A Westlock-area native recently took part in one of the most famous sporting spectacles in North America, not only taking on the Boston Marathon, but completing it as well.
Lindsay Nicks, née McNelly, joined runners from 188 countries in the April 15 event, that saw about 30,000 runners and 500,000 spectators take to the streets of Boston and surrounding cities for the 42.2-kilometre race.
She was joined by her parents and sister, who were cheering her on all along the way.
She finished with a respectable time of 4:13:00 in the women’s 35-40 category.
“I started running about 10 years ago when my mom suggested that we do a half-marathon. Before that I actually kind of despised running. For a few years, I just did some half-marathons. Then about three summers ago, my sister suggested that we do a full marathon together and that was my first marathon,” said Nicks, during an interview from the Red Deer school where she teaches Foods and Science.
“I enjoyed training and upping my distance and everything. Then I just kind of decided it would be neat to do another full marathon, so I ended up qualifying for Boston in the second marathon I ever ran.”
Qualifying times are based on the ages and gender of the runners and they are separated into similarly based categories.
“I had to have a qualifying time of three hours and forty minutes just to apply ... I was seven and a half minutes ahead of that,” she said.
“This is the hardest marathon to get into, just because of the qualifying times.”
As for the experience itself, Nicks called it surreal and just can’t get over the fact that she participated in something as prestigious as the Boston Marathon, which is the oldest marathon in North America, having run its first edition with only 15 runners in 1897.
“It was amazing, they said there was people there from 118 countries. Just to be able to be around that was a once in a lifetime experience for sure,” she said.
“It’s something that you just can’t even describe ... just being able to go out and just have the ability to be able to do this and be able to say you’ve done it is just something I honestly cannot describe.”
As for the immediate future, she is currently training for an upcoming 50-kilometre event and another 60-kilometre trail run.
“I think my next major marathon will be Chicago,” she said.
