Get the latest Boston sports news
Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.
Why I’m Running: ‘I will run in celebration of the sport’
Stephanie Mechura is running to keep a promise to herself to run the Boston Marathon in joy.
In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon runners share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston. If you’re running the marathon, you can share your story here.
Name: Stephanie Mechura
Age: 54
From: Oakland, Calif.
In 2012, running became sacred to me as I navigated my way as a newly single mom. Running kept me healthy and sane. I had never run a marathon, or even dreamed I might be capable.
In 2013, I watched the news in horror when terrorists bombed the Boston Marathon. In that moment I also felt an overwhelming sense of solidarity with runners on and off the Boston Marathon course.
Advertisement:
I wondered what it would take to qualify for Boston, and a fire lit in me: YES! In the spirit of honoring this great race, I committed to try. And incredibly, I did!
In 2014, I fell just before the race. Though I was thrilled to finish the Boston Marathon, I did so in excruciating pain on what turned out to be a broken ankle. As I went into surgery I made a promise to myself: I would run the course again — in joy!
In the years that followed, I narrowly missed BQs [Boston qualifying times] for every race until 2018 when I finished the CIM [California International Marathon] BQ -6:18, comfortably earning me a spot in the 2020 race, but edging me out of the 2021 field. I never considered gaining entry to Boston through charity fundraising, but this year felt different. And the idea of running in support of Semper Fi shifted everything for me.
Advertisement:
This year, with the same sense of solidarity that brought me to Hopkinton in 2014, it is my great privilege to be training with the Semper Fi Team! And on October 11, 2021 I will run in celebration of the sport, I will run in celebration of the world coming together to beat COVID-19, and most importantly I will run in support of and in solidarity with the great work of Semper Fi & America’s Fund.
Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com