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Panigrahi finds marathon inspiration in neighbors, fellow runners
Rajesh Panigrahi had never seen a marathon before he and his family moved to Hopkinton's Legacy Farms neighborhood. He also never thought he’d be able to run one, either. But now, with a couple of half marathons and the Baystate Marathon under his belt, Panigrahi is...
Local runners roundup: Callinan tackles Boston Marathon for youth football
Megan Callinan, a resident since 2016, will attempt her first marathon as part of a fundraiser for Hopkinton Youth Football. “Ever since I was a child, I have loved Marathon Monday!!” she wrote on her fundraising page. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a...
Baypath Adoptable Animal of the Week: Chloe
Each week, the Independent highlights an animal available for adoption at Baypath Humane Society in Hopkinton. This week's adoptable animal is 4-year-old Chloe. Here is Baypath's description of Chloe: "Chloe has it all — brains, beauty and the biggest heart. The only...
Honorary starters: O’Brien, Cann, Murphy
You might not know Pat O’Brien, but chances are you’ve seen the retired police officer around town. Whether working a police detail or organizing and supervising community events for the Friends of Hopkinton, O’Brien usually can be found somewhere in town helping to...
Mullen runs Boston for Hopkinton Education Foundation
As the mother of a tweenager, Kaitlyn Mullen knows how difficult it can be for a parent to impress their child. Running the Boston Marathon is one of those rare opportunities. “I don’t do much that impresses her, but this impressed her,” Mullen said with a laugh. “I’m...
Benincaso to run Boston Marathon for Michael Lisnow Respite Center, disability awareness
Hopkinton native Aamir Benincaso is running for the Michael Lisnow Respite Center for the second time, after completing last year’s race. He hopes that his participation will help make strides toward greater acceptance of people with disabilities in town, pointing to...
Hopkinton’s Purpura set to realize childhood dream of running Boston Marathon
Hopkinton native Samantha Purpura lives about a five-minute walk from the Boston Marathon start line. Growing up, she fantasized about running in it, first inspired by her aunt’s participation for several years. Now she will realize her dream, fueled by friendship and...
Hockey brings Hausermann back to marathoning
Dan Hausermann last ran 26.2 miles a decade ago, completing the Vermont City Marathon. This year, he is making a return to the distance at the world’s most famous marathon, and he and his family’s love for hockey is driving the comeback. “Both of my kids play for...
Wolf to ‘give back’ with marathon run for Hopkinton Police Association
Hopkinton resident Jonny Wolf is “right on pace” with his training program for the Boston Marathon. “I have one long run a week,” Wolf said in late March, noting he recently had completed a 19-mile run. “Through the week, I’m mixing in shorter runs and just trying to...
Stevenson’s love of lake community drives run for LMPA
For Hopkinton resident Chris Stevenson, the Boston Marathon is like a puzzle he keeps trying to solve. “For some reason, I just can’t figure out this race,” Stevenson said. “Every year, I come back trying to look for redemption.” With any luck, 2025 will be that...
Burdick aims for improved time, outsized fundraising in marathon run
Until last year, Nancy Burdick had never run a marathon, nor even thought about it as a long-term goal. “It was not something that was on my radar,” Burdick said, adding that it was “not something that I’ve been incrementally working toward.” Despite that, Burdick set...
Field hockey coach Colantuoni tackles marathon
Julie Colantuoni has been a part of the local field hockey scene for some time now. A member of the Hopkinton Youth Field Hockey board, she also is a coach, and this year she will step into the role of marathon fundraiser when she tackles her first Boston Marathon to...
Benson returns to long-deferred dream as he runs for Hopkinton Little League
Although Eric Benson jokes about how hard training for a marathon is, it’s a privilege he takes seriously — especially because he wasn’t sure he’d get to this point. “It’s a big deal for me,” said Benson. The 50-year-old father of three is set to run his first...
Guerra balances college, training in pursuit of first marathon
There are two things Hopkinton native Thomas Guerra says are most challenging about training for the Boston Marathon: balance and wind. “The timing of the marathon has been the hardest thing,” Guerra said. Between school, work and training, he’s had to strike a...
Photos: Land acknowledgment ceremony at HCA
The Hopkinton Center for the Arts hosted a land acknowledgment ceremony Saturday with members of the Nipmuc Tribe.
HCA, 26.2 Foundation offer ‘Something Extraordinary’ to celebrate Boston Marathon
The 26.2 Foundation and the Hopkinton Center for the Arts are joining forces again this year to provide unique cultural and artistic experiences for the Boston Marathon season. Called “The Start of Something Extraordinary,” the collaboration brings together multiple...
Inspired by friend’s memory, Burg takes on Boston Marathon for library
Until Harlenne Burg moved to Hopkinton, she didn’t realize how infectious running could be. “They say when you live in Hopkinton, you catch the running bug,” said Burg, “but I never believed them.” Burg has come down with that bug, and as a result, the Boston Marathon...
Pollen hits road to Boston for Women’s Club
When Sandy Pollen joined the cross country team her junior year of high school, she didn’t realize it was a step that would shape her life path. The Illinois native had started running just for fun, but she soon became more serious about the sport. “It’s addictive; I...
No stopping Jones in Boston Marathon run for HALT
Jason Jones knows about dedication. Born in New Jersey, Jones ran track in high school and started doing long-distance races at age 19. He credits the inspiration in part to good examples. “My sister ran a marathon when I was 20 and she was 40,” Jones recalled. “There...
