to support its cause. A 2021 graduate of Boston College, Mastroianni said that other than the start line in his hometown, he is excited to run past his alma mater and expects he will see friends and classmates out there cheering him on as he makes it through the last several miles. He isn’t sure whether this will become an annual occurrence for him, but said he would like for the 2022 Boston race not to be his first and last marathon. On his fundraising page, Mastroianni described the chance to run Boston as a “dream come true.” “I feel like the Boston Marathon is the pinnacle of marathoning,” he said. “This was not an opportunity that I wanted to pass up.”
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14 • The Hopkinton Independent • MARATHON EDITION • April 13, 2022
Comeau supports Lions Club in 50th anniversary of women’s division By Rhian Lowndes Contributing Writer
It’s so exciting for me to do this marathon in particular, because it’s the 50-year anniversary since the first women’s heat. If I’m ever going to do this, this is the year to do it.
O
ne foot in front of the other. That’s how Sarah Comeau is running the Boston Marathon this month. “It kind of fell in my lap,” said Comeau, who is running on behalf of the Hopkinton Lions Club. The Millbury teacher and Worcester resident used to work near Hopkinton, and an old co-worker with connections to the Lions Club had an extra bib. “I just said ‘sure,’ and it’s been a crazy couple of months,” she said. Comeau might be new to Boston’s premier running event, but she’s no stranger to hitting the pavement. “It’s been a kind of a long time coming,” said Comeau, who was a college sprinter. “I always try to keep myself in the competition,” she said. “After I gradu-
— Sarah Comeau
Sarah Comeau was inspired to run in part because this is the 50th anniversary of the first official women’s division in the Boston Marathon.
ated, it was just like, there’s nothing else to do as a sprinter. So I started running some distance miles.” Comeau began pushing herself to run half-marathons with her fellow track alums and became an avid longdistance runner. She ran a thousand miles last year, and she’s been putting
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in 120 miles a month in preparation for the Boston Marathon. “You have to be a lot faster than what I can run, like an eight-minute pace,” said Comeau. “That’s really hard, so I always knew that I had to pick something that would be a fundraiser.” Runners representing one of the Marathon’s official charities have to raise $5,000 in funds to run the race. As of mid-March, Comeau had raised $3,700 via her fundraising page (hopkintonlions.org/sarah_marathon. html). “All the money that I raised, I’m really happy that it’s going to the Hopkinton Lions Club because they’ve been super supportive to me,” she said. Comeau said the community around her right now makes all the difference in her training. “One of my neighbors, she says, ‘Make your route so you go past me when you have 4 [miles] left, and I’ll run the last 4 with you,’ ” Comeau recalled. “Or I have a friend who will bike alongside me while I run. So those types of things are super important, to have that community and that support.” But it goes deeper than a sense of community and fundraising for a cause. “It’s so exciting for me to do this marathon in particular, because it’s the 50-year anniversary since the first women’s heat,” said Comeau. “If I’m ever going to do this, this is the year to do it.” The Boston Marathon held its inaugural women’s division in 1972. The Boston Athletic Association says this year’s race boasts “the fastest and most decorated women’s professional field,” with Olympic and Paralympic medalists, a three-time Boston Marathon champion, and the fastest women in the world for the years of 2020 and 2021. Comeau is not only a teacher but a track coach, and she says she often reminds her female athletes of the lengths women have come. Longdistance running, she said, is very mentally challenging. “I’m always talking to them about, you know, we’ve come so far as women, you have these opportunities, you need to be tough, you need to be strong, because you can do anything.” Comeau tells her athletes not to allow their bodies to tell their minds they can’t do something. She said they’ve been returning the support as she’s prepared for the marathon, checking in with her and encouraging her. “I just think it’s super important to support young girls and support women,” said Comeau.
The Hopkinton Independent • MARATHON EDITION • April 13, 2022 • 15
Miller laces up sneakers to support library Jak Miller, a veteran of many marathons, will run Boston to support Friends of the Hopkinton Public Library. Miller is the library’s young adult librarian.
