Boston Marathon Part of Life for One Marlborough Man

As Marc Reid prepares to run in his fifth Boston Marathon, it has become more than a race and transformed into part of his life.

“It has become something I do every year that I can’t imagine not being a part of,” he said of the event he first ran with a family friend at 18. “It’s exciting ... you don’t sleep much the night before."

But when the moment arrives on race day, an energy fills Boston and the surrounding communities, said Reid. As a spectator or a runner there is just something special about the world's oldest annual marathon.

"It’s just an exicint atmosphere it really feels like you are at a special event," said Reid who explained the feeling spreads through the entire state.

Reid made his first run in the marathon at 18 without much training. He had participated in road racing events, but had not done any special training for the over 26 miles that include areas with nicknames such as Heart Break Hill. He finished that year and ever since training for the race has been a part of his life.

“I run year round anywway so I just step it upo around marathon time," said Reid who is currently a Senior studying biology at the University of Vermont.

The cold winters add their own difficulty to his training, he said, but he works the time into his schedule and makes sure he gets the work in.

“I’m in Vermont so it gets really cold and really windy," said Reid. “I make sure I get my long runs in."

The training and marathon which is its final goal has become such a part of Reid's life that he says it will be a part of his routine as long as he is healthy to run. Beyond the routine, the event itself is unique and exciting, he said.

"As a kid we would watch... it’s great to watch and if you are planning on running it," said Reid who would encourage anyone thinking about it to participate. “When I ran when I was 18 I didn’t have a lot of experience but I got through it ... it is fun to do and very rewarding.”

Reid qualified for the marathon this year through another marathon where he finished in 2 hours and 55 minutes. He is hoping to come in under three hours on Monday.