Natick runners chart their own courses to Boston Marathon success

September 15, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

You have to give credit to Boston Marathoners who trained twice this time around for the race, which eventually took place over the past week in a virtual format in which runners choose their own course. Some were running for causes close to their hearts, others qualified for the marathon and willed themselves to stay in great shape during the pandemic. Many worked in at least a portion of their route on the official marathon course.

More than 40 Natick residents are listed on the current Boston Athletic Association results board for the 2020 Boston Marathon, led by Jack Fleming with a sub 3:17 time and Leah Santo at a perfect 3:33.

Natick Community Organic Farm and the Strivers Running Club for Girls were among Natick organizations whose runners got the job done in this unusual marathon year.

CONGRATULATIONS to Mark Goldschmidt on the 2020 Boston Marathon! Talk about determination and HEART! The STRIVERS community is so proud of you and always so GRATEFUL to you! Go rest!
Posted by Strivers Running Club for Girls on Saturday, September 12, 2020

Today was Ilyse’s first Boston Marathon. While it was not what she originally trained for, her heart and hard work got…
Posted by Strivers Running Club for Girls on Sunday, September 13, 2020

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Real Boston Marathon off, though Natick will no doubt be part of virtual replacement race

May 28, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The streets of Natick won’t be clogged with inspiring runners and adoring fans on Sept. 14 after all following the Boston Athletic Association announcement that the City of Boston has nixed the Boston Marathon that had been postponed from April due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The BAA has come up with a plan to try to soften the blow by allowing those registered to get refunds and instead run a virtual marathon that will still reward them with medals and other swag. That is, if they can complete a 26.2-mile route between Sept. 7-14 and prove they did it in less than 6 hours.

While this is not the outcome runners hoped for, it does at least provide clarity on training, which runners up to now were challenged to figure out. It’s still unclear what fees might be associated with taking part in the virtual race, which will no doubt take part across many areas of Natick (except maybe spots like Pond Road going north) and other communities along the official course.

Virtual race times will not count as qualifiers for the 2021 marathon, but qualifying times for the 2020 race will. Those running for charities should consult with their running teams for further details on fundraising deadlines.

More than 30,000 runners were to take part in the marathon, which is being canceled for the first time in its 124-year history.

When we interviewed those from Natick or running on behalf of Natick organizations in April, after the initial postponement, we heard a mixed response. While they were all understanding of the decision, they took different strategies toward training for the new date. Now they’ve got another decision to make.

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Natick scholastic runners recognized by Boston Athletic Association

May 21, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Eight Natick runners, four high school students and four middle school students, have been recognized as part of the Boston Athletic Association Scholastic Mile Class of 2020 and Middle School 1K Honor Roll. Typically, eight runners from each of the cities and towns along the Boston Marathon route are selected by their coaches to represent their communities on marathon weekend.

The 1-mile and 1K races usually take place the Saturday before the marathon at the end of that course, but this year they’ve been canceled due to COVID-19. While that’s hugely disappointing, the runners will still get some sweet swag.

Natick’s high schoolers are Caroline Fleming, Genna Girard, Matthew George and Conor McDonough. The middle schoolers are Kira Henderson, Angelina Wing, Steven D’Alessandro and Sean Fleming.

Congrats to them all.

For these Natick runners, a different kind of Marathon Monday

April 19, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

More than 70 Natick residents are entered to run the 2020 Boston Marathon, but none of them will have a chance to do so until at least Sept. 14 because of the coronavirus-related postponement announced about a month ago.

The Boston Athletic Association, government officials and public safety departments have urged runners not to simulate the race on the official course this Monday. But they didn’t say anything about not running your own marathon on a course of your choosing, as race director Dave McGillivary plans to do.

Her own private marathon

Natick’s Jacey Shumaker knocked off her “solo quarantine MetroWest marathon” on Sunday in Natick and surrounding communities. She put up what would have been a Boston qualifying time of sub-3:48 for the 26.21 miles “even with a minute and 52-second stop at CVS to get water.”

Clearly, she’d kept up her training

“Initially I had hopes of finding another spring marathon, but that clearly wasn’t happening and my June half marathon got canceled, so I figured I needed to honor the Boston Marathon my own way,” she says. “You know the feeling of this storied day. Especially living along the route makes the race ‘my race.'”

Running the race in September will be a challenge, says Shumaker. She isn’t a fan of summer training, and had a busy summer mapped out already with plans to hit the Inca Trail in Peru and drive her daughter to college in Utah. “Either way, if [the Boston Marathon] happens Sept. 14, I will be there. But it may be ugly.”

As for Marathon Monday, Shumaker is staying clear of the marathon course, but will wear her Boston Marathon shirt and shoes for a leisurely 3-mile recovery run.

Farm-ed and dangerous

Sophanny McArdle “loathes hot weather running,” but will get herself ready for the marathon in September. Her run is raising funds for Team Farm, which supports the Natick Community Organic Farm.

“It’s not just the weather that makes it difficult to train, it’s summer BBQs, family trips and kids being home,” she says. At least she’s getting practice now on the kids front.

Once McArdle heard the race was postponed she scaled back on her miles considerably, and added in more core strength workouts, yoga, tabata training and weight lifting. “I’m still running about 3 to 4 times a week but not as many miles… I’m trying to stay as healthy as possible.”

Her replacement for the 26.2-mile marathon on Monday will be a 2.62 mile run with her family in the neighborhood at the same 10am start time she would have had from Hopkinton. “We’re asking neighbors to come out and stay in their driveway to help cheer us on. I’m bummed, but this will be one for the history books so I’m trying to stay positive.”

A true cross country runner

Natick’s Aaron Stevens seemingly runs a marathon every other weekend. Or in the case of this past Feb. 29 and March 1, make that 2 marathons (Mississippi Blues and Little Rock) in 1 weekend.

He had planned to pace other runners at marathons in North Carolina, Rhode Island and the Vineyard between March and May, but those races got nixed due to the coronavirus crisis.

So it’s always hard to keep track of exactly which race he’s training for, but he’s been running.

On Marathon Monday, “I’m planning to run a backyard marathon in my part of Natick, 10 loops from my house around Dug Pond,” he says. He’ll be the super sweaty guy wearing the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge shirt to raise awareness for the cause he’s raising funds for in this year’s Boston Marathon.

More: For Wellesley runners, it’s on to Plan B for Marathon Monday