By Will Kraus Contributing Writer
J
ak Miller began working at the Hopkinton Public Library last June, becoming the young adult librarian in November. Since then, Miller has been so enamored with the library that she volunteered to run this month’s Boston Marathon to raise money for her relatively new workplace. “This is where my daughter attends all these programs for young children, and it gives her an opportunity to socialize and start on her journey of reading,” Miller said. “I wanted to give back to something that affects everyone in the community, not just small parts.” Libraries were no exception in experiencing the impact of the pandemic. However, Miller believes libraries have changed for the better. “Libraries used to be a place to meet, but now they have started helping the community in a very different way — providing copying service, internet access, access to materials when people could not come in and get books, relying on librarians for references, getting factual information regarding the news because there was so much going on at the time,” Miller said. “Seeing how fast libraries transformed just drove home how much of the reason they are needed.” Beth Mezitt, president of Friends of the Hopkinton Public Library, especially supported Miller running for the library. “Delightful person,” Mezitt said of Miller. “She’s young, she’s full of energy and ideas for the kids, and I think
with her background she’s going to be very helpful to teenagers.” Mezitt also reiterated Miller’s assertion about the importance of the library for everyone in the community. “At the library, our group is doing a special English language learners Conversation Circle. We’ve had a group of people coming who want to practice English and they’re from all over the
world — Brazil, China, Egypt,” Mezitt said. “We’re very proud of the library’s efforts to respond to the shift in population in Hopkinton. We’ve got so many more people from other countries, and it’s been a joy to learn about them, to have displays in the lobby demonstrating special events or customs from different cultures.” Friends of the Hopkinton Public
Library additionally offers adventure passes, a program that provides community members with free or discounted passes to cultural enrichment opportunities such as museums, art galleries, Audubon sites and other outdoor events. Miller also emphasized how the Hopkinton Public Library offers unique resources for young adults. “We have a very diverse collection of materials especially for this age group, from graphic novels to manga to all of the interesting nonfiction pieces you wouldn’t find in other libraries,” she said. Another distinctive feature of the library is its frequent visits from therapy dogs. Miller remembers a particularly heartwarming moment between her daughter and a therapy dog named Gracie. “When my daughter was very little there was this one day when she basically was just lying on top of Gracie, and Gracie just looked up as if to say, ‘I don’t care, this is just what I do.’ ” Even though Miller has run 152 marathon-distance events, she isn’t running with any competitive goals in mind. “My goal is to finish but do it in a way that I can talk to other runners and motivate other runners,” she said. “Ultimately I’m running because I know how integral the library is to the lives of so many people in Hopkinton.” Miller’s donation page can be found at gofund.me/76f84363. For more information about Friends of the Hopkinton Public Library, visit hopkintonlibraryfriends.org.
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16 • The Hopkinton Independent • MARATHON EDITION • April 13, 2022
After health scare, Levine embraces marathon challenge After a visit to the doctor last year provided a “wakeup call,” Evan Levine committed to getting in better shape and eventually decided to tackle the Boston Marathon.
By Chris Villani Contributing Writer
E
van Levine has always considered himself a “3-5 mile” type of runner. But a visit to the doctor sparked a desire to take on the challenge of running a marathon, and the Hopkinton resident will make his 26.2 mile debut April 18 at the Boston Marathon. “I turned 44 in September, and about a year ago I had a doctor’s appointment,” he recalled. “I have good sense from my mother’s side and I’ve always been thin, but I have never been a great eater. In March of last year, my cholesterol was high, my blood sugar was high. I didn’t need medication, but it was close.” He added, “That was a big wakeup call for me.” Levine started eating better, and
I am looking forward to getting out of the car and having my kids be there, they are excited and feel like I am this big athlete now. I’m looking forward to the anticipation and the nervousness of the start line and the grind of the race itself and I am very much looking forward to the end of the race after I hopefully accomplish this goal. — Evan Levine
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his 3-5 miles became 6-7. He watched the rescheduled Boston Marathon last October and decided he wanted to try running the race for himself. Levine began training in December and said it has been going well. He’s slowly ramped up his mileage and has enjoyed building up to the marathon distance. “I feel accomplished after every training run,” he said. He has also taken on this challenge with the backing, and for the benefit, of his family. Levine is running for the Hopkinton Girls Youth Lacrosse Association. His fourth-grade daughter, Julia, plays the sport and Levine, who also played lacrosse growing up, has been coaching her since she was in the first grade. He said Julia and his first-grade son, Drew, think it’s “really cool” that their dad is going to run the Boston Marathon. His wife, Emily, also has been supportive of his endeavor and the significant time commitment needed to train for a full marathon. Levine said he is looking forward to having the full Boston Marathon experience. “I am lucky to live in Hopkinton so my family can drive me over to the start line,” he said. “I am looking forward to getting out of the car and having my kids be there, they are excited and feel like I am this big athlete now. I’m looking forward to the anticipation and the nervousness of the start line and the grind of the race itself and I am very much looking forward to the end of the race after I hopefully accomplish this goal.” Levine said he is not sure whether this will be his final marathon, but he said he doesn’t want it to be. “I want to continue to challenge myself, I don’t want this to be the end,” he said. “Whether it’s another marathon or a different athletic event or just chilling myself at work or in personal relationships, maybe this will give me the confidence.” He said he will be thinking about the journey as he makes the final turn onto Boylston Street. “Just to look back on the year’s journey I have been on since that doctor’s appointment and to think that ‘I did it,’ ” Levine said. “It’s going to be exciting.”
