Peabody’s Marathon Man returns home a champion

For the second time in four years, the champion of the Philadelphia Marathon is returning home to Peabody.On Sunday, Dan Vassallo won Philly?s signature race with a time of 2:17:28. The Peabody resident also achieved a major career goal by qualifying for the Olympic trials in 2016.Vassallo, who also won the Philadelphia Marathon in 2010, needed to finish under 2:18:00 in order to qualify for the Olympic trials. He left himself 32 seconds to spare while also coming from behind to capture the race.?Winning was secondary,” said Vassallo, a Wilmington High grad. “My goal was to qualify for the Olympic trials. If I finished first in the marathon and also qualified for the trials, that would have been even greater. Fortunately, that?s how it went down.”Vassallo was leading the pack for the first 15 miles, but fell 20 yards behind three runners. He trailed for about three miles before reclaiming the lead at the 25th mile, refusing to relinquish it.?This is the healthiest I?ve been since I started running marathons seven years ago,” said Vassallo, 29. “But I?ve always run well in Philadelphia. I?ve been running there since 2008, and there’s been only time when I did not set a personal record.”Now four years wiser since his last victory in the City of Brotherly Love, Vassallo is especially proud of his current accomplishment. He dealt with an Achilles tendon issue in 2012, and was forced out of the Boston Marathon after injuring his back that year. He credits much of his success to his running partner and wife. “Katrina is my primary training partner,” he said, adding that his wife 14th finished in the women?s division Sunday in Philadelphia. “I run with her once a week, and it?s beneficial for both of us. She keeps me under control on the days when I need to go at a slower pace, and I probably pump the pace up and push her.”Even with a full-time job at GraVoc Associates in Peabody, Vassallo remains dedicated to running. When he and Katrina were married in June 2013, he made sure to find time for a run.?I did squeeze in a run on my wedding day,” Vassallo said with a laugh. “My friend Fernando Braz (a Peabody resident who has twice qualified for the Olympic trials) ran 20 miles on his wedding day, and I wanted to one-up him.Vassallo now returns to running at Brooksby Farm in Peabody as he chases down one final dream ? a spot on the United States Olympic team.?I?m under no grand illusions that I?m actually a contender to make the Olympic team,” said Vassallo, who finished 24th among men in the 2008 Boston Marathon. “But I?ve got myself to the starting line.”The Olympic trials are scheduled for February 13, 2016, in Los Angeles, the day before the LA Marathon. Only the top three runners out of an estimated pack of 100 will qualify for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.?The next step is making sure I?m healthy and ready to compete,” said Vassallo. “I need to listen to my body and train hard, but not to the point where I?m going to get myself injured. I can outsmart injury, but I can no longer out-tough injuries. I need to stay true to a constant and unrelenting training.?I?m also pretty fortunate to have a strong support system around me, and that?s not only my wife and my training partners. I?ve found out there a lot of people out there rooting for me, and I really appreciate that.”