When Susanne Torabi, International Student Coordinator and Andover Girls Cross Country Coach, crossed the finish line of the Boston Marathon last year, her excitement was cut short when she witnessed the bombings a mere block away that killed three people and wounded more than 260 runners and spectators alike.
“It was such a frightening and surreal experience that I initially decided that I wouldn’t run it again ever,” she said.
Yet Torabi, along with Lisa Johnson Svec, Instructor and Chair in German, and Rachel Asher, Instructor in Spanish, felt the pull of what Torabi describes as a race she could not miss.
They joined a total of 36,000 runners — 9,000 more than last year’s participants — to race in the 2014 Boston Marathon last Monday.
“For me, and for countless others, this was about showing that the will to go on, to show up, will endure. To affirm that those who intentionally cause harm to others are in the minority,” said Johnson Svec.
Johnson Svec and Torabi ran in the same wave, only one corral apart from one another. Johnson Svec finished with a time of 4:17 and Torabi at 3:50, qualifying for next year’s Boston Marathon.
Asher, who suffered from a foot injury in the middle of her training this February, jumped into the race at the 16.5-mile mark.
“I got to enjoy the best of both worlds — I’ve never seen so much support and energy out on the course,” said Asher.
“[It was] an awesome experience for all runners, and particularly, the many I saw who had been injured last year and still showed the courage to get back on the course and run, despite missing limbs or burns,” Torabi said. According to Torabi, the encouragement of the spectators from start to finish this year was overwhelming.
Johnson Svec, Torabi and Asher are all avid runners and champions of the 26-mile race. Asher and Johnson Svec had run two and four marathons, respectively, before this year’s race. Torabi has run so many marathons in her native country, Germany, and throughout the United States that she has lost track, estimating this race as her 15th Boston Marathon.
“I know each stride of the way from Hopkinton all the way into Boston,” Torabi said.
Yet this year proved a challenge to all. Johnson Svec, like Asher, suffered from an injury earlier this year and curtailed the last nine weeks of her training. She, however, achieved her personal goal of starting and finishing the marathon in spite of her previous injury, crediting her family members, friends and colleagues for their support and advice.
Torabi struggled with dehydration throughout the race, forced to refuel at every water station along the way. Additionally, she had to acclimate to warmer weather than expected after training throughout such a cold winter, and she cited this year as one of her tougher Boston marathons.
Despite these obstacles, Torabi accomplished her goal of keeping her time under the four-hour mark.
“To meet my goals in a marathon, I always have a focal point of reference that will help me to get through those tough moments when the body starts aching,” said Torabi.
“Running has actually been one of my best friends. I have taken it wherever I moved, and it has been great to explore other places in the world through running,” she continued.
In spite of their experience, all three racers underwent serious training in preparation for the marathon.
An enthusiastic and determined outdoor runner, Torabi braves the elements to run in rain or shine throughout the year, yet she found it difficult to train outside amid the harsh New England winter.
“My training could have been better,” she said. “However, running has got to be fun for me.”
A runner since age 12, Asher trained for the marathon with the Boston Athletic Association from December until mid-February before her injury. She hopes to recover fully and break her personal best of 2:49.00 in the 2015 Boston Marathon.
Johnson Svec, an Andover graduate who ran Track for Andover, credits the Furman Institute of Running (FIRST) Marathon Program for her marathon training. The program only requires three runs a week, adhering to the “Train Less, Run Faster” mantra.
Johnson Svec described Boston as a harder course than the marathon she qualified on, her time a little higher than her personal record of 3:50.
“I was quite a bit slower than my qualifying time, but I expected that. I was thrilled to be a part of this event and to witness first hand the unbelievable spirit and good will of the runners who came from near and far,” she said.
More notable than their results, all three runners valued the palpable sense of community and unity in light of the tragedy last year.
“The sentiment amongst many runners this year was ‘I’m not running for time, I am running for Boston,’” said Asher.
Torabi added, “Today’s marathon was not about me and my performance. Everyone who came out to the race today showed that Boston’s marathon history will continue to unfold and show again great racing and fun for all.”