The Hopkinton Independent • MARATHON EDITION • April 13, 2022 • 17
Gilbreath makes marathon return By Chris Villani Contributing Writer
R
achel Gilbreath thought she had hung up her marathon shoes for good, but she’s putting them back on thanks to a challenge issued by her husband, Keith. Hopkinton Youth Boys Lacrosse president Ed O’Donnell ran into the couple last fall and asked whether Keith, an accomplished distance runner, would be interested in running the 2022 Boston Marathon to benefit the lacrosse program. “My husband looked at me and said, ‘Hey, do you want to do this?’ ” Gilbreath said. “I got so mad at him, because he knows I love running and I can’t turn down a challenge, so I accepted.” So Gilbreath found herself training in the dead of winter to run a distance she had not attempted since 2009. But she is no rookie when it comes to marathon running. Gilbreath grew up with a love of running instilled in her by her father, who also ran marathons. “I got into running because of him and trying to beat our family record,” she said. “Before I got married I ran about 15 marathons and I have run two since I have been married. I just stopped because of the time commitment, I work full-time and I didn’t have time to train.” This spring will mark Gilbreath’s sixth Boston Marathon. Her solid distance running base has made the training a little bit easier, but she referred to the time since her last race with a laugh, saying, “10 years makes a big difference.”
Rachel Gilbreath, shown with her family, is a veteran of six Bostons, but she hasn’t run the event in a decade.
Still, she ran a half-marathon last fall and has been slowly building up her mileage and cross training. “I did 18 miles [on a recent] weekend and that was no joke,” Gilbreath said. “I am just trying to take it easy. I am not going to win the race. In previous marathons I was super competitive.” Gilbreath’s personal best marathon time was set on the Boston course, though she said she likely will not approach that mark this time around. But her husband and their two children, Lucy, 10, and Bennett, 8, are excited to see mom tackle 26.2 miles again. “They think it’s awesome, they still can’t believe I am doing it,” she said. “They will get to watch Mile 1 and then head into Boston.” Gilbreath said she is looking forward to experiencing Boston again. “If you are into running and into running marathons, then you definitely want to run Boston sometime in your life,” she said. “The fans are just packed the whole way into Boston and, even as I get a little nervous about running that distance again, the fans are what keep you going.” Gilbreath is excited for one fan, in particular, her 80-year-old father, Jim, who, despite battling Parkinson’s disease, is traveling to Boston with his caretaker to see her on race day. “He is my absolute hero,” Gilbreath said, although she did ultimately beat his best marathon time. “I married a fast guy, so he annihilated my record,” she said. But, referencing her maiden name, she added, “I have the record for the Del Mauro family.”
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18 • The Hopkinton Independent • MARATHON EDITION • April 13, 2022
Gittlen’s Marathon cause is for paws
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Sandra Gittlen, a longtime volunteer at Baypath Humane Society, is running to raise funds for the Hopkinton animal shelter.
