Woonsocket's Courtney Gardner Taking On Boston Marathon April 15

Woonsocket's Courtney Gardner will join about 27,000 sneaker and spandex-clad runners trekking the 26.2-mile Boston Marathon April 15 at about 10 a.m.

The 23-year-old Inside Sales Account Manager at EMC is a newcomer to the city, transplanted from Brookline, MA, about four months ago to be closer to her job in Franklin, MA.

There are three ways to run the Boston Marathon. The unofficial method is to run as an unregistered "bandit", jumping in along the route and just enjoying the fun. The two official methods require either running a qualifying time for your age group in another marathon, or running as a member of a charity team.

Gardner went with the latter option, signing up as a member of EMC's team running to raise donations for the Michael Carter Lisnow Respite Center, which provides emotional and physical support for families with children with disabilities. The center is a spot where children with disabilities can spend time away from their parents, providing kids and parents with a break in their routines. 

EMC will match the first $75,000 in pledges raised by their employees. Her goal is to raise $2,500 for the respite center. You can donate to the cause at http://www.razoo.com/story/Courtney-Gardner.

Gardner, an Oregon native, said the Respite Center's mission reminds her of her neighbor and friend, Dana, a kid with cerebral palsy she grew up with. She said knowing Dana and his family taught her a lot about the challenges families with disabled children face. "The Center makes a lot of sense to me," Gardner said.

"I've been a runner pretty much all my life," Gardner said. The one-time Oregon state champ in the 800 meter moved to Massachusetts six years ago to attend Boston University. She made it onto the BU cross country team for her first three years there before taking her final year off. Even so, this will be her first Boston Marathon. 

While photographing the Marathon her sophomore year for a class, she found the race's energy alluring. "I told myself that day I had to do the Boston Marathon before I left Boston," Gardner said. While she did technically leave Boston before running the race, Gardner admits to an outsider's perspective on regional geography — to her, all of New England is essentially an extended Boston suburb. 

While Gardner was hoping to run this Marathon quick enough to qualify for next year — she'd need to do it in 3:35:00 — a knee injury has caused her to readjust her goal to finishing the course. 

Even so, simply completing the Marathon is a significant accomplishment. The course from suburban Hopkinton's Main Street to Boston offers daunting physical challenges, including Heartbreak Hill, the legendarily taxing incline near the finish, and an earlier cheering section past a crowd comprised of Wellesley College girls known as The Scream Tunnel.

But a qualifying time for Gardener in a future Marathon is always a possibility. "I'm a runner and I'm also very competitive," she said.

If you've got the day off and you're interested in watching the Boston Marathon kickoff in Hopkinton, MA, you'll have to get an early start - roads close there at 7 a.m. on Marathon Monday. Check the BAA's spectator page for more information on watching the Marathon in person.