Pat O’Brien, shown working at last year’s Boston Marathon, will start Wave 4 of this year’s race. PHOTO/JOHN CARDILLO

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 make it a better place in which to live.

O’Brien is one of three individuals chosen by the Hopkinton Marathon Committee to serve as honorary starters at this month’s Boston Marathon.

“When I was asked to be a starter for the 2025 Boston Marathon, I was surprised, honored and humbled,” O’Brien shared. “This will be the 43rd Boston Marathon that I have been involved with since I started working for the Hopkinton Police. I have seen dignitaries, celebrities and veterans stand high above the starting line and fire the gun to start the athletes on their way. I would never have expected that I would be asked to start a wave of marathoners on their journey into Boston.”

Asked for his favorite marathon memory, O’Brien indicated it’s the sense of accomplishment he shares with other volunteers every year.

“When all the marathoners have passed through Hopkinton,” he shared, “we gather at the common and look at all the barricades, platforms, trash bags, tents and volunteers, and we can say ‘Another successful marathon.’ ”

A Milford native, O’Brien joined the Hopkinton Police Department in 1983, two years before he married (Donna) and started a family (three sons).

“When I moved to Hopkinton, it reminded me of Mayberry,” he noted, referring to the fictional country town from “The Andy Griffith Show.” “Population was 7,500, there was one full traffic light and everyone knew each other. It was close to my hometown of Milford, so it was an easy transition and my second hometown.”

In addition to coaching his sons in sports during their youth, O’Brien also coached high school basketball for eight years and refereed as well. He has served various groups and committees in town and now focuses on the Friends of Hopkinton.

“The Friends of Hopkinton is a group of Hopkinton townies who are trying to maintain the old-time feel of an ever-growing town,” he explained. “We sponsor two events each year. The first is Family Fling which is in the springtime, usually on the Town Common. The second one is Family Day, which is in the fall.”

O’Brien also makes sure to spend time with his sons — all of whom remained local — and his four grandchildren, who will watch their grandfather fire the starting pistol for Wave 4 at this year’s race.

“What I am looking forward to as a starter is seeing my grandchildren’s eyes when they are on the common and thousands of athletes pass their location on their way to Boston,” O’Brien stated. “I am also looking forward to being that person who starts the athletes’ journey on Monday, April 21st.”

Cann a running lifer

Resident Jean Cann, a member of the Brandeis University Hall of Fame for her track exploits (when she was Jean Olds), now is better known as the accomplished coach of the girls cross country and track programs at Hopkinton High School for the past eight years.

Cann served on the Hopkinton Marathon Committee for more than a decade and has contributed to the race in other areas as well.

“I have been involved with many aspects of the Boston Marathon, but starting a wave will be something new,” she joked.

Hopkinton High School track coach Jean Cann will be on the lookout for some of her former runners when she starts Wave 3. PHOTO/JOHN CARDILLO

“I have had many great memories at the Boston Marathon,” she added. “I was a USA Track & Field official in one of the corrals for the 100th Boston in 1996, and the energy and excitement that day was unmatched. That was before I moved to Hopkinton. When I was in college, one of my coaches ran and placed in the top 10, so it was really fun to go out and cheer her on. We could only make it to two spots because she was so fast! As a volunteer at the information booth on the common, I always enjoy meeting people from around the world and hearing their stories.”

With her husband, Brian (a former runner at Harvard University), Cann has three children. Their oldest, Ian, ran cross country and track at Stonehill College before graduating last year.

A former freelance writer for the Hopkinton Independent as well as New England Runner magazine and other running-related publications, Cann also has worked for the Sports Museum of New England and Red Auerbach Youth Foundation. She began her coaching career as an assistant at Brandeis and started a summer track and field program for Hopkinton’s Parks & Recreation Department, running it as a volunteer for 10 years. She also has coached for the Boston Athletic Association.

While she never ran Boston herself — injuries derailed her plans many years ago — Cann looks forward to seeing runners she has coached head out from Hopkinton when she starts Wave 3.

Murphy celebrates 60 years

Larry Murphy started contributing to the Boston Marathon in 1964. Six decades later, he’s still at it, focusing on transportation at the start.

“When I went to Hopkinton, I first started on Main Street at Grove Street unloading the buses coming in from South Street with runners and spectators getting to the [athletes] village and start line,” he recalled. “The buses were running from South Street to the State Park, where vehicles were parking as well, and then going back through town and back out to South Street.

“The buses were not able to keep up with the flow, so we broke them into two routes — one from the State Park to A Street and dropping the passengers, then going back to the State Park. The other route would run from South Street to Main Street and Mayhew Street and then turn around and back to South Street. That shuttle still runs today.

“Tab Kadlik is a great man, he keeps full control of all the lots on South Street and he has a good team from DMSE [Dave McGillivray Sports Enterprises] working with him. With the heavy flow of buses coming into the village, I moved over there and assisted Joe Robinson with all the buses.”

Murphy credited the State Police and Hopkinton Police with working well together to ensure the buses get in and out and staffing the access roads, allowing the runners and spectators to enjoy their experience.

“My favorite Boston Marathon memory was the 100th,” he shared. “We went from 9,000 runners in 1995 to 38,000-plus in 1996. It took over two years of planning it all out. And during the pandemic, we helped figure out the timing of the buses for our rolling start in Hopkinton, delivering the buses to Hopkinton on a very tight and critical timeline.”

A Somerville native who still lives there, Murphy noted that 20 members of his family also have volunteered for marathon duty.

His hopes for this year are the same as any other, as he prepares to serve as the starter for Wave 2.

“What I am most looking forward to about being a starter is that the day is beautiful and everything will go as planned,” he stated.

Veterans tribute: Hamilton, Simpson

The Hopkinton Marathon Committee will continue its tradition of honoring local veterans at this year’s race. The two individuals to be recognized are Bill Hamilton and Dick Simpson.

Hamilton, a lifelong resident, grew up on Ash Street, just steps from the marathon start line. A 1959 graduate of Hopkinton High School, he was in the Navy from 1959-62, serving as a quartermaster third class on the U.S.S. Barry.

He went on to be a firefighter and emergency medical technician for 30 years, also working as a carpenter and sign painter. Now retired, he is known for his popular Tales from a Townie stories in the Independent where he recounts his childhood in town.

Simpson, a 1967 HHS grad, represented the Army in Vietnam as a Specialist 5. He was honorably discharged in 1971 and was the recipient of the Army Commendation Medal.

Simpson worked at the Dennison Manufacturing Company in Framingham and spent 35 years as a letter carrier in Ashland. He now enjoys bocce, horseshoes and an occasional game of billiards.