Of the many amazing stories that come out of the Boston Marathon each and every year, Tara Zraunig’s journey continues to shine.
The Greenfield native competed in Monday’s 112th running of the race, traversing the 26.2-mile course for the second year in a row. But this year’s trek through the streets and hills of Boston had added meaning.
For Zraunig, who now resides in Beverly, Monday’s race was in memory of someone dear to her — Paula Castine.
In September 2016, her sister-in-law Kelly (Castine) Zraunig lost her mother Paula Castine to pancreatic cancer. Tara had been close with the Castine family long before her brother Matt had even known his future wife, and Tara knew that running in Castine’s memory was something she wanted to do.
So this marathon cycle, she focused her fundraising effort on supporting the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation. Zraunig received a bib number after being selected from the lottery through her employer, John Hancock Financial. She needed to raise $5,000 for the charity, a number she breezed past before Monday’s race.
“I wasn’t worried about raising that money,” Zraunig explained. “I was hoping for closer to six or seven thousand. I met my minimum goal about two to three weeks prior to the marathon, but was still promoting on Facebook.
“Yes, I met my goal, but there’s still time to donate and I wanted to raise as much money as I could. I tried to be as proactive as I could.”
As for the race itself, Zraunig and the rest of the competitors in Boston weren’t exactly gifted with optimal conditions. Still, the 39-year-old Greenfield High School alum shaved over 25 minutes off her time from 2017. She crossed the finish line with a time of 5 hours, 1 minute and 1 second on Monday.
“I was fortunate in that I prepared well for the elements,” said Zraunig. “I never really got cold or had issues other than being wet. I would say temperature-wise, it was easier this year than last year because last year was hot for us runners. I definitely felt better with my pace and breathing.”
Zraunig got to see all sorts of friends and family along the course.
She caught up with a field hockey teammate from her time at Bentley University at the 10K mark, saw her parents as well as Kelly and her sister-in-law at Mile 17. Zraunig caught up with another friend at Mile 18, saw even more family at the 21½ mile point. As she crept on through to Fenway, she continued to see familiar faces. They held up signs with her initials ‘TZ’ on them, or pictures of Paula marked with the hashtag #PaulaStrong in purple.
“No matter how much you train on the course, it’s still one of the toughest in the world,” she admitted. “But I was definitely happy