NAHANT — Ellen Goldberg is no novice when it comes to running the Boston Marathon.
As part of her annual effort to raise money for the Massachusetts Association for the Blind, the 52-year-old Nahant resident has run the grueling 26.2-mile course every year since 2009.
This year, however, she freely admits that 2020’s unusual, COVID-concious marathon setup made for an experience quite unlike any other on Monday as she completed her 288th mile — alone — from her basement treadmill.
“Some would say it’s easier to run on a treadmill,” Goldberg said. “I wouldn’t say that at all. It’s a different set of challenges.”
Following Mayor Martin Walsh’s postponement and eventual cancellation of the event earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Boston’s Athletic Association (BAA) announced in May that the 124th Boston Marathon would be held through a series of virtual events during the second week of September.
In order to receive a medal, runners who qualified were given the option to complete the 26.2 miles within a six-hour time period over a span of 10 days, resulting in participants all over the globe taking to their local neighborhoods this week to run what may very well be the strangest marathon of their lives.
Worried about the logistics of mapping out her own course, Goldberg said she ultimately made the decision to complete the race from the safety of her basement.
“There are a lot of positives about running on the treadmill. Number one, the bathroom is upstairs,” she said with a laugh. “You can also go fill up your water bottle really easily.”
The advantages stopped there, however, as Goldberg said she struggled to complete the course without the usual energy that emanates from the marathon’s nearly 500,000 spectators.
With her eldest son away at school and the rest of her usual support team stuck inside their own homes, Goldberg said only her daughter, Sarah, 14, was home to hold up the makeshift finish line as she triumphantly crossed it five hours, 44 minutes, and 42 seconds later.
“It was really hard because there was nothing to look forward to,” Goldberg said. “It was weird. I’m looking at the cobwebs, I’m looking at the window, I’m thinking ‘I’m just in the basement. This is really weird.’
“There’s a lot to say about the whole experience, but the sad part is that my kids weren’t going to be there. I was so sad that I wasn’t going to see them.”
Even though he wasn’t able to be there to cheer her on in person, Goldberg’s son, Ben Quigley, said his support for his mother never wavered.
“I’ve been at every Boston Marathon she’s run, so not being there for this one was definitely a bit sad, but this is a year of big changes and new things,” said Quigley, 18. “I was so happy to be able to see her finish, because even if it was virtual, she still did it, you know? She ran those 26.2 miles.”
He later added: “I got a picture of her right when she crossed the finish line, and I’ve looked at it probably a million times over the past day. Even if I was supporting her virtually, I was still supporting her. It was the same feeling of pride and happiness as it was when I was there watching her run in person. I’m so proud of her.”
Although she wasn’t thrilled with her final time (“been better, been worse”) Goldberg said she was happy to accomplish the goal that set her on the marathon path 11 years ago.
Monday’s virtual race raised $6,000 for the Massachusetts Association for the Blind. Since 2009, Goldberg has managed to raise a total of nearly $90,000 for the organization.
“Considering this is something I never intended to (get into), I’ve done it consistently for 11 years in a row, including the year of the bombing,” she said. “I thought this might be my last year, but after I finished, I thought ‘I might have to do another. I might have to get to 100.’”
Elyse Carmosino can be reached at [email protected].
