Hopkinton native Elizabeth Roche is running the Boston Marathon this year to support local nonprofit Live4Evan.

For Elizabeth Roche, running the Boston Marathon was a long-term aspiration that began when she was growing up in Hopkinton.

“From the early ages of the Kenyan runner day at Elmwood and being at the start line every year, those were really memorable to me,” Roche said of her earliest experiences with the marathon. Having grown up close to downtown, she recalled finding the runners inspirational.

“It was always just kind of a very sentimental experience for me,” she said. 

The hometown sentiment, she explained, was what helped tip the scales when she decided to run the marathon for the first time. Roche added that it “felt like the right time” as her parents consider moving away from Hopkinton in the near future.

That love of hometown is on display this year as Roche runs to benefit the Hopkinton-based nonprofit Live4Evan. The organization helps families of children with congenital heart disease find temporary housing in the Boston area while their child undergoes treatment. Evan Girardi, who the organization is named after, was a Hopkinton resident who died during his senior year of college as a result of congenital heart issues.

Roche said she was exposed to the nonprofit when she was growing up in the Hopkinton school system. “Live4Evan was really big when I was in high school,” she said, noting that Girardi had been a few years older than her eldest brother. Roche said the nonprofit’s presence in the school system formed a culture of “raising awareness of good causes and … looking after your community.”

Her memories of the nonprofit inspired her to reach out and apply for a charity bib. “I felt like it would be very mutually beneficial to kind of tackle that goal and also do something for a very good cause,” said Roche. She expressed gratitude for the opportunity, acknowledging how selective the bib application process can be.

Momentum builds for marathon

Despite a lot of strong feelings for the sport, Roche only recently began working toward the goal of completing a marathon. She described the goal as “lofty” and said she doesn’t consider herself a runner. But opportunities to try running last year set the pace for her first Boston Marathon run.

The Boston-based civil engineer said she helped a friend train for Boston last year by taking part in a half-marathon in Philadelphia. She then was asked by a coworker to run another half-marathon last fall.

“It kind of got to the point where I was like, OK, I might as well build on this momentum,” Roche said.

Getting her charity bib for Live4Evan was one challenge, and training has been another. She shared being “pleasantly surprised” with the pace of her training but called out weather and time commitments as sticking points.

Those hurdles haven’t slowed her down, though. “Just, like, bring it on,” she said. “Might as well make it grueling.” 

As for the toll the race may have on her body, Roche’s response was one of gratitude. “What a blessing it is to have a body that can carry me through this,” she said. “I should view it that way and not as an obligation or something I have to do.”

Timing also is not a concern for Roche. She stated that her goal is to finish the race and be present in the moment. “I don’t want to be struggling so much that I miss it,” she said.

Added Roche: “I’m not going to let time stop me from stopping and seeing family members who are cheering me on.”

Roche did estimate she would finish an hour-and-a-half after her cousin and a coworker, who both qualified for the race this year. “It will be nice to have company the morning of,” she noted.

Her support squad this year includes her parents and aunt and uncle, who will be at the start line. Meanwhile, she anticipates seeing her siblings and friends at the finish line, as well as coworkers scattered along the route. “It should be a good spread,” said Roche.

When asked for her feelings about the marathon route, Roche said she has gone out to practice Heartbreak Hill in Newton a few times, eliminating the mystery of that part of the course. “It will definitely be different doing it on the 20th mile,” she admitted. 

She added that she is most excited about reaching the finish line on Boylston Street. “There’s so much sentimental value there,” said Roche.

Fundraising an ‘enlightening experience’

Roche is tasked with raising $12,000 for Live4Evan. As of March 31, she had raised just over $10,000 (fundraisers.hakuapp.com/elizabeth-roche). She said the organization has given her a lot of support with social media and swag to give away to donors. “Their team has just been wonderful and supportive,” said Roche.

She added that the experience has given her a new appreciation for the work people do to fundraise and support causes like the one she will be running for. “It’s been a really enlightening experience for me,” she said. 

“Until you fundraise,” she continued, “you don’t have the appreciation for it, really. It’s great to see … the effect that people have on the local community and watch the way that spreads in the way it does.”

Added Roche: “This is all so much bigger than us.”

Regarding what she will take away from her marathon run, Roche was confident the effort will have a lasting impact. “I think it will definitely stick with me and help me to keep that spirit with me in being more thoughtful about how I can have that kind of impact on the community,” she said.

However, Roche admitted she was unsure whether marathoning would become a regular fixture in her life. “For me, it’s definitely a bucket list item,” she explained. “I couldn’t not do it, but I’m really happy it worked out at the time it did.”

“I’m very glad I got the chance to do it, but I think for me, it’s a one-and-done,” she concluded.