Thurston - a marathon runner strives large distances through Boston
By Jon Yaneff

Angie Thurston, with her medal and the map of the Boston Marathon route, which she conquered April 21. Photo by Jon Yaneff

Even the most strenuous hill at the 112th Boston Marathon wouldn't stop Angie Thurston.

Through her training, she was able to dominate the much acclaimed hilly Heartbreak Hill, as the Aurora marathon runner amplified a heartfelt end when she crossed the finish line of the 42.2 kilometre (26.2 mile) race.

The behemoth of a marathon was held April 21 in Boston, Massachusetts. The oldest annual city marathon in the world takes place Patriots' Day every year. It started in Hopkinton and ended in downtown Boston, as marathoners passed through two universities - Boston College and a girls' school in Wellesley.

"Someone I talked to said these hills at Boston were really hard for them, but me having a strength of hill climbing running made it easier," said the 30-year-old Thurston. "I actually passed the most people on Heart Break Hill, because that was the place I had the most momentum."

"I knew there was family at the finish line cheering me on and that really drove me to keep going because if you don't start with that positive 'I can do this' feeling then it's really hard to finish it," she said. "My legs really hurt during this marathon and what really kept me going was that I knew people were tracking me online at my work, as well as family members. To have people supporting you really gives you that push to continue."

The co-workers tracking her progress were at the Kingsdale Animal Shelter in King City, where she's a receptionist. Thurston grew up in Schomberg and now lives in Aurora.

Thurston's official time in Boston was three hours, 38 minutes and 41 seconds, as she placed 8,938 out of 21,963 runners who finished the marathon. There were 25,283 who registered for the race. Out of the 8,935 females who finished, she placed 2,103. In her age category, women 18 to 39- year-olds, had to finish in less than three hours and 40 minutes to qualify for Boston next year. Thurston accomplished that feat and finished 1,582 out of 4,908 finishing female runners in her age group.

"It was the hardest thing I've ever done physically and it's also emotionally difficult," she explained. "You have to train your body to get it where you want to go."

"I'm seriously considering doing it again because I can," proclaimed Thurston. "Then I'd try to qualify for the New York City Marathon for November 2009."

To qualify for that marathon she would have to complete a qualifying course in three hours and 23 minutes, but she also has the option of finishing a fast half-marathon in an hour and 37 minutes. The courses she is looking at qualifying at for New York would be in Toronto, Mississauga or Ottawa.

"I hear it's a great marathon because you run through the city's five boroughs," she said. "Also there's over 50,000 runners, compared to 25,000 at Boston, so it's very overwhelming."

Thurston's accomplishments at the acclaimed marathon wouldn't have been a reality if it wasn't for a New Years' resolution that Thurston and a friend made in January 2002.

"When we started running, we would gradually improve our times," said Thurston, who was living in Ottawa at the time of the resolution. "Run one-minute, walk oneminute, 10 times, for three times a week, then the next week we ran two-minute and walked one in that same rotation."

"We built our goal to run a 10 kilometre race in Ottawa by May," she added. "When I moved to Aurora, a childhood friend and I decided to run a halfmarathon in Ottawa, and it continued from there."

Then Thurston joined the Running Room in Newmarket, which was run under the tutelage of Don Rallis (of Tottenham). Rallis, who's over 60, has run a number of marathons himself.

"He created a training program that if was followed, you could get where you wanted to go, and achieve your goals," she stated. "He was an amazing support in terms of making sure we were completing the runs we were suppose to be doing. After I started the training program I went from running two to three times a week to five times a week."

"My first 30 kilometre marathon was in Hamilton (March 2007) and I went in saying I'll finish it in three hours, and I did it in two hours and 35 minutes," added Thurston "Then I also ran a fast half-marathon (21 kilometres) in Aurora in April last year at one hour and 45 minutes."

Thurston qualified for the Boston Marathon last May in Ottawa, with a time of three hours and 38 minutes. To qualify for the race, she had to post a time under three hours and 40 minutes, which based on the qualifying time for females 18 to 34.

There are other ways to qualify for Boston, such as by donation or lottery. With the lottery, you get randomly picked and if you don't get selected after three years, that person would automatically get the opportunity in the fourth year.

I'd rather say I qualified for it," she stated. "When I qualified in Ottawa I only ever wanted to complete one marathon, but I figured you can't qualify for Boston and not run it."

Thurston was one of 47 York Region residents who participated in the Boston marathon, which included six other runners that trained out of the Newmarket Running Room. They were Denise Munson (Bradford), Dave Ferrie (Aurora), Alex Grubb (Gilford), Frances Connolly (Mount Albert), Fred Moffatt (Newmarket) and Amy Moratto (Cannington). Munson and Grubb completed half-marathons on Mother's Day in Mississauga, which qualifies them for New York.

Besides marathons, Thurston has her sights on one day competing in a triathlon.

She is the president of the Cyclissimo Cycling Club in Aurora. She also enjoys swimming at Aurora's two area pools - the Family Leisure Complex and the Aurora Recreation Complex.

"With triathlons because they are a lot shorter in distance, more can be done and you wouldn't have to worry about over doing your body," she said.

The Olympic distance for a triathlon would have swimming at 1.5 kilometres, biking 40 kilometres and running 10 kilometres.

"I'm likely going to compete in a triathlon at the end of June," noted Thurston. "I enjoy cycling, running and swimming because they are very good activities to help keep you fit, but what I enjoy the most is running is setting a goal for myself, having a training plan and sticking to it and maintaining it all year round. For me running is enjoyable when I'm just relaxing, listening to my iPod and running without a watch and time constraint."