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andra Gittlen started running at the age of 41 while struggling with a rare autoimmune disease. “I wanted to feel better and counter the effects of treatment,” she recalls. When she decided to participate in the Boston Marathon, Gittlen discovered she could combine exercise with her passion for animal advocacy and raise money for Baypath Humane Society of Hopkinton. After adopting two cats from Baypath, Gittlen had started volunteering in various capacities — first doing whatever was necessary, such as cleaning and feeding, then later helping with the organization’s social media outreach. A writer and editor by trade, she wrote donor appeals and the organization’s newsletter. Eventually, she also did adoption counseling. Along the way, she expanded her furry family: Five of her six pets have been adopted from Baypath (the sixth also is a rescue). She’s been an integral part of Baypath for 12 years now, serving on the board of directors for seven years. She also chaired the Development Committee, and says she loves fundraising. Gittlen has raised nearly $50,000 for Baypath through the Boston Marathon. Running the event has come with its share of challenges. Her first experience was in 2013, the year of the finish line bombing. “Strangely, it helped me to bond with the running community; I had more affinity for the Marathon after everything that happened,” she reflects. This will be Gittlen’s sixth Boston Marathon. “It would be my seventh, but I couldn’t run in 2017 because I broke my foot!” she shares. “And then in 2018, we ran during a monsoon.” Despite, or perhaps because of, such obstacles, Gittlen is inspired by participating. She also appreciates the cheering. “When you come around the bend at Boylston Street, toward the arches, and the people are all going crazy screaming ... it’s like nothing you’ve ever experienced!” she said.
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When you come around the bend at Boylston Street, toward the arches, and the people are all going crazy screaming ... it’s like nothing you’ve ever experienced! — Sandra Gittlen Donors to Gittlen’s Boston Marathon fundraising page (baypathhumane. org/support-us/sandys-running-bostonmarathon) can email the name of their pet to sgittlen@baypathhumane.org; those names will be written on the shirt she’ll wear on race day. Donors also can send images of their pet to be featured in her online photo album. Gittlen says the 2022 Marathon will be a special one, as she’ll be running with a close friend who is battling cancer. “She’s a powerhouse; I’m feeding off her strength and energy!” Gittlen remarks with admiration. “This is a great experience to share with a friend. The focus this year is on victory — on finishing the race. It’s about being healthy, about doing our best and having fun doing it! Just really celebrating life.” She counts many benefits: supporting and spending time with her friend, who will be raising money for cancer research; continuing to build and sustain her own physical and emotional health; and raising funds for animals who desperately need assistance. She recalls adopting her dog, who was a local surrender. “She was so full of fear and anxiety, but because of the help she got from Baypath, she is thriving, and she’s very loving. “She’s living her best life — and Baypath cared enough to save her. For me, that’s the motivation: I get to be part of it.”
The Hopkinton Independent • MARATHON EDITION • April 13, 2022 • 19
Doyle draws inspiration from memory of late childhood friend Jeff Doyle is running Boston for Live4Evan, a charity created in memory of one of his childhood friends in Hopkinton, Evan Girardi.
By Sidhi Dhanda Contributing Writer
J
eff Doyle played football and lacrosse at Hopkinton High School prior to his graduation in 2009, but distance running is relatively new to him. Although he has watched the start of the Boston Marathon more than 20 times, this will be his first time running the course. Doyle is running to raise money for Live4Evan, a charity named for one of Doyle’s childhood friends from Hopkinton. Evan Girardi was born with a congenital heart defect, and he passed away from an arrhythmia during his senior year of college in 2010. Live4Evan, started in his memory, provides housing to families whose children are undergoing congenital heart treatment at Boston Children’s Hospital. “It’s especially meaningful to have Jeff running for us because [he] and Evan were such good friends,” said Shane Lavoie, Live4Evan co-founder and treasurer. Doyle and Girardi spent their childhood summer weekends together, playing barefoot soccer and shooting on hockey nets. They would cool off by having iced tea or lemonade and jumping into a pool. In the winter, they went skiing and snowboarding. “Evan would always be the most fearless person going down,” recalled Doyle. “I would be going so slow and be so scared the whole time while he was flying by.” During the 2008 NBA playoffs,
I am still more of a short-distance person, but I really want to do the marathon so I have been trying to figure it out. — Jeff Doyle
Doyle invited Girardi and other friends to come to his home to watch the Celtics games. “We had a tradition at halftime to walk to Cumberland Farms and get snacks for the second half,” remembered Doyle. “Evan would always get a slushy with all flavors mixed in
the same cup.” The Celtics won the title that year, and the group of Hopkinton teenagers celebrated at the championship parade in Boston. Doyle has run the Falmouth Road Race multiple times with Live4Evan, and he has done a few triathlons. He
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wanted his first marathon to be for Live4Evan, but other runners already had been assigned the Live4Evan charity bib for the past few years. “I made sure that I asked the day after the last marathon ended, so I could get the next year’s [bib],” said Doyle. The goal is to raise $10,000 via his fundraising webpage (givengain. com/cause/48217/campaigns/22256/) to help Live4Evan open its fifth apartment. Doyle started training rigorously in January and tries to do most of his long workouts on the weekend when he does not have to work. During his weekly long runs, volunteers from Live4Evan run with him. “It makes it a lot more enjoyable, because running alone for 18 miles is not very fun,” said Doyle. He supplements some of his runs with other types of cardio, such as biking and swimming. Using a stationary bike, Doyle bikes around 75 miles a week. Because of his training volume, Doyle has memorized all of the Peloton classes, so he puts the videos on mute and watches TV shows while biking. “It’s usually five to six hours of biking per week, so I can get through shows really quickly,” Doyle explained. Most recently, he was watching “The Book of Boba Fett” to pass the time. “I still don’t think I’m very good at distance running,” Doyle said. “I am still more of a short-distance person, but I really want to do the marathon so I have been trying to figure it out.”
