Senator Anthony Petruccelli never thought in a million years he would run and also finish the historic Boston Marathon but he did just that on Monday.
Last year after the Marathon Bombing emotions were high across Boston and Petruccelli was no different.
“It was the Friday when they caught the brothers I told my 5-year-old son Anthony that the police had caught the bad guys,” said Petruccelli. “He looked at me and said ‘now we can finish the race’.”
It was at that moment Petruccelli decided he’s run this year’s Marathon.
“I think I wanted to run to show my two kids and my nieces and nephews what the Boston Marathon is supposed to be,” said Petruccelli. “The Marathon is a great sporting event for our city that brings out the best in people and that’s what this year’s race was all about.”
Petruccelli began training last summer, running three miles, then five and leading up to the race was running 19 miles.
However, last week he pulled a calf muscle that he thought it would sideline his attempt to run and finish the race.
“I knew I still had to do it,” said Petruccelli.
At 16 miles the calf started to bother him and Petruccelli walked the middle leg of the race after the half waypoint.
“From Hopkington to Boylston Street it was just rows of people cheering us on,” said Petruccelli. “These are people I don’t know and will probably never meet again but it was emotional.”
Petruccelli said he saw one bystander holding a sign that read ‘We Own the Finish Line’ and once Petruccelli hit Kenmore Square he picked it back up and ran to the finish line.
“People were telling us we are running for those who can’t and that made me want to finish,” he said.
It was that and the fact he rode on the bus out to Hopkington with team MR8 (Martin Richard), runners that were running in memory of Martin Richard, the 8-year-old boy from Dorchester killed during last year’s bombing.
“That was a very emotional scene,” said Petruccelli.
All in all Petruccelli finished the race 6:42:33.
Not too bad for his first time out.
“I don’t know if I have another one in me,” Petruccelli
joked while recovering Tuesday. “I have nothing but the utmost respect for the runners that do this every year.”