BERLIN (AP) — Kara Mannion of Berlin is a nurse, long-term designer and runner who will attempt her first Boston Marathon on Monday, Oct. 11.
Due to the pandemic, the marathon was cancelled last year, for the first time in 125 years.
The Boston Marathon has a long culture of being held annually on Patriot Day, but the Boston Athletic Association (BAA), which organizes the race, was forced to replace its plans last year and this year.
Vaccinations were just beginning this spring, so the BAA and the city of Boston chose Race Day for the race.
Mannion, a graduate of the nashoba area, ran on the track and played club football in high school, but he was not a long-distance runner and never ran a marathon.
Her occasion on the track was the 4×400 relay in which she ran the first level of the race, so Mannion goes from a quarter mile to 26. 2 miles in the most prestigious race in the world, she is ready for the challenge.
“I looked to run Boston, and that’s been one of my dreams, and even more so when I volunteered for the race in 2018 and 19,” Mannion said. “I think I grew up in the area; it’s anything you’ve noticed each and every day of the Patriots and have any idea one day of executing it.
“After it was to continue the race, then it occurred to me why not go,” he said. “I was finishing school in the last year and a part and I was online all the time, so I was thinking about that (marathon) and to do it.
“I enjoyed running and running to remain compatible with football; and it was wonderful to be with my best teammates from school and make friends,” Mannion added. “It was an individual game that I really enjoyed, and I was able to play running with (Nashoba) Kristina Maclure, who went on to run at the University of Rhode Island (Division 1).
“The setting and surroundings of the track are great,” he said.
Mannion, a recent graduate of UMass Boston, is a registered nurse and works at Children’s Hospital. He competes for the hospital’s Miles for Miracles team, which has raised more than $37 million through racing over more than 25 years.
Two years ago, the last time the Boston Marathon took place, Miles for Miracles runners raised approximately $21/2 million.
“I sought to be a charity broker for Miles for Miracles because it benefits the children’s hospital and all the important care and studies they provide to patients and families,” Mannion said. “I had the honor of being part of the children’s hospital as a clinical assistant on an inpatient medical floor.
“I’ve met the maximum number of amazing people, whether it’s staff, patients or families,” he said. “I’m running towards a glorious organization and all my past, existing and long-term patients here. “
Mannion’s interest in placing a nurse began when he was a student in Nashoba.
“I was part of Nashoba’s EMT cadet program and fell in love with medicine,” Mannion said. “When I was looking for colleges, I was attracted to nursing because the nurses are at the bedside and you’re in touch with the families. “
Between shifts as a nurse at Children’s, Mannion hit the road and with her Miles for Miracles classmates.
“In college, I run more, before and after class,” Mannion said. “I ran Castle Island and the domain of Harbour Walk is lovely, and now I have done some educational careers with the team.
“We covered 21 miles of the marathon circuit (recently) and in Wellesley and walked all the hills,” he said. “The hills were difficult, but now we’re starting to shrink. “
Mannion, like all runners who run for charity, has to devote himself to raising a certain amount of money, and in his case, $6,000. As the race approached, Mannion’s fundraiser ran into a problem, so he had a new concept to achieve his goal.
“I’m so nervous about signing this pledge that I’m going to raise $6,000,” Mannion said. “I’m afraid I wouldn’t make it in achieving that goal.
“I designed a T-shirt (Boston Children’s Strong) and emailed each and every hospital grounds, with data on what I was doing,” he said. “Nurses love T-shirts, so I knew they would sell them I sold over 400 T-shirts and it was amazing.
So, Mannion has only achieved his goal, surpassed it, raising $7,200 so far.
Mannion is ahead of Monday’s marathon.
“My main purpose is to finish the race,” Mannion said. “In terms of pace, I’d like to do nine or 10 minutes consistent with the mile.
“After seeing young people go through so many things, I think I can walk a few kilometers through them,” he added.
If you want to see Mannion and Children’s Hospital’s Miles for Miracles, you can find a link to their fundraising site on their Facebook page.
Other brokers include:
Bolton: Tina Dowling, 55; Sue George, 59; Timothée Maguire, 35; Katherine O’Shea, 23; and Glenn Simm, 62;
Boylston: Haniyah Kafel, 35;
Clinton: Ashley Arsenault, 34; Joseph Manfredo, 51; John Nichols, 34; Ryan Stoddard, 43; Stéphanie Tencati, 44; and Bryan Trinque, 38;
Lancaster: Beau Lirette, 29;
Pound Sterling: Sean McDonough, 60; and Shelby Ripa, 27; and
West Boylston: Erin Fleming, 24; Monica O’Brien, 24; Kendra Sloan, 27; and William Sloan, 62.