UPDATED: Team Framingham 2016 Training Program Well Underway

The following is a press release.

Originally posted at 11 p.m. on January 31. Updated on February 1 with a second photo.

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Framingham Assistant Town Manager Jim Duane and Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Michael Bower today announced that the Team Framingham 2016 training program is well under way.

Members of the Greater Framingham Running Club are working closely with Team Framingham runners in preparing for the Monday April 18 Boston Marathon.

Greater Framingham Running Club (GFRC) President Ed Finnegan, Past President Ed Stoll, members Kendra Howard, Jen Feaster and Mike Bower are providing mentoring to the Team Framingham runners during our various team meetings, on our team Facebook group and during long training runs. A number of GFRC members are joining the team training runs and offering very helpful advice to the team members.

The team has already completed two long training runs along the Boston Marathon course with another one scheduled for Saturday February 13. Team runners are also going to be participating in a variety of road races, including two half marathons, over the next two and a half months in order to prepare for the Boston Marathon.

On Sunday Jan. 17, two dozen team and GFRC runners met at Wellesley High School, which is near the 14 mile mark of the marathon course, and ran to Newton and back turning around at various points depending on the mileage they wanted to attain, anywhere from 6 to 14 miles.

On Saturday Jan. 30, nearly twenty team and GFRC runners met at the Brae Burr Country Club in Newton, which is at the 17.5 mile mark of the marathon course, and ran toward Boston and back turning around at various points depending on the mileage they wanted to attain. Several runners ran to the actual finish line on Boylston Street and back for a 17.4 mile run. Many team runners attained new personal highs for their mileage and all are well on their way to success on the big day in April.

On Saturday Feb. 13 at 8 a.m. the team will meet once again at the Brae Burr Country Club in Newton for a third long run through the Newton and Brookline hills toward Boston and back.

Residents of Framingham who have received Boston Marathon numbers other than through the Team Framingham random selection are invited to join Team Framingham and GFRC runners for these long training runs along the course. Please email michaeljamesbower@hotmail.com if you are interested.

“The Team Framingham Boston Marathon program has been extraordinarily successful these past two years. Our Team Framingham runners have raised more than $113,000 for local charities. 46 of our 47 Team Framingham runners have successfully completed the grueling 26.2 mile Boston Marathon course. We are looking forward to yet another successful program in 2016 benefitting six wonderful organizations and assisting all of our runners to achieve success in getting to the finish line on Marathon Monday,” said Selectman Bower.

The lucky runners selected by random selection are expected to raise a minimum of $1,500 for one of six local organizations, with a fundraising target goal of $2,500.

Nearly all team runners in the first two years met or exceeded the $2,500 goal.

Folks interested in learning more about the six charitable organizations or wishing to donate to the team runners can visit http://www.framinghamma.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1135

Team Framingham fundraising will continue through the April 18th Boston Marathon and conclude on Tuesday, May 31.