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The Road to Boston - A Runner's Dream Milestone

Today’s post is written by guest blogger Jessica from Tampa Mom Runs.

The Road To Boston

The road to Boston takes two different paths. A runner either qualifies with a previous time or fundraises a large amount for charity. There are no free rides when it comes to the Boston Marathon. If it's a free ride, it's likely a cheat! Either way, Boston is a milestone in any runners career because of the preparation that goes into getting to the start line.

Let me first take you back to 2014 when I applied to the Rett Syndrome team to run the Boston Marathon in 2015. I was #9 on a list that only accepted 8! I corresponded with the organizer for several months after the selection to see if someone by chance wasn't able to run and I could take their spot. You see, Rett Syndrome became apart of my life through a precious little girl named Lauren. I became her runner through an organization called "I Run 4". Rett Syndrome is a degenerative disease that affects mainly little girls that start to show regressive signs between the ages of 18 months to 2 years old. These little girls will never go on a first date, they will never drive a car, they will never walk down an aisle with their daddy by their side - that is without a cure. It breaks my heart, as my youngest daughter is within months of age of my sweet Lauren.

Jessica and Lauren

Fundraising

Fast forward to 2015 and I began my charity route yet again to run the Boston Marathon in 2016! It started with an application to a charity for a coveted spot and several weeks of waiting to hear back in regards to my application to be on the Rett Syndrome team. I knew that they only had eight spots. I got in! I found out on Halloween 2015!

Then the real work of running Boston for charity began - fundraising! I hosted several events, online virtual runs, and was shameless in my request for donations. By far my favorite event was a Christmas Shopping Event where I hosted 8 vendors and had over 25 donated items for raffle! It was a fantastic event that brought me to nearly half of my $7,500 goal. In the end, I raised over $8,000!

Time to run 26.2

The end of the journey was the final 26.2 miles through the suburbs of Boston leading to Boylston Street. I enjoyed every step. There were several Rett girls and their parents at mile 16 to remind us why we run for Rett! There are absolutely no words that can express what the final two turns felt like. There were tears... Uncontrollable, big alligator tears!

Jessica Boston Finish

To say that my Boston experience was a milestone in my running career is an understatement! Boston requires so much more of a runner than showing up at a start line. If the route is time qualification, there are miles and miles of runs and workouts to reach the time goals. If the route is charity fundraising, there are hours of asking for money and working on events. Either way, Boston is a Runner's Dream Milestone worth of the work required to get there!

Jessica Boston Shirt

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