By Melissa Moore-Randall
While most teachers were on a warm beach or enjoying a relaxing April vacation, two Revere teachers were participating in their first Boston Marathon.
On Monday, April 15, Amy Rotger and Alex Butler took off from Hopkinton on the 26.2 mile journey as two of the 30,000 estimated runners participating this year.
Amy Rotger, a 5th grade math/science teacher at the A.C. Whelan finished her first marathon in 5:38:39. Her fiance, Gordon Stilwell, ran alongside her the entire race. Amy, who is also the RHS Girls’ Lacrosse coach, ran for the charity Stepping Strong Foundation in honor of her Mom. “It was definitely one of the most difficult things I have ever done both physically and mentally. But it was also the most memorable experience I have ever had. It is something that I will never forget and I feel beyond grateful for having the opportunity to run.”
Alex Butler, an 8th grade civics teacher at SBA, finished her first marathon in 04:36:23. Butler, also the RHS Field Hockey Coach, also ran in memory of her Mom running for Dana Farber. “The heat made it difficult but the crowds were so incredible. The amount of support and kindness I received from strangers and loved ones was overwhelming. The Boston Marathon was even better than I could have imagined!”
According to the BAA.org website, The Boston Marathon began in 1897. The event was inspired by the success of the first marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics. The Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon and ranks as one of the world’s best-known road racing events. The event attracts 500,000 spectators along the route, making it New England’s most viewed sporting event. Starting with just 15 participants in 1897, the event has grown to an average of about 30,000. The course runs 26 miles and 385 yards (42.195 km) following Route 135, Route 16, Route 30 and city streets into the center of Boston, where the official finish line is located at Copley Square, alongside the Boston Public Library. The race runs through eight Massachusetts cities and towns: Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline, and Boston.
