SWAMPSCOTT — When Stephanie Riley was asked if she’d be interested in running the Boston Marathon as a member of the Joe Andruzzi Foundation team back in 2011, she didn’t hesitate to do her part for a good cause.
In fact, Riley, a Swampscott resident, has run the marathon twice as a member of the Andruzzi Foundation team and four times in total.
“I kind of just stumbled upon them by chance,” said Riley, a Wakefield native who works at Fidelity Investments. “A co-worker of mine was looking for people interested in joining the team and running with them. I ran for them my first time in 2011 and again in 2014. I really wanted to help raise money for a great organization.”
Riley will run her fifth Boston Marathon next Monday, her third with the Andruzzi Foundation. This time, however, the cause hits a little closer to home. She’s running the marathon in honor of her late uncle, Dan Riley, who died last March after a battle with glioblastoma.
“My uncle was diagnosed six years ago, Stage 4 inoperable brain tumor,” Riley said. “They gave him a couple months if he was lucky. He was always so optimistic and had great faith. He ended up living for almost five years. He was cancer free for a few years of that. He helped fellow cancer patients and started a blog that was pretty popular. He was always always helping people right up until the end.”
Monday will mark the first Boston Marathon she has run since 2014. Riley also ran in 2012 and 2013, the year the bombs detonated on Boylston Street in an act of terrorism. She has vivid memories of the explosions and carries a valuable takeaway from the experience.
“You never know when everything can change,” Riley said. “I turned that corner and that was the best marathon I had ever run. I was flying high. Everything can change quick. I’m very grateful that nobody in my family was harmed. It definitely puts things in perspective for you in regards to how quickly things can change.”
Her inspiration to run the marathon in her uncle’s honor came from being there last April as a spectator.
“I went to watch that marathon last year and in the back of my mind and I said ‘this is what I have to do to honor my uncle,'” Riley said. “I saw Joe Andruzzi there and I told him ‘this is what I have to do next year.'”
Since then, Riley has dedicated herself to preparing for the 26.2 mile course. Part of her training regimen includes a weekly Saturday morning run with a group that meets at the Under Armour store in the Prudential Center.
“I’ve actually cut back a bit with my running this year,” Riley said. “I run three times a week, sometimes four. I meet with a group that runs every Saturday morning. It’s a great support system. On average, we run anywhere from 14-17 miles.”
The Massachusetts weather hasn’t provided favorable running conditions but Riley doesn’t view that as an opportunity for excuses. Regardless of what type of weather is forecast for Monday’s marathon, the race goes on.
“If there’s anything I’ve learned from training and running in Boston, it’s that you can get hit with any type of weather,” Riley said. “It’s better to run in that weather and get used to it because it helps prepare you come marathon day. Whether it’s snow, rain or wind, the marathon still happens. You have to get ready for whatever it throws at you.”
With the race less than a week away, Riley’s current focus is on making the final tweaks to get her body fully prepared for the run. Riley currently has what she calls the “pre-marathon jitters” but expects those to go away as the race nears.
“I’m running a little bit,” Riley said. “I’m focusing more on stretching and making sure the body’s ready to go. My legs are prepared, they’re ready. I just have to make sure they’re loosened up and ready to go.
“It’s a little bit of everything. I’m excited, I’m nervous, I’m all over the place and it changes by the minute. It’s the typical pre-marathon jitters. Am I ready? Have I done enough? Part of me wishes I had another week to get ready for it. Once I get my bib on Friday it all switches to excitement.”
