2007 Recap

We Are Family

Everything about the 2007 Run for Research® team was unique. One could say it was the camaraderie among team members both near and far; someone else may say it was the unpredictable weather—all the way to the end—that set this year apart. Another runner would say it was the outpouring of support for team members who overcame great obstacles and injuries to participate. Regardless of what made this year special, no matter how 2007 stood out from past marathon training seasons, one thing remained constant—the Run for Research® team is successful because we are a community, one big family that can survive anything from training in the hot California desert to running through a good old fashioned nor’easter.

The Salute to the Team Dinner was the culmination of a season of fundraising, training and forming new relationships within the team. The theme of the evening was family—one that aptly fits what our team accomplishes together. As a family unit we run, we train hard, we are charitable and we are passionate. Not only did 248 runners from 26 states across the country raise over $1 million dollars, each and every individual was able to connect with someone who made their experience on RFR worthwhile. A family, that is what keeps us coming back to run 26.2 miles in some of the most unpredictable conditions ever.

What makes our family function so well is how far reaching we manage to stretch our circle. Without our volunteers, there would be no Gatorade, no jellybeans and no water for the long training runs along the course. Without these dedicated folks, our cheering section at Mile 17 would not exist, and those from far and near know how desperately runners need a warm welcome before the hills of Newton.

We reach patients with liver disease; they are our extended family. Over 60 patients—from young children with biliary atresia to adults with hepatitis C—participate in the RFR Patient Match Program. Each patient is matched with one or more runners; giving both the team members and the patients a feeling of belonging to a community that cares.

A Date Which Will Live In Infamy

Roosevelt’s bold statement about Pearl Harbor could easily be used to describe the 111th Boston Marathon® for there is nothing about this race that anyone will forget, now or forever. No matter how hard the training, no matter how tuned the body is for the event, no matter how many perfect miles logged, every runner knows that there is one marathon constant—the lack of certainty surrounding the weather on race day. This year was no different, except for the fact that it would be the first time in a century that a nor’easter threatened to blow into town on Marathon Monday.

The media hype surrounding the potential for a wind and rain-soaked race had the team slightly on edge. Many Boston forecasters warned that the epic spring storm could potentially cancel the race for the first time in its 111-year history.

Although many of us were concerned about what could happen in these conditions- hypothermia, blistering feet and unseemly chafing—the team felt that the only way to beat Mother Nature would be to join her, with a little shopping help. Runners overused their credit cards on race weekend, stocking up on rain gear, duct tape, construction worker shoe covers, garbage bags, water repellent tights and extra sneakers. Team members awoke at 4 a.m. on Monday to the sound of howling wind and nearly vertical rain, but remained undeterred. The buses left Boston at 6 a.m. and the usual nervous chatter was replaced by a somber silence. The rain danced across the windows at a rapid pace until we reached Hopkinton. The buses provided dry shelter, but eventually each teammate had to make the trek to the start line. The walk to the corral was littered with garbage bags, drugstore ponchos and enough muddy sneakers to fill a dozen potholes. The race began and before we hit Ashland, the rain had miraculously ceased. The skies were shaded by clouds and the wind, tricky at times, didn’t hit hard until well into Brookline. There was a strong feeling of accomplishment among team members during the festive after-party at the Westin Hotel in Boston. Not only had we run the Boston Marathon®, we had done it under tenuous circumstances. Not even blue lips and aching bones could take that feeling of triumph away from us.

It's the Journey

The Boston Marathon® was our destination; being a part of a team of caring individuals was the rewarding journey. Over six months we traveled together through a web of emails, phone calls, fundraising events, visits to Kennedy Brothers Physical Therapy, team runs, monthly meetings, and trips to Marathon Sports. We noshed on bagels at Brueggers, got our protein at the Pour House, and devoured pizza at Crossroads every Thursday night. New England teammates ran in the dark and the cold, through the ice and snow, while our Southern counterparts ran through heat and humidity and the West Coast cowboys trekked on mountainous terrain. We relied on the sound, expert advice of our coaches Patrick and Bryan Dunn—at meetings, on weekly runs, through email. We traded tips about carb blocks and speed among ourselves. We awarded one of our own, Tom Nealon, with a research grant named in his honor to help fight biliary atresia on behalf of his patient match Zach Rue. Marathon Weekend finally brought us all together as a family and made us believe that together we could conquer anything—even Mother Nature.

Running is, in essence, a solitary sport. It is your own two feet that take you from point A to point B; it is your time that is recorded under your own name. There is nothing about this sport that beckons the call of the many, save for races which are shoulder to shoulder with individuals pursuing a finish line. The American Liver Foundation Run for Research® team manages to defy the normal race behavior every year. Each time we band together, our idea of running becomes more about our friends and teammates, about our patient matches, than it does about just getting to the finish line—we begin to believe that the journey is the thing. Yes, 2007 was a distinctive year for RFR; but it was also ‘hauntingly familiar.” We all made a difference—we raised $1.16 million dollars for research, education and advocacy.