Why I Run: Meet Local Participants Of The 2022 Boston Marathon

MASSACHUSETTS — A group of local Boston Marathon runners are sharing their stories about why they are participating in the 2022 race. From raising money for personal causes to beating their own personal record, these athletes are sure to inspire others as they get ready to run 26 miles on April 18.

Darcy Schultz, 56, of Newton is running her second Boston Marathon this year, five years after she ran her first at age 51. Although she re-qualified after the first year, she has been unable to participate due to a family tragedy.

Ready to run again this year, Schultz qualified for the 2022 Boston Marathon by running the Maine Marathon last fall, coming in third place in her age category.

"This is my fourth marathon ever- a personal challenge after turning 50 and running a 50k trail race in Carlisle, and after not being an athlete to to asthma throughout my teens and twenties,” Schultz said. The other two are the Newport Marathon 2017 [where Schultz came in first in her age category], and the Coastal Delaware Running Festival marathon 2021."

"I’m running for my kids, for my organization and employer MEDA where we support recovery from eating disorders, and for clean air,” she continued.

David Hirschberg, 55, of Medford is running his first ever marathon this year for Bay Cove Human Services, a non-profit organization that provides services for people facing the challenges associated with mental illness, developmental disabilities, addiction, and homelessness at 175 program locations throughout Massachusetts.

"I’m a longtime Medford resident and Tufts alum who, until around four months ago, never would’ve considered running the Boston Marathon,” Hirschberg said. "This will be the first race of any kind I’ve ever participated in - I hadn’t even run for exercise prior to training for this one - and, as I’ve promised my wife, it will also be my last."

Hirschberg has worked at Bay Cove for the last 11 years and, among other things, is responsible for the organization’s fundraising activities. Since 2008, Bay Cove has received marathon numbers through the John Hancock Boston Marathon Charity Program and -Hirschberg has been in charge of recruiting runners and supporting their fundraising.

"I’ve always been especially impressed by, and grateful for, their effort on behalf of the people we serve in our programs, as I couldn’t imagine what it must take to run the Boston Marathon,” said Hirschberg.

"What changed for me is that, after witnessing first hand the extraordinary perseverance and resilience of both our program staff and the people we serve throughout the pandemic, the idea of running a marathon felt less daunting by comparison,” he continued. "The training hasn’t always been fun, and I imagine that I may regret my decision to do this at certain points on Monday, but I know that this whole endeavor will be over for me after the race. The same will not be true for our staff or the people who turn to Bay Cove for help. Their “marathon” has no finish line. But I know that - nevertheless - they will keep at it and continue to push forward.”

Newton resident Curt Burgess, 50, is running the Boston Marathon for the first time to support the Newton Food & Clothing Pantry, run by the Arabic Baptist Church of Boston.

Burgess has run three other marathons in Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and Maine and it has always been his dream to run Boston.

“...I just turned 50 this year in February so it seemed like a fantastic way to celebrate the milestone,” Burgess said. "I'm also running to be a good example of perseverance and health to my four children Rya, Kyle, Meg, and Gavin that I share with my wife Jill Fieleke. I'm not a speedster and my goal is to beat the course closure time of 6 hours."

Patch will continue to update this article as we receive stories from the runners.