Compiled by The Bedford Citizen
The best people turn up in the worst weather, and Monday’s 122nd Boston Marathon proved the point with help from Bedford runners.
2001 BHS graduate Brian Pantano (Bib 1608) traveled from New Jersey for the race. He said that the weather was, “so incredibly awful, but at least I PR’ed it!” (PR’ed stands for setting a Personal Record), finishing in 546th place at 2:49:32 before heading back to Bedford for the night, then driving home to New Jersey on Monday morning.
Melissa Majumdar (Bib 12851) finished roughly 40 minutes after Pantano, with an official time of 3:32:23.
Laura McGinness (Bib 21663) reported, “The weather was brutal! The toughest part for me was waiting in the athletes’ village in Hopkinton beforehand in the downpours, muddy field, and cold temps.” Monday was her 9th time running Boston, and her 16th marathon. “[It was] by far the toughest conditions I have run a marathon in. However, during the actual race, I felt great and was warm enough.” Finishing at 4:02:12 was “about 10-15 minutes slower than I usually finish, but I am very happy just to have finished!”
Michael Hayes (Bib 27615) and his daughter Meaghan (Bib 27643) ran for the MGH Pediatric Oncology team and finished together at 5:36:02. Michael Hayes was diagnosed with Stage 4 throat cancer in 2008 and received extensive chemotherapy and radiation at the MGH Cancer Center. He was declared cancer-free a year later and determined to help support Mass General’s efforts to cure cancer. A medical student at Notre Dame University, Meaghan Hayes was an intern in the hospital’s pediatric cancer program last year. The pair joined MGH’s One Step at a Time team of more than 100 runners, with a goal of raising more than $1M this year.
A second Bedford couple, Adam Davis (Bib 28880) and Sonia Sharigian (Bib 29053) also finished together with an official time of 6:05:53.
Photographer Bob Dorer sent this gallery of images from Mile 10 – Click two times in each image to see it at full size
Had they been at the finish line on Boylston Street, the Bedford Minuteman Company would have called a hearty “Huzzah!”