Hartford Marathon #13, Marathon #121

Going into this year’s Hartford Marathon was tough. I wasn’t 100% sure I’d even be able to pace because of my injury. I’d have good training blocks, only to experience another setback. I was supposed to run the Clarence DeMar Marathon, but I did a bit too much too soon, which led to yet another setback. I decided to move my goal race to the NYC Marathon to give myself more time to recover.

As a result, my final long run landed on Hartford Marathon weekend. I figured I could use the race to get in my last long training run before tapering, allowing myself a little flexibility with my usual plus-or-minus-two-mile rule.

After months of physical therapy with my favorite physical therapist, Jeannette Perry, and so much support from my Fleet Feet West Hartford training peeps, I felt as ready as I could be.

I also volunteered in Bushnell Park on Thursday evening, helping set up for race weekend. Then, on Friday afternoon, I helped fill more than 2,000 water bottles for runners to receive as they crossed the finish line. I knew that when I grabbed my own water bottle, there was a good chance our Travelers volunteers had filled it!

Race Day: Picture-Perfect Weather

The weather was absolutely perfect for marathon day. After months of training through so much rain on Sunday mornings, we couldn’t have asked for better conditions!

The Start: This year, we didn’t have Lt. Kevin McCarthy, member of the West Hartford Police Department’s musical community, singing the national anthem. Instead, we had two female singers with beautiful voices. However, something was definitely up with the volume, or perhaps we were too close to the speakers. It was SO loud that I had to cover my ears! The national anthem is usually the moment that brings me to tears, but this year, the volume brought a whole new kind of joy to the moment!

Kim wore two watches this year: one for gun time and one for chip time. Our goal was to bring our runners across the finish line as close to 4:15 as possible, somewhere between the two times. We started our watches, took off, and got to work!

Mile 4: Fleet Feet and a Mom Moment:

We knew Mile 4 would be a special stop. Our Fleet Feet crew would be there, along with my son, Paul, who had driven all the way from Fort Drum, New York, to support us.

We saw Dave and Fernanda, but no Paul! Part of me was okay with that because I could already feel the tears starting as I approached the arch. Apparently, I was going to have to save those emotions for later!

Mile 16: When Nature Calls!

The worst possible thing that can happen during a race—especially when you’re pacing—is having to make an emergency bathroom stop.

I looked at Kim and said, “I need to go to the bathroom NOW!” I handed him my pacing stick and took off like a bullet. As I ran, I yelled to the runners around me, “Don’t follow me! I’m a pacer, but I need the bathroom!”

Most of them laughed. As runners, we know that feeling all too well!

Finally, I found a bathroom, dashed in and out in what felt like seconds, and took off to catch up with the group. That’s when a volunteer and friend, Ralph, who paced me during my very first marathon, called out, “Jeanne, the 4:15 already went by!”

OH, NO! I had to run as fast as I could to catch up. I looked ahead, saw the pace signs, and thought, If I run too fast to catch them, it might not be good for the next nine miles!

Little by little, I reeled them in. I was relieved in so many ways!

Mile 21: One Mile at a Time

At this point, I started playing some mental distraction games with the runners we were pacing to help them get through those final miles. I asked, “Do you have a five-mile loop at home that you run all the time?” The guy next to me said yes. “Then pretend you’re running that loop. Visualize it! You know that loop so well you could run it in your sleep!”

I also encouraged everyone to break the remaining miles into smaller pieces. Instead of thinking about how far they still had to go, I told them to look ahead and find something to run toward. “I pick the red fire hydrant!” I’d announce. We’d run to it, then pick another target. Soon, I had the runners choosing their own landmarks. It was a simple little game, but it gave everyone something to focus on other than the miles still ahead. Sometimes, getting to the finish line is all about finding the next thing to run toward.

Mile 22: A Bright Light on the Course:

My friend Jess Silverman joined us and ran with our group toward the bridge. She introduced a new support initiative with HMF, providing mental health support during those final miles when runners start to hit the wall.

She was such a bright light for our runners, offering encouragement right when they needed it most. Those last few miles can be incredibly challenging, and having someone there to lift you up makes a difference.

The Bridge: A Mom Moment I’ll Never Forget: 

I knew Paul would be somewhere on the bridge. I looked around but couldn’t find him. Then, suddenly, he appeared.

“Mom!” I immediately started yelling to all the runners around me, “THIS IS MY SON!”

Don’t cry. Don’t cry. DON’T CRY. I kept telling myself that, but these are the kinds of mom moments you never forget. I ran up that bridge as if I were being carried. Our Fleet Feet crew was there, just as they are every year, helping bring our training group home when runners need support the most. And, of course, I kept yelling, “THIS IS MY SON PAUL!” I was just so proud.

After we reached the bottom of the bridge, Samanta joined us and ran with the group. It was such an epic moment, surrounded by friends, our Fleet Feet family, and runners who had worked so hard all summer.

The Finish: 4:15 SPOT ON!

Kim and I continued toward the finish line chute. As we approached, we saw the clock showing 4:14.

Then the announcers came on: “Here are Kim and Jeanne Marchand, our 4:15 pacers! Can they get there by 4:15?” We moved in front of the timing clock and stopped.

Then everyone joined in the countdown.

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5...

I looked at Kim, and he gave me the okay, now look.

4, 3, 2...

He grabbed my hand, and we ran through the finish line!

4:15. SPOT ON!

Okay, technically, that was gun time, but hey, it’s going down in history in my mind! And as if that weren’t enough, I even squeaked in a five-minute Boston Marathon qualifying buffer for my age group. Not a bad day at all!

Mission Accomplished! I finished with no pain. We got our runners across the finish line on pace. And I got to share an incredible race day with my son. What a day!

Our Fleet Feet group, whom we coached all summer, did SO well. There were so many PRs, so many proud smiles, and so many runners who completed their very first marathon. Watching everyone’s hard work pay off was the perfect ending to months of training together.

This race was about so much more than running 26.2 miles. It was about overcoming setbacks, trusting the process, leaning on the people who support you, and celebrating the moments that make running so special. Hartford Marathon #13. Marathon #121. A pain-free day, a perfectly paced finish, and a moment with my son that I’ll never forget.

Now, it’s off to NYC for the grand finale!

My Boy!

Fleet Feet Training Group

Finishing Strong!

TTEC Run Club