The Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon and ranks as one of the world’s best-known road racing events.
For the first time since 1897, the prestigious race was cancelled and replaced with a virtual event, due to COVID-19.
Mackenzie Bowman is one of around 18,000 athletes from around the world who have participated or will be participating in the race virtually.
“I’m nervous and excited at the same time,” said Bowman, a mother of two from Gananoque.
“It will be different, but memorable nonetheless,” continued Bowman, a former track star at Holy Cross Secondary School in Kingston.
Bowman qualified for the 2020 Boston race at last year’s Prince Edward County marathon in Picton. Upon hearing that the Boston race was cancelled, she was not about to let her hard work go to waste.
“They gave us a virtual option which I jumped at immediately,” continued Bowman, who earned a cross-country scholarship at the University of New Hampshire after graduating from high school.
“I stopped running after university to start a family. After a 15-year absence, I decided to pick it up again and set a goal to qualify for the Boston race.”
Now 42, the research associate at the school of medicine at Queen’s University, looks forward to completing the Boston Marathon on Sunday.
“I will start in Gananoque and run along the Thousand Islands Parkway to Rockport and back again,” stated Bowman.
” That’s where I usually do my long training runs so I’m used to the pathway and it’s beautiful to run along the St. Lawrence River. I have a lot of family and friends who are coming out to support me. I also have a high school runner who will join me for the last 10 kilometres to push me to the finish line.”
Upon completion, Bowman will receive a medal and certificate from the Boston Athletic Association, which organizes the annual race.