20 • The Hopkinton Independent • MARATHON EDITION • April 13, 2022
Milford Regional ER chief runs to honor hospital staff
ns M arathoners! atulatioYou Look!” Congr“Made
Dr. Jeffrey Hopkins, a resident of Hopkinton and Emergency Room Chief at Milford Regional Medical Center, will run the Boston Marathon to raise money for the Milford Regional Healthcare Foundation.
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By Michelle Sanford Contributing Writer
O
n April 18, thousands of runners will line up in Hopkinton to run this year’s Boston Marathon. The world will be watching these athletes as they pound the pavement looking exhausted and stressed and eagerly hoping to cross the finish line. One of those runners will be Dr. Jeffrey Hopkins, a Hopkinton resident and chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Milford Regional Medical Center. While he runs the grueling 26.2 miles into Boston that day, he’ll be thinking of his colleagues, who have been running their own marathon for the past two years. Like so many hospitals, the COVID-19 pandemic hit Milford Regional hard. “We really started seeing our first cases in March of 2020, when the state of emergency was declared,” said Hopkins. “I think at our peak, we had about half of our beds filled with COVID patients.” The influx of COVID patients at Milford Regional meant much longer times in the waiting room, and even longer waits for a hospital bed. “We were just so packed. Patients would have to be seen in a hallway,” Hopkins explained. Hopkins also saw an increase of patients suffering from anxiety, substance abuse and depression. “If someone needed to go to an inpatient psychiatric facility, many times there weren’t enough beds at those facilities. At any one time, we’ve had 10 to 20 behavioral patients at the hospital, waiting for a psychiatric bed to open up somewhere,” Hopkins explained. Through the years, the Hopkinton resident said, the medical community has dealt with different viruses, including Ebola and H1N1. “We’ve had different scares over
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the years, but they never really grew to the level of a pandemic,” he said. “They were brief and then ended. This [the coronavirus] has been very different. But this is why we went into medicine — to take care of patients.” Seeing his colleagues’ strength, perseverance and commitment over the past couple of years inspired Hopkins to want to run this year’s marathon, to honor them and raise funding for the hospital. “I figured to show support, what better way than to do something that also requires a lot of endurance and commitment,” he said. “My colleagues have shown that every day, but it’s also the been the maintenance and facilities people, the administrative staff, the people working in the cafeteria, everyone who kept the hospital running 24/7. They’re the reason I’m running.” As part of his marathon experience, Hopkins is raising funds for the Milford Regional Healthcare Foundation. “Basically the funding raised will go wherever it’s needed most,” he said. Shefali Desai, chair of the foundation’s Board of Trustees, said Hopkins’ commitment to his colleagues and community is inspiring. “Dr. Hopkins is one of the strongest leaders I’ve had the pleasure working alongside,” Desai said. “His support of Milford Regional Medical Center reaches over many facets of the organization, including his enthusiasm surrounding philanthropy and the Healthcare Foundation. His commitment to the 2022 Boston Marathon in support of the Medical Center is a true inspiration and testament to his dedication to our community.” Hopkins, who has a number of marathons under his belt, will be joined by his wife, Sarah, who is running for the Michael Lisnow Respite Center. To make a donation in support of Dr. Hopkins, visit Foundation.MilfordRegional.org/GetInvolved/SpecialEv ents/2022BostonMarathon/.
