‘It’s very electrifying’: Mi’kmaw runner makes N.S. community proud at Boston Marathon

Jarvis Googoo, the first person from We’koqma’q First Nation in Nova Scotia to qualify for the Boston Marathon, is making his home community proud.

The avid runner said the marathon has long been a goal of his, and he was feeling both excited and nervous ahead of the big race Monday.

“It’s very electrifying,” he told The Morning Show from his hotel room the morning of the marathon.

“It’s just kind of like, just such big, exciting height of doing such a massive event — not just a marathon, but, from what I understand, the world’s oldest annual marathon at 126 years and ongoing there.

“So it’s a big honour to be a part of that.”

Part of the honour, he said, was the support shown to him by fans young and old. The community helped with sponsorships, and school children from We’koqma’q First Nation in Cape Breton held a rally to cheer him on, posting a video of themselves chanting and holding signs.

Community members offered their congratulations and well-wishes too.

“I could see this video with everyone in the community rallied behind me and they’ve also got family members brought up from Mi’kmaw communities to cheer me on,” he said.

“And it just means so much to me. It’s so much going into this and I can’t express the gratitude I have from the bottom of my heart for this video and all the support behind it.”

Googoo, who ran with 30,000 other participants, went into the race fueled up on his secret weapon — Skittles.

Yes, the candy.

He explained his dietician suggested fueling up on carbs, and listed Skittles as an option.

“I’m not a picky eater, so I’m like, ‘Well, she recommended pineapples, Skittles, peanut butter, etc. Let’s just put them all together to see how it goes,'” he said.

“It wasn’t a bad sandwich. Well, not the greatest, but it wasn’t a bad sandwich, either.”

He ended up finishing the 42.195-km marathon in 3:15:07.