Hartford Marathon #27

Kim and I returned to pace the Hartford Marathon again, and this year we moved up from pacing the 4:45 group to the 4:30 group. It was an exciting change and a great opportunity to challenge ourselves.

My best friend Reggie was also running the marathon, with the ambitious goal of qualifying for Boston. To help her reach this milestone, our friend Skip volunteered to pace her.

We arrived at Bushnell Park in the early morning darkness and made our way to the Fleet Feet meetup location to connect with the runners we had been coaching. The atmosphere was electric, and the weather was perfect—a crisp, cool October day with ideal running conditions, a stark contrast to last year’s rain.

As pacers, Kim and I stayed focused on keeping our group on track for the 4:30 finish time. The camaraderie among the runners was incredible, and it was so rewarding to support them throughout the race. When we finished, we immediately sought out Reggie to see how she had done.

To our delight, not only did Reggie qualify for Boston, but she also placed 3rd in her age division! I was so proud of her accomplishment and thrilled to be part of such an amazing day. Seeing her hard work and determination pay off was truly inspiring.

The Hartford Marathon continues to be a special race for us, and this year’s experience made it even more memorable.