A group of Jumbos joined a sea of just over 26,000 runners yesterday to take part in the 113th annual Boston Marathon. Over 190 Tufts runners completed the 26.2 mile trek from Hopkinton to Copley Square in downtown Boston as members of the Tufts President's Marathon Challenge (PMC) Team. But for PMC coach and former Tufts men's swimming coach Don Megerle and most of the runners, the event started last night at the team dinner.
"During the team picture, there was a connection between myself and the runners that I've only felt with my swimming teams," Megerle said. "I think it showed today. It showed in the way they ran — in their expressions of joy and relief and emotion at the end of the race. It was awesome; it was way over anything we've ever done before."
For senior Adam Santos, who has run the marathon all four years he has been on the Hill, the day was also special.
"It went well," he said. "I enjoyed this one more than the other ones. The first one, I was anxious and worried about time, and the other ones ended miserably [with cramps in my legs]. This one, I ran with close friends almost the whole way ... I feel good about how I ran."
The Boston race, one of the five World Marathon Majors, draws a crowd of elite runners from around the world. The men's winner this year was Deriba Merga of Ethiopia, who finished in 2:08:42. Pulling out a victory in the closest women's race in the history of the marathon, Salina Kosgei of Kenya defeated defending champion Dire Tune of Ethopia by one second, crossing the finish line at 2:32:16. Coming in third, American Kara Goucher was close behind at 2:32:25.
American Ryan Hall also finished in third place in the men's competition with a time of 2:09:40. Goucher and Hall's combined efforts brought the United States to its best finish in the marathon since 1985.
The fastest Jumbo of the day was Jesse Roberts, a graduate student at the Friedman School of Nutrition, who registered a time of 3:16:08 — an average of about 7:30 per mile.
"He did very well," Megerle said. "It was impressive."
The PMC, now in its seventh year, allows up to 200 Tufts students, alumni, parents, faculty and friends to enter the marathon. In lieu of earning a spot through qualifying times, the team members raise money — $1,000 for students and $2,500 for all others — in order to compete.
Members of the PMC can train with the team throughout the school year from the race; starting with four-mile runs and working its way up, the team goes on runs every Wednesday and Sunday morning. The team also had four long runs on the marathon course to help runners better prepare.
"It makes running a marathon as easy as running a marathon can be," Santos said.
Senior Mary Langan spent the summer training on her own for a different marathon but frequently went to the team runs this year at Tufts.
"It was very different than running for the PMC," she said. "The support system is incredible."
Megerle plays a crucial role in that support system. "Don is such an amazing coach," senior Andrew Lee said. "He cares so much about all the runners."
University President Lawrence Bacow, who created the program in 2003 and ran the marathon for its first five years, also came out to lend his support yesterday, joining friends and family of the runners to cheer them on at mile nine. He jumped in the race with several Jumbos for a few yards to offer up encouragement.
"[When I got to mile nine], Bacow put his arm around me and jogged for a few steps [saying] ‘See you at the finish line,'" Lee said. "It was just really great."
Bacow was also present at the end of the race with Megerle to greet the runners as they crossed the finish line.
Crowds of Tufts supporters traveled to Boston to cheer on their fellow Jumbos, while Wellesley College and Boston College (BC) — both right along the course route — also made their presences known.
"Running through Wellesley, all these girls have signs that say ‘kiss me'," Lee said, adding that when he passed BC, someone handed him a beer.
The spirited college crowds were just a small part of the overall Boston community that came out to support runners, Lee said, noting that along the way, onlookers offered up items such as oranges, tissues and Vaseline.
Langan believes that part of the reason so many people came out to watch was because of the nice weather during the day. Despite some initial concerns over weather forecasts, Patriots' Day provided the runners with good conditions. The weather remained dry and partly cloudy with temperatures in the upper 40s for most of the morning and afternoon.
"I was a little nervous when last week I checked the weather and Monday was the one day of rain slotted for the next 10," Santos said. "But it turned out to be pretty near perfect."
