More than 150 Tufts faculty, students, alumni and friends of the university members of the Tufts Marathon Team toed the line at yesterdays running of the 118th Boston Marathon.
While the runners were generally exhausted, and in varying degrees of pain following the race, all expressed appreciation for the support from their coach, Don Megerle, from their teammates and from the nearly one million spectators who turned out to watch the 26.2 mile race.
This was the third marathon and second Boston marathon for Laura Hoguet (LA '10, G '11), a double jumbo, who competed as part of the Tufts team.
"The spirit was incredible I was drowned in voices of people screaming Tufts, screaming my name," Hoguet, said. "I just cannot thank the people of Boston enough ... they are just amazing and they make this race special. No wonder people come from all over the world."
Liz Idhaw added that the crowds were a major motivating factor in her fifth marathon. While she previously ran the Boston Marathon in 2012, this was her first time qualifying for the race.
"2012 was the really hot year so we took it really easy, so this year I really wanted to try and run and see how I could do," she said. "It was definitely kind of hot out there. I had fun, the crowds were amazing and they really pumped you up."
Although the temperatures were nearly 25 degrees cooler yesterday than in 2012, many members of the Tufts team still said that they made for some uncomfortable racing.
Neal Freed, a 2006 alumnus of the School of Arts and Sciences and a 2011 graduate from Tufts Medical School, said that the temperature, while high, was not terrible.
"It was hotter than I wanted, but it was perfect for the spectators and that was probably more important," he said.
Freed explained he received an invitational number from the Boston Athletic Association after writing an essay about his involvement in treating the wounded during last year's marathon.
"I'm an [Emergency Room] doctor at Boston Medical Center and I was working last year when the bombs went off so I was in the emergency room taking care of the victims," he explained. "I got a free number from the BAA, one of the invitational numbers after writing an essay about my story ... It was the perfect way to kind of lay it to rest and remind me why this city is so great."
Miriam Nelson, a professor of nutrition at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and a co-captain of the Tufts Marathon Team, explained that she ran this year's marathon with her daughters, one of whom is a Tufts senior. Although Nelson trains with TMT, she typically does not run and instead manages the team with Megerle.
"[It was] the most enjoyable marathon I've ever had," she said. "This was my sixth and I ran the first one 30 years ago when I was a Tufts graduate student ... I ran with my daughters and it was a blast."
Alexandra Earle, Nelson's daughter described the experience of finishing her first marathon with her mother.
"She met up with me around mile 22 and I couldn't be happier to see her," Earle said. "It was hard, mile 22, but in seeing my mom, I was just incredibly overjoyed and we finished together."
Nelson said that this year's training was particularly difficult given the cold winter, but she believes it made the team stronger.
"This was a brutal year, it was cold, so icy, but I think it made us I know it's clich? but it made us tougher," she said. "Then you finally get beautiful days like this and it's so great. This was such an epic year [and] I think that there was just so much [positivity] and so much focus on the team."
Although members of the Tufts team flew in from around the country and world, Nelson said the team was particularly cohesive during this year's marathon.
"We have team members all over the world, but between Facebook and Don and everything else, I think there's a real sense of the team it's a pretty extraordinary year."
Paola Chanes-Mora, a friend of Tufts who competed as part of this year's team explained that she was worried about safety after not finishing last year's marathon due to the bombing. She said that Megerle played a major role in helping her overcome the fear and motivating her to run.
"I've been running with Tufts for six years and he's like a father to me, he's helped me grow and learn and become so much stronger, not only as a runner, but as a person," she said. "He's more than just a coach, he's a mentor. He's just unbelievable."
Megerle coached Chanes-Mora through stress fractures, and while she was in pain, she was able to walk upon finishing.
"I have a stress fracture and I talked to coach and coach was just extremely helpful," she said. "I did nothing for the last month, I didn't run a single mile and I was terrified, and then I ran 26.2 miles. I'm very tired, but I did it thanks to coach and the entire team."
Chanes-Mora was hardly the only runner in pain, however, as junior Jeremy Aaronson said he felt extremely nauseous upon finishing.12
