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Farrow Fueled by BC:
He’ll be fighting fatigue by then, but count John Farrow among the Boston Marathon runners who looks forward to passing by Boston College on Monday.
Farrow, a lawyer from Albuquerque, was so impressed with the reception he got at the Heights on last year’s Marathon Day, he sent an e-mail recently to Chronicle addressed to “BC Students” expressing appreciation for their support: “You were absolutely nuts! I like that 20-plus miles into a marathon — you really picked me up. Don’t ever change!”
In a follow-up e-mail interview, Farrow said that while Wellesley College students tend to get most of the attention for their cheering (“They are fun,” he acknowledges. “There was a good Elvis impersonator there”), the BC students’ enthusiasm is a welcome sight by that juncture of the marathon. Given that he was fighting the heat of the day and a painful hip, Farrow said he really needed a boost as he crested Heartbreak Hill.
“The crowds were getting noisy, high-fiving everyone, really yelling, jumping up and down, even running out into the street and screaming, some were in costume slapping people on the back...I just started laughing and it made me forget about my hip.”
Farrow wound up finishing in a little over three hours and 56 minutes and qualified for the 60-64 year-old division in this year’s marathon, which will be his third in Boston. He’s lately been struggling with a hamstring injury and sinus infection, but aims to “do the best I can and enjoy how fortunate I am to still be able to be a part of this great event.”
There’s no shortage of memorable spots along the Boston Marathon route: the starting line in Hopkinton, the “scream tunnel” in Wellesley, the dips and climbs of Heartbreak Hill and the din of cheering along Kenmore and Copley squares. If student leaders and University administrators have their way, Boston College will be the site of another storied tradition of Marathon Monday: “Mile 21.”
Designed to be a comprehensive daylong program, “Mile 21” aims to organize the robust BC cheering section at the Heights and position students and alumni in front of the Commonwealth Avenue Gate to create a “golden mile” into Boston.
The Office of Residential Life, Student Affairs, Undergraduate Government of Boston College, the Residence Hall Association, the Office of the Dean for Student Development, Student Programs Office, Athletics, Quality of Student Life Committee, Office of Vice President for Student Affairs, Dining Services and BC Police Department have all played a role and lent their support to providing positive Patriots Day activities.
“This student-run initiative is working to create a cultural change on campus and get students involved in what can be a phenomenal event for not only BC, but for Boston,” said Office of Residential Life Director George Arey. “It is a great opportunity to change BC into an involvement culture instead of a spectator culture on Marathon Monday.”
The effort started when a group of students met with Arey and brainstormed ways to change the attitudes on campus toward Patriots Day from simply having a day off from classes to establishing a larger meaning of community.
“I can’t think of a day that has bigger meaning in the context of BC and the larger Boston community,” said student organizer Justin Pike ’11. “The value of a new tradition is not just to get students participating, but highlighting the efforts of the runners – our peers, who, by Mile 21, are about to complete a truly admirable undertaking.”
To that end, two film crews – one student (Student videos can be found here and here) one professional – have created videos about Mile 21 and the athletes who run on behalf of the Boston College Campus School, which serves students ages 3-21 with multiple disabilities including complex health care needs. This year, 350 students are running to raise money for the school and other charities.
“When runners on the route come over that last rise of Heartbreak Hill, the first thing they see is BC and know that the end is in sight. We want that image to be a truly memorable one,” said Pike.
The most conspicuous representation of the day will be a large inflatable arch reading “The Heartbreak is Over” raised by the Commonwealth Avenue Gate. A number of panoramic photos will be taken of the spectators under the arch, including seniors, alumni and the entire cheering section.
Along with Pike, students who have led the “Mile 21” effort include Katrina Lutfy ’12 and seniors Matt McCluskey, Cliff Baratta and Will Rush.
The festivities will start at 6 a.m. with the Campus School runner sendoff outside Campion Hall. The Campus School Pep Rally will follow at 10:30 a.m., along with a barbeque outside Corcoran Commons. Starting at noon, “Mile 21” giveaways and entertainment are planed outside the main gate of campus. Giveaways and events will continue throughout the day (For a complete schedule, see the “Mile 21” website).
“The Boston Marathon is one event that literally happens on our doorstep,” said Arey. “This group of student leaders has tirelessly worked across departments to establish ‘Mile 21’ as the next great Boston College tradition.”