WHATELY — Participating in the Western Mass. Mother’s Day Half Marathon is a tradition for Vicki Leigh Moro and her family.
Early Sunday morning when the starting gun fires, Moro intends to complete the seventh annual race’s 13.1 miles for the fifth straight year.
“It’s such a good atmosphere. And you see a lot of moms,” Moro said Tuesday, standing near the race’s starting line at Yankee Candle’s factory building.
She’ll be cheered on by her husband, Jon Moro, and children, Charlie, 19, Julianne, 10, Joseph, 8, and Matthew, “one who is no longer with us.”
Moro runs to support mothers everywhere because she intimately knows how difficult motherhood can be. Years ago, she lost an unborn child at 37 weeks.
“One day, I woke up and did not feel him moving,” said Moro of Southampton. “The doctor told us it was a one in a million thing. It was devastating at the time, but we came to realize that God works in mysterious ways, and Matthew was not meant to be on this earth.”
Like motherhood, Moro said, distance running is an test of endurance. Runners experience joy and pain, and must overcome difficulties to reach the finish line.
“You can’t compare yourself to others, and how they’re raising their kids. The race is the same way. You can only do the best you can do,” she said. “You don’t have to be better than anyone, you just have to finish.”
More than 400 runners and walkers are expected to participate this year, the first 600 of whom will receive a free race shirt and medal.
Walkers step off on a 9-mile course at 7:30 a.m., runners leave at 8. Registration, which costs $65, is open through today, and can be completed at www.racewmass.com. Raceday, runners can register at the race starting around 6 a.m.
Another draw for the race is the organization it benefits.
Proceeds from the race benefit Northampton-based Cancer Connection, a non-profit agency that offers programs and services, free of charge, to those living with cancer and to their families and caregivers.
“Every year, I run in memory of someone who’s fighting cancer. I put their name on my back,” she continued. This year, she’ll be wearing the name a friend from college who’s currently battling stage four breast cancer.
The race’s founder, Susan Monahan, selected Cancer Connection because she wanted the money to stay local and to give local runners a chance to get out early in the year.
This year, fundraisers have raised about $9,000 already.
Last year, in total, about $25,000 was raised through racer registration, without sponsors. With sponsors, Monahan estimated more than $40,000 was raised.
As a busy mother, who also works in Southampton’s town government, Moro finds the race empowering.
“You can be a mom and reach your goals. If you put your mind to it, you can do it,” Moro said, noting that to train she runs about four to five miles on average each day. She runs with a few friends, who are also moms, “before the kids are up.”
Often, amidst selfless and demanding responsibilities, Moro said mothers forget to take care of themselves. Sunday’s race, in contrast, is intensely personal — a chance to tackle and overcome an individual challenge.
And for those watching the race, it’s an opportunity to honor, remember and cheer on mothers everywhere, many of whom will be running.
For more information, or to donate to Cancer Connection, call 413-586-1642 or visit www.cancer-connection.org.