Six runners from Durango will depart the Hopkington start line for the run of a lifetime Monday.
When the 120th running of the Boston Marathon begins, Durango will be well represented by Veronica Boches, Dorothy Helling, Megan Longinotti, Sean Meissner, Katie Mouzakis and Julie Thibodeau. It is a great showing for a small town in the event that attracts more than 30,000 runners from all over the world for the 26.2-mile race.
“Durango is a Mecca for athletes of all kinds, so I’m not too surprised to learn there are six of us running Boston,” Longinotti said. “I’m sure there’s a good chunk of runners in our town who could qualify for Boston, but have no desire to. It’s expensive, and Durango folks are more hardcore. They like running ultras while bagging peaks. One of the reasons why I love Durango, there are so many athletes to be inspired by.”
This will be Longinotti’s first Boston Marathon and third of her race career. The 33-year-old began running 11 years ago but didn’t start racing until 2010. Since then, she’s competed in the Portland Marathon and Colorado Marathon. She finished the Colorado Marathon last May in 3 hours, 19 minutes after needing 3:35 to qualify for Boston.
“I had a kid two years ago and, after having him, I decided I wanted to run another marathon,” she said. “I signed up for the Colorado Marathon in Fort Collins and, during my training, I felt really good. I decided to up my goal from just finishing to qualifying for the Boston Marathon about two months out from the race.”
Three years removed from a terrorist attack at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, the mood in Boston during race-day has grown into a festive event with runners from all over showing great camaraderie. Longinotti is excited to be part of the festivities all weekend.
“I’m looking forward to it all. The energy, the people, the start, the finish and seeing my family and kiddo cheer me on,” Longinotti said. “I know the first few miles are downhill, so I really need to remind myself to keep it together and not go out too fast. It can be hard to keep the leash on with so much adrenaline.
“I’m here for the experience, and it’s something I hope to remember for the rest of my life.”
Longinotti will go off in the second of four waves Monday. She will be joined by Boches, 29, and Mouzakis, 30, in that wave. Thibodeau, 43, will follow in the third wave, and Helling, 66, will start in the fourth.
Meissner is Durango’s lone competitor in the men’s field. The 42-year-old is in the first wave.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
