Of the more than 30,000 runners who will participate in the 2019 Boston Marathon, there is one demographic that accounts for an overwhelming majority of the field. They are the ones who work in another professional field but run in their spare time. They are the amateurs.
Many amateur runners are content to simply finish a marathon, given its extraordinary level of difficulty. And training in between a busy work schedule – with all of its inflexible demands – means that crossing the finish line can feel like victory itself. Given the long hours that thousands of amateur runners work alongside their training, there is little argument against this.
Yet a year ago, one runner overcame the daunting task of working as a full-time nurse anesthetist to not only finish, but also claim second place in the women’s field. Read more