According to the official Web site for the upcoming Boston Marathon, 67 Alexandria residents are set to run in the 112th race, which makes it the world’s oldest marathon. The 26.2-mile race is held every Patriots’ Day, and will have tiered starting times, which start at 9:25 a.m. on Monday.
The entrants include Jeff Adams, Kristina Ament, Heidi Anderson, Jenae Avallone, James Baldridge, William Barloon, Thomas Bergin, Peter Bockelman, Robert Brandt, Timothy Brightbill, James Cardosi, Jack Coffey, Steve Coffman, Denise Coll, Annie Cooper, Anne Ashley Croker, Brooke Curran, Kristen Desmond, Michael Desmond, Tim Fahey, Rita Foss, Robert Gillanders, Andrew Grant, Kate Green, Elizabeth Gross, Andrea Hack and Christine Hackman.
Also running will be Michael Heath, Suzanne Himes, Eric Hubbell, Fred Hudson, Susan Jasmin, Heather Jelks, Steven Johnson, Deirdre Kelleher, Shaun Khalfan, Ben Kittredge, Teresa Kolish, Susanna Leffers, Douglas Legan, Christopher Maier, Lindsey Malm, Robert Malm, Jane Marcus, Sandra May, Jay McConville, Michael Menster, Jim Morse, Kate Morse, Thomas Natoli and Lyly Pham.
Alexandria will also be represented by Alden Philbrick, Ken Privette, Richard Rapine, Timothy Reboulet, Lisa Reuter, Chris Richey, Mary Ann Roberts, Gregg Sypeck, Derik Thomas, Heather Thomas, Jean Traub, Peter Verdin, Craig Webster, Stephen Werner, Eric Wild, and Adam Wytko.
Comparatively, 658 Alexandria-based runners ran in the 32nd annual Marine Corps Marathon on Oct. 28, 2007.
While the MCM is free to all comers — hence the nickname “the People’s Marathon” — the Boston Marathon forces participants to meet qualifying standards. A runner must race in a marathon course certified by a national governing body immediately prior to the start, and there are specific time cutoffs for age groups.
Amid torrid weather conditions, Reboulet was the top Alexandria finisher in the 2007, placing 502nd overall. The then-32-year-old finished in 2:54:06, while Wytko also finished in under three hours, topping the 48 Alexandria-based competitors.
Many of the participating runners are members of the Reston Runners Club, the Vienna-based Virginia Happy Trails Running Club, the Arlington Road Runners Club or even the DC Road Runners Club, which has approximately 1,500 members.