The Hopkinton Independent • MARATHON EDITION • April 13, 2022 • 21
Local couple overcomes long odds to run Boston By Chris Villani Contributing Writer
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melia and Mike Green have faced numerous challenges in their lives, any one of which could have derailed their ambitions to run 26.2 miles. But the couple will line up to tackle the Boston Marathon on Patriots’ Day this year, a testament to their faith, unity, and determination. Amelia Green’s first challenge came early in life. She was born with a congenital hip disorder and had to wear a brace until she was 2 years old. “I wasn’t able to walk normally or do running of any kind, so running is something that has been a godsend for me to be able to do,” she said. Being able to run is part of what sparked her career in personal training. She now spends her days seeing people succeed and improve as they make strides towards their fitness goals. Mike Green has wrestled with his own struggles. He and Amelia are a proud sober couple, and he said he has been sober for more than a decade. It was not too long ago that Mike could not have hoped to run even a 5K without stopping. He and Amelia recently competed in the New Bedford Half Marathon and an even longer training run in preparation for Boston. “It was emotional at the end of the half marathon, just knowing I could do this,” he said. “When I saw that there was 1 mile to go at New Bedford I was like ‘wow, I am actually going to do this.’ I know it’s going to be much different, I know it’s going to be a lot more
Amelia and Mike Green, the latter of whom grew up in town, are running to raise money for Hopkinton charities.
difficult, running twice as far, but I think we are going to be OK.” Amelia added, “It’s a huge achievement, and I think it’s going to feel awesome.” The road to Boston has not always been smooth. At the start of the pandemic, Amelia said she dealt with
a number of debilitating injuries. She was told she would not be able to run, or even do simple activities. “Michael and I were able to pull it together and have a lot of faith,” she said. “We found a non-surgical route to get me back on track and now we are able to do the marathon. It’s a celebra-
tion and hat’s off to God for getting us through this. This is going to be a seal on our success.” The couple now lives in Grafton, but Mike grew up in Hopkinton, so the Boston Marathon is very much ingrained in his upbringing. Both Amelia and Mike are running for Hopkintonbased entities. Amelia will support the Hopkinton Emergency Fund, which works with existing service organizations to help Hopkinton residents who need temporary emergency financial help. Mike is raising money to benefit the Hopkinton Tax Relief Committee, a fund that was established in 1998 to help residents in need pay their real estate taxes. Even as the couple became healthier and started running more consistently, the usual hurdles of training for Boston tried their best to slow them down. Mike’s work schedule often required them to run in the pitch black of the cold late winter and early spring nights, dodging icy puddles in search of fresh patches of sidewalk. The two of them were able to get through the training together, and they plan to cross the finish line on Boylston Street the same way. It will be the latest and greatest of the physical challenges that have become part of their journey together. “I am always making Michael do some crazy things, whether it’s hiking up a mountain or biking a long distance and he always seems to sign off on it,” Amelia said. “That’s true love right there.”
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22 • The Hopkinton Independent • MARATHON EDITION • April 13, 2022
Happy Holidays Good Luck from Runners!
MacLennan takes on challenge for dignity of others
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By Christie Vogt Contributing Writer
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icole MacLennan, a Hopkinton resident of 15 years, will be running her first Boston Marathon this month. “I’m really excited to have the chance to run a hometown race, it has always been a bucket list kind of race for me,” MacLennan says. “And I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to run for such a fantastic charity.” The one and only True Dry Cleaner in Hopkinton MacLennan is raising funds for Dignity Matters, a Framing• Dry Cleaning • Shirt Laundry ham-based nonprofit that provides feminine hygiene products, • Wet Cleaning • Over 30 years experience bras and underwear to women and girls who are homeless or • Tailoring &An Alterations • All work done on premises in need. odorless, non-toxic, “I really wasn’t a runner until after my kids were born,” Ma• Eco-Friendly Cleaning process biodegradable cLennan shares. She started running for fitness and got involved Quality & Service Always Come First with a running group in Richmond, Virginia, where she went to #1 Dry Cleaner Readersyour Choice Awards – 2001 to 2018 If you care–about clothes and the environment college. After the death of Meg Menzies, a Virginia woman who come to Hiller's – a true dry cleaners. was killed by a drunk driver in 2014 while training for the Boston 63 Main Street, Hopkinton Marathon, MacLennan joined a run in her honor. 508.435.3880 • Next to CVS • Dry2ndCleaning • Shirt Laundry “That running community really got me into running longer location: 3 Main St., Southborough distance • Wet Cleaning • Over 30 years experience races,” MacLennan says, “and I’ve become friends with www.HillersCleaners.com runners all over the country through that process.” • Tailoring & Alterations • All work done on premises With two Richmond marathons under her belt, MacLennan has been preparing for Boston with Hopkinton Moms Run This Quality & Service Always Come First Town, a group that meets up for “crazy early morning runs” before work once a week and gathers for longer runs on the 63 Main Street, Hopkinton weekend.
