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unning| Three Scugog runners qualify for J) the prestigious Boston Marathon Icons take many forms. People — both the famous and infa- mous ~ head that list, but exemplary brand names, architecture, and events deserve honourable mention. Any competitive runner will name the Boston Marathon as that sport's iconic race. Even before tragedy propelled it onto world newspapers’ front pages, “Boston” was hailed around the boston Sabrina Hooper does a few leg globe as a marathoner’s Holy Grail. stretches before On Monday, April 20, three local competitors will heading out fora join thousands in the storied race. Their paths to Bos- 42 km practice run. > ton’s starting line share similarities. “I was 35 pounds overweight,” Ben Lariv- iere says. “A friend got me running, and once I got in shape, I wanted greater challenges. The 2013 Toronto marathon was my first.” That initial goal - shaping up — echoed among the three, though for differing reasons. “Td run as a kid,” explains Sabrina Hooper. “After my fourth child four years ago, I got back into it and worked up to mara- thon distance.” Rory Scully’s history reads longer than the oth- ers, but his motivation follows a similar storyline. “Ten years ago, I needed to get rid of ‘middle- age spread,’” he laughs. “I ran my first marathon two years later. Boston will be my fifteenth!” Entry into the prestigious race requires qualification based on results re- corded in prior marathons, with unique thresholds for different age groups. Like golf, the ob- ject of the participant’s next outing is to improve on the last. Race day, all agree, awak- ens an aspect of personality which may otherwise lie dormant. “I wouldn’t describe myself generally as competitive,” Sabrina says. “But on the track, that’s another story.” Ben was definitive on the topic of his competitive nature. “Yes, I definitely am. I try not to think of my time during a race, but adren- Please turn to page 26 FOCUS - APRIL 2015 25