Local Runner Races For Second Time In Boston Marathon

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – A local runner raced her way to the finish line representing the Zanesville community.

Katie McNeil participated in her second Boston Marathon race, which took place this past Monday. With a qualifying running time of 3 hours and 34 minutes, McNeil said she was a lot more confident this time around than her first Boston race in 2017. Her training started in December and lasted between 16 to 20 weeks. She said she felt great the first 20 miles in, but shortly after she developed a cramp in her leg which led to her taking bigger strides in between her running. Yet she stayed determined to finish the race.

“It’s just an experience that not everybody gets to have so I was super thankful the entire way. And you know, as I cramp up, as I slowed down a little, I started thinking you know what, this is such a privilege, just get through the race,” McNeil said.

She added that the marathon gave her the opportunity to meet different people and hear their amazing stories. But the encouragement from the Zanesville community kept her driven.

“They put their energy and effort into supporting each and every person here who’s doing great things. So as I got through those final miles of the race, those were the people I was thinking about. I was thinking about my kids, I was thinking about my family, and I was thinking about the entire community,” she said.

The Boston marathon is just one of the three big races McNeil is participating in for 2019, along with marathons in New York City and Chicago.