Heart and Sole
Sara Rothberger slips into running shoes and smiles, thinking about the miles ahead. But taking that first step wasn’t always so easy; Rothberger wasn’t always so eager. “My relationship with running is a little bit different from most people,” admits Rothberger. “To be honest I actually used to hate it, but I taught myself to like it over the years.”
Looking for a healthier and more active lifestyle, the recent Georgia Southern alumna turned to running as an undergraduate. She completed half marathons and even worked at a running store to support her new hobby. The sport and exercise psychology major says she “caught the bug” and eventually began competing in marathons to push her physical and mental limits. “The good thing about being in sport and exercise psychology is that we work on training the mind to overcome athletic obstacles.”
Just one year after the 2013 Boston Marathon terrorist attacks, in a race that has become a national symbol of resiliency and determination, waves of runners and supporters from all over the United States showed up on the streets of Boston to display the true spirit of American strength and pride. Fittingly, Meb Keflezighi became the first American man to win the Boston Marathon since 1983.
“I never had a doubt in my mind that I wanted to run (Boston) this year. After hearing about the 2013 attacks, I knew I wanted to go out there, and be a part of that and come back with the running community and be even stronger,” said Rothberger. “It was really cool how the city of Boston and all the runners came together. The Boston Marathon is kind of like the World Series for recreational runners. Qualifying for Boston is as good as it gets.”
Established in 1897, the Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon and ranks as one of the best-known and most prestigious road racing events in the world. Running in the Boston Marathon is a lifelong goal even for veteran runners. Racers must qualify with a time (based on age and gender) from another marathon run in the past year and a half in order to participate. The Patriots’ Day event starts outside of Boston in rural Hopkinton and winds through several New England towns until it ends on Boylston Street in the center of the city.
A 24-year-old native of Madison, Wisconsin, Rothberger realized her goal and flew to Boston and joined 36,000 other runners on April 21, after qualifying at an earlier marathon in Atlanta. And she did more than simply cross the finish line. Rothberger achieved her personal best time during the 2014 Boston Marathon. She credits her education in Georgia Southern University’s coveted Health and Kinesiology program for her success. She graduated earlier this year with her master’s degree in sport and exercise psychology. “During the Boston Marathon, I was really able to utilize some of those skills and feed off the energy of the crowd.”
Along every stretch of the 26.2-mile route, spectators lined the streets cheering on the runners, holding signs that read “We Run Together” and “Boston Strong.” Event organizers used social media to pump up the city with motivational messages that urged people to take back the streets of Boston and to get the runners back where they belonged. Many of last year’s participants returned and wore their 2013 Boston Marathon jackets. At the finish line, a memorial was placed to remember and honor the victims.
Sara sums it up: “As runners, we are strong, we are resilient and we can overcome whatever is thrown at us. We just have that capacity.”
The next big step for Rothberger is starting her work on a doctorate at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in the fall, but accomplishing something as historic as the Boston Marathon will be tough to beat.
One foot in front of the other. One step at a time. There are many more miles ahead for Rothberger, but she admits, “Running the Boston Marathon was an experience I will never forget. It was one of the greatest accomplishments I’ve ever had in my life. I’m not sure how I’m going to be able to top it.” – Rebekah Faulk