Swift Current’s Hailey Thompson was one of 15 runners from Saskatchewan who took part in the 129th Boston Marathon on April 21st, finishing the 42-kilometre race with a time of three hours, five minutes and 16 seconds.
“I ran my first marathon in 2019, and I missed the Boston Marathon qualifying time by 42 seconds there, so then I was quite eager to break that,” Hailey said. “I ran a marathon again that fall and I was able to get a BQ, and then obviously COVID happened, but I wasn’t deterred. I just knew I wanted to get faster, so I kept working away at my goals.
“In 2023, I ran my personal best of two hours, 57 minutes and 57 seconds at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, which secured a good buffer for the qualifying for the Boston Marathon, then in 2024, I decided to take some time away from the marathon and work on getting faster, which helps with this race,” she added. “It was about 20 weeks of training, and it was a lot of treadmill running because Saskatchewan has quite unruly winters... it was a lot of resilience, but definitely worth it.”
More than 32,000 people from 118 different countries were entered in this year’s marathon. Thompson says it was an unreal experience to be part of the event and adds the atmosphere is like no other race.
“Just seeing everyone there from the elite to the everyday runner, it’s just something else, and there’s a place for everyone there,” she said. “Wherever you go in Boston, they’re just all about the marathon, and there’s always a crowd, they’re always encouraging, they’re always fun and they’re always uplifting. It’s just a crazy atmosphere to be a part of.”
Thompson adds she wants to eventually return to the Boston Marathon but is working on chipping away at her time.
“I would love to run a sub-2:50 marathon, so I think I’ll hold off on going back to Boston,” she said. “I’m going to do a couple shorter distances throughout the summer, and I think I’m going to work towards another fall marathon, I just haven’t set which one yet.”
Thompson also encourages anyone thinking about starting a running routine to just go out and get moving.
“Honestly, just lace up your running shoes and go out,” she said. It doesn’t matter how far you go or what your time is. Just go out and enjoy it... You’re not going to have the best days but just remember the ones that land really well. Those are the ones that are going to keep you coming back for more.”