By Addison Burke, Staff Writer
The Boston Marathon is a dream race for runners across the world, and one Xavier student and Massachusetts native was able to check the race off his bucket list.
Junior marketing and entrepreneurship double major Adam Fowler participated in this year’s Boston Marathon. After seeing family members run the race and also living near the course, Fowler decided it was his turn to take to the Hopkinton start line and make his way to the finish line on Boylston Street.
“It’s always been a life goal of mine to run Boston, even when I didn’t like running,” Fowler said. “I had no interest in long-distance running a year ago, but Boston, that was on my life resume and it was something I wanted to do.”
Xavier Junior Adam Fowler running Boston Marathon.
Fowler entered the Boston Marathon through fundraising for the Webb-Norden Foundation, founded by Jacqui Webb and Paul Norden, two survivors of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. The foundation helps children and young adults who have been involved in traumatic events.
Despite the courses challenging terrain through Newton Hills, the Boston Marathon has become such a beloved race because of the fans. From the Wellesley College scream tunnel to the crowds entering Boston to the fans lining Boylston Street to the finish line, the fans bring the energy to help keep the runners going.
“At certain points, there’s just these enormous crowds everywhere and they’re cheering. They aren’t necessarily there for you, but they are there for you,” Fowler said. “The further you get into the race, the crazier it gets.”
With a final time of 3:33:12, Fowler crossed the Boston Marathon off of his bucket list, but he is not done there.
“I fundraised, but now I want to qualify for Boston,” Fowler said. “I want to build up my running ability to be able to qualify at some point in my life. I’d run the Boston Marathon every year if I could.”
Adam Fowler after completing Boston Marathon.
The race was not only monumental for Fowler but also the entire racing world. Kenyan University and University of Kansas alumni Sharon Lokedi broke the women’s professional record by nearly two and a half minutes with a time of 2:17:22. American professional runner Des Linden, and winner of the 2018 Boston Marathon, announced before this year’s race, that this would be her last race of her professional career. Linden ultimately finished the race in 17th with a time of 2:26:19.
On top of those monumental moments, nearly 30,000 people made their way from Hopkinton to Boylston Street to complete this year’s marathon, with over 11,000 participating for the first time.
“You take a right on Hereford and a left onto Boylston and it’s just like everything you’ve seen in the news, social media and the movies, and you just have a wow moment where you’re just like oh my gosh, I’m doing it,” Fowler said. “It’s just a pretty amazing thing, witnessing your closest people, like friends and family, do it, and then I was like, it’s my time to do it.”