Isabelle Giordano is no stranger to running. As a student at Hopkinton High School, she earned all-state recognition in track and field and broke nine school records. She went on to a standout track career at Dartmouth College. But those were much shorter races than...
Morgan Woodman has had to endure more challenges than the typical avid athlete. She has struggled with stomach issues since she was a sixth-grader in Hopkinton, and over the years has endured severe bloating, vomiting, bleeding, pain and a substantially compromised...
Before Johanna Impellizeri runs the Boston Marathon, she will continue to run a $5,000 fundraiser for the Hopkinton Garden Club, a group whose work will not be as visible during this year’s race. The area around the Boston Marathon starting line is part of the Main...
When children are young, they tend to gravitate toward joyful activities like art and running, Bobbi Gibb has observed. Now 78, Gibb says, “I just never stopped doing those things.” “I have always loved to run,” she said. “And I kept on running, even when other people...
Attracting an elite field proved more challenging than usual this fall for major marathons. With spring marathons postponed until the fall, five Abbott World Marathon Majors are taking place within seven weeks, spreading the top talent between them. Boston will have...
Principal Alan Keller has been running Hopkinton Middle School for the past 12 years. Now he is running — literally — in the Boston Marathon to support his school’s Desire to Inspire program. Keller first ran the race in 2012, the year before the marathon bombing. He...
Dick Hoyt voiced optimism prior to the last Boston Marathon in 2019 that he might return to pushing his quadriplegic son, Rick, in the race that helped build the legacy of Team Hoyt. Tragically, Dick Hoyt did not live to see another Boston. The 80-year-old passed away...
The return of the Boston Marathon this October means the return of volunteers who have helped staff the annual event. After missing the past two spring events, they are eager to get back to work. “It’s awesome, it’s something I look forward to every year,” said Craig...
CrossFit is a workout regime best known for its ultra-high intensity and relatively short duration. But a quintet of athletes from Hopkinton’s Resilience Fitness will take on a much longer fitness endeavor when they run the Boston Marathon this October. The group...
Ruta Upalekar has a drive for helping others, both at home and abroad. Her volunteer work with two India-based charities spurred her desire to begin running in 2015, an activity she uses as a vehicle for fundraising. The Hopkinton resident and will interlace her twin...
As the Boston Marathon returns to Hopkinton on Oct. 11, after a pandemic-related cancellation last year and delay this year, many aspects of the race will change, but some hallmarks of the historic race remain. Since the advent of the wave start in 2006, the Boston...
Ann-Michele Dragsbaek didn’t play a single sport in high school. A mother of four, she first started running after having kids. Now, on Oct. 11, she’s set to run her 15th Boston Marathon. “I had just had my fourth baby,” Dragsbaek says, thinking back to her first...
What started as a dare more than two decades ago has turned into a passion for David Pete. The Hopkinton resident was at a friend’s house in late 1999 when the idea of running the Boston Marathon was first discussed. “Our wives were there and they kind of chuckled to...
For many people, running is either a hobby or a basic form of exercise. But for 62-year-old Andrew Longoria, a 15-year learning specialist at Hopkinton High School, it’s an escape to balance life. On Oct. 11, Longoria will run the Boston Marathon on behalf of the HHS...
When she was a goaltender on the Hopkinton High School lacrosse team, Jaclyn Chirco was very successful at protecting the goal. As an adult, Chirco is focused on a different goal — completing the Oct. 11 Boston Marathon. Chirco will run as a fundraiser for Hopkinton...
Tom Grilk and Jack Fleming from the Boston Athletic Association paid a visit to Tuesday's Select Board meeting to thank the town and share details about the Oct. 11 Boston Marathon. “Without Hopkinton, there is no Boston Marathon,” said Grilk, BAA president and CEO....
Editor's note: The town announced Tuesday that it updated its plans for paving work. The updates have been included here. The town announced Monday that in preparation for the Oct. 11 Boston Marathon, the Main Street Corridor Project will focus on cleanup,...
Leading up to the Oct. 11 Boston Marathon, the Independent will profile local charity runners. This issue we highlight Marla Oram, who is running to raise funds for Hopkinton High School’s Business Professionals of America Club as well as the school’s robotics team....
The Boston Athletic Association announced last week that entrants in the 125th Boston Marathon will need to provide proof of vaccination or produce a negative COVID-19 test in order to participate in the Oct. 11 race. When individuals go to pick up their bib between...
Leading up to the Oct. 11 Boston Marathon, the Independent will profile local charity runners. This issue we highlight Jamie Weeden, who is running to raise funds for the Hopkinton Women’s Club. Weeden and her husband, Treavor, have been active in the running...
