MARATHON EDITION IT ALL STARTS HERE!
PRST-STD U.S. Postage PAID Hopkinton, MA 01748 Permit No. 109 ECRWSS Postal Patron
Vol. 20 | No. 8 | April 10, 2019
COMMEMORATIVE
Excitement builds for 123rd Boston The Boston Marathon brings great excitement, pride and even some financial gain to Hopkinton every year. Here are some things you might not know about the the world’s most prestigious marathon. n The course only lasts 1.9 miles INDEPENDENT in Hopkinton, but of THOUGHTS course participants spend much more JERRY SPAR time here waiting for the race to begin and trying to stay warm and dry. The 32,000-plus runners and wheelchair racers will collectively shed an estimated 50,000 pounds of clothing before they head out on Route 135. The majority of those clothes will end up being hauled away by trucks from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay, headed for donation centers. The rest will end up in my closet (adult medium sweatshirts are especially appreciated, thank you). n The entire marathon course has a net downhill of 459 feet. Hopkinton is responsible for much of that — the first three-quarters of a mile is a drop of 165 feet. 123rd Boston | 2
HOPKINTON INDEPENDENT
‘I’m driven for this’
2019 ISSUE
After cancer battles, Snyder determined to achieve goal By Jerry Spar Managing Editor
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opkinton resident Todd Snyder started training for his first Boston Marathon six years ago, after being inspired by his 5-year-old daughter, Ella. Recalled Snyder: “She was on my shoulders and she bent over and said, ‘I want to run the marathon some day.’ I’m like, ‘Perfect, that would be great. If you put your mind to it you can do it.’ And then Todd Snyder she said, ‘Would you run it with me?’ I’m like, ‘Uh … sure,’ not wanting to disappoint her or change what I had said.” Little did he know what was ahead for him and his family. Snyder, now 42, had never run except when training to play baseball and football growing up in a Buffalo suburb. He signed up for a beginning running program, started
working out and registered for a half-marathon. All was going well. Until March of 2014, when he had a routine physical (his wife made the appointment because he had not seen the doctor in a couple of years). That led to the first diagnosis of cancer. “That kind of derailed things,” Snyder said. Fortunately it was a treatable form of cancer, and the prognosis was good. So, after the initial surprise, the family took it in stride. “We’re pretty positive people,” said Todd’s wife, Dena. “I was shocked, that was absolutely the first reaction. But everyone treats their story or whatever it is differently. And we’re just not negative, down-looking people. We’re pretty centered, so we were pretty positive.” In fact, Dena said they went so far as to make light of the situation. “The first time we were kind of humorous,” she said. “We were cracking jokes with people at [Dana-Farber Cancer
INSIDE Page 7: Hopkinton veterans to be honored at start Pages 12-16: Local turnout strong for 2019 race Page 16: Selectman Herr set for 30th and final Boston Page 18: After health scare, Team Hoyt back on track Page 19: HHS duo treated like stars on BAA trip to Japan Page 22: Looking to start running? Plenty of races in town
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Wishing you well every step of the way!