Members of the MIT Strong marathon team each had a unique reason for running yesterday’s Boston Marathon — the first since last year’s bombings and manhunt, in which four people lost their lives, including MIT Police Officer Sean Collier.
There were those who knew Collier personally: Rachel DeLucas befriended him through the MIT Outing Club, and Bill King worked alongside him at the MIT Police. Others were inspired by Collier’s life, and wanted to pay tribute.
In total, 40 members of the MIT community joined forces to be part of the MIT Strong marathon team. From faculty to students to staff to alumni, the backgrounds of the team members varied.
However, they ran with a unified purpose: to honor Collier, and to raise money for the Sean A. Collier Memorial Fund, an Institute-created fund that will support an annual Collier Medal. As of last Friday, the team had raised a total of $176,000 — far surpassing its original goal of $142,600.
“The death of Sean Collier affected all of us as members of the MIT community,” says team member Chad Galts, director of communications at the School of Engineering.
Galts says that running the marathon helped provide members of MIT Strong with an opportunity to heal from last year’s tragedies.
“It really was an honor,” Galts says, of the opportunity to represent MIT at the marathon. “There were so many people screaming ‘MIT’ and holding MIT Strong signs."
Of the 40 members of the MIT Strong team, 39 were able to run; each member who ran completed the race. The members of the MIT Strong team, with their finishing time in parentheses, are:
Joseph Azzarelli (4:47:16)
Ryan Borker (3:06:35)
Thomas Brand (3:23:02)
Kris Brewer (5:12:30)
Samantha Carney (6:07:52)
John Cunniffe (4:54:36)
Rachel DeLucas (6:22:40)
James DiCarlo (3:12:37)
Jennifer Gagner (4:12:07)
Chad Galts (5:42:36)
Tom Gearty (5:27:01)
Michael Gerhardt (4:26:55)
Domingo Godoy (3:57:32)
Madeline Hickman (5:29:19)
Bill King (4:15:07)
Stephanie Kloos (5:26:45)
Jean Paul Lauture (4:46:31)
Sarah Lewis (5:17:06)
Maggie Lloyd (3:39:41)
Charlie Maher (5:53:08)
Adam McCready (3:46:02)
Christine Meagher (3:37:36)
Tim Mertz (3:45:12)
Sally Miller (4:09:48)
Brian Mulcahey (4:25:31)
Dava Newman (4:21:35)
Dan Oliver (5:34:31)
Madeleine Pascolini-Campbell (4:27:13)
Thomas Petersen (2:40:17)
Julie Pryor (4:57:56)
Jeremy Rishel (5:27:50)
Jess Rooney Gallagher (5:37:45)
Jonathan Runstadler (4:06:27)
Samuel Shames (3:54:13)
Stephen Shum (3:05:57)
Alexander Slocum (4:21:27)
Nader Tehrani (3:53:51)
Peter Whincop (did not run)
Gordon Wintrob (4:31:08)
Preparing for Monday’s marathon was an intensive process, Galts says. The team trained through a brutal winter, putting in countless miles outdoors and on indoor tracks. But ultimately, team members’ tireless efforts paid off in completing the arduous 26.2-mile course.
“I think the team did an amazing job,” Galts says. “It was not an easy day to run. Some struggled. Some were stronger. But they all finished, and I could not be prouder.”