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Nicole MacLennan is running her first Boston Marathon this month, raising funds for an organization called Dignity Matters.
The professional women runners take off at the start of the 2021 Boston Marathon.
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he Boston Athletic Association touts the 126th Boston Marathon has having the “fastest and most decorated field in history.” With this being the 50th anniversary of the first official women’s division, let’s start by looking at the professional women’s field. There will be a new women’s champion, as 2021 winner Diana Kipyokei is not entered. Peres Jepchirchir is the reigning Olympic marathon gold medalist and owner of the fifth-fastest time in women’s history (2 hours, 17 minutes, 16 seconds). Coming off a victory at last fall’s New York City Marathon, she is making her Boston debut. Fellow Kenyan Joyciline Jepkosgei was the fastest female marathoner in the world in 2021, posting a 2:17:43 in winning the London Marathon. Ethiopian Degitu Azimeraw, who is making her Boston debut, has a personal best of 2:17:58 and was runner-up at London last year. Top Americans include Des Linden, who won this race in 2018 and has five Professional field | 23
HopkintonIndependent.com
The Hopkinton Independent • MARATHON EDITION • April 13, 2022 • 23
HMS teacher runs to support school music programs By Christie Vogt Contributing Writer
“I
’m obsessed with the marathon,” Katharine Brummett gushes. “I love it.” Brummett, a media arts teacher at Hopkinton Middle School for the past 11 years, will be running the Boston Marathon this year on behalf of the Hopkinton Music Association. After attending art school, Brummett began running for exercise and later decided to run in the New Bedford Half Marathon, the first race she ever entered. “I immediately became addicted to longdistance running but also to doing races,” Brummett recalls, “because there’s just such a special feeling of camaraderie and group support when you do a race with other people who all have the same goal, but who are also all running their own race.” With a few half-marathons under her belt, Brummett set her sights on a full marathon in Lowell “because it was flat,” she says with a laugh. Brummett completed the course and says it was “an amazing experience to do that and to know that I could do it. It’s really empowering.” Several years later, Brummett jumped at the opportunity to run her first
Record-setting professional field set Professional field | from page 22
top-five finishes, Molly Seidel, who captured bronze in last year’s Olympic marathon and will run Boston for the first time, and rising star Nell Rojas, who was the top American at Boston last year when she finished sixth. On the men’s side, Birhanu Legese, a two-time Tokyo Marathon champion, owns the fastest time of all entrants, having run 2:02:48 at Berlin in 2019. Five of the runners with the fastest personal bests are Ethiopian, like Legese. The list includes Sisay Lemma (2:03:36), Kinde Atanaw (2:03:51), Lemi Berhanu (2:04:33) and two-time Boston winner Lelisa Desisa (2:04:45). Not to be outdone, there are seven Kenyans with sub-2:07 marathons in the field, led by Evans Chebet (2:03:00), 2019 Boston winner Lawrence Chernono (2:03:04) and defending Boston champion Benson Kipruto (2:05:13). Top Americans include Scott Fauble, Colin Bennie and Jared Ward. Bennie was the top American finisher and seventh overall in 2021. Also back is CJ Albertson, who led last year’s race until the 20-mile mark before fading to a stillimpressive 10th-place finish. Top women’s wheelchair contenders include two-time defending champion Manuela Schär, five-time winner Tatyana McFadden and Paralympic champion Madison de Rozario. Also keep an eye on Susannah Scaroni, who has the secondfastest personal best among the field. The men’s wheelchair favorite has to be world record holder Marcel Hug, who has won five of the last six Bostons, including 2021. He should face challenges from Josh Cassidy, Hiroki Nishida, Kota Hokinoue and Americans Aaron Pike and 2019 winner Daniel Romanchuk, who was Boston runner-up last year despite racing less than 24 hours after winning the Chicago Marathon.
running for the Hopkinton Music Association (HMA), a volunteer parent organization that supports music education in Hopkinton schools. Her daughter Celia has been part of the program for years. As a teacher, she also has seen “all the great things they do for the kids,” which includes funding scholarships, music lessons, equipment, guest speakers and more. Celia, who will graduate from HHS this year as valedictorian, has been in the music program since fourth grade. Brummett says Katharine Brummett will run her second Boston Marathon this month, raising money for the the experience has provided Celia Hopkinton Music Association. with a community of people who have helped her build confidence and confront challenges — whether perBoston Marathon for Desire to Inspire, forming a trombone solo or preparing a a Hopkinton Middle School program. graduation speech. “It was always a goal for me to do “A lot of the students I’ve noticed Boston,” Brummett says, given that she coming out of the Music Department have has lived along the course in multiple such diverse, varied interests,” Brummett towns and has been teaching in Hopkinton says. “I would say, especially from the for more than a decade. “It was honestly point of view of an art teacher, I think one of the best days of my life … like a any art is going to make for a more welldream come true,” she says of completing rounded student with lots of depth, and I’ve the race in 2019. seen a lot of kids have that.” This year, Brummett is thrilled to be
Being a media arts teacher is Brummett’s “dream job,” and she sees Hopkinton as a “really special town because the arts, in general, are so supported by the community. I don’t think every school district has the support that we do.” Brummett hopes to raise $5,000 for the HMA (her fundraising page can be found at tinyurl.com/27ds9mc5). Just as students find confidence through the arts, Brummett says racing makes her feel “strong and powerful” and has increased her self-esteem. “I have found so much fulfillment in knowing that I can push myself through to accomplish really challenging goals that I set for myself,” she shares. At her second Boston, Brummett hopes to finish in under four hours, and she expects that the cheering from the “unbelievable” spectators will help her get there. “I remember when I did Boston before,” Brummett recalls, “I was in the middle of Heartbreak Hill, and this woman on the sidelines locked eyes with me. I don’t know why she chose me, but she locked eyes with me and pointed at me and she’s like, ‘You can do this! You can do this!’ And I remember just being like, ‘Thank you! Yes, I think I can!’ ”
MacLennan takes on challenge for dignity of others MacLennan | from page 22
“It’s great to have the support of other people who are going through the same thing,” MacLennan says, “and we’ve been able to compare notes on fundraising and training routines.” MacLennan already has raised more than $7,000 for Dignity Matters (her fundraising page can be found at tinyurl. com/4bsdxu72) and credits the support she has received from the community as well as her colleagues at Doble Engineering in Marlborough. MacLennan became involved with Dignity Matters several years ago through a friend’s collection drive. “You think about food banks, clothing donations and things like that when you think about giving to people who are living in
poverty or who are homeless,” MacLennan says, “and not a lot of people think about hygiene products.” Adds MacLennan: “A lot of these women just don’t have access to the supplies that they need, and that creates a perpetuating issue. If they don’t have the supplies, then they can’t go out and interview for jobs or get out into the community and work to better their lives.” This also is a critical issue, MacLennan says, because SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits do not cover such supplies. “[Dignity Matters] is really committed to getting that information out to people and saying this shouldn’t be something people are embarrassed to need — it’s part of life,” she says. Keeping others’ struggles in mind
helps MacLennan get through a challenging race, she says. “I think a lot of people that I’m running for have far deeper challenges than I do. I’m running for a few hours to raise awareness and to raise money for this, for a purpose that’s bigger than that,” MacLennan says. “My race will end and I’ll go on and take a long nap and get a massage, but that challenge doesn’t end for the people I’m doing this for, and that has really kept me going through the training process.” Many runners say that the actual race is “just your victory lap,” MacLennan says. “The training is the process and race day is about enjoying and getting to that point that you’ve trained all these months for, and I’m really looking forward to doing that for Boston. … I really just want to take it all in and absorb it.”
���������������������–������������������������������� 2022 Boston Marathon — May the wind be at your back!
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24 • The Hopkinton Independent • MARATHON EDITION • April 13, 2022
STRONGER TOGETHER IN THE LONG RUN It’s a big year. Not only is the marathon back in all its glory, but we’re also celebrating the 50th anniversary of women joining the run. Here’s to the power of togetherness. From Hopkinton to Boylston Street, we’re behind you all the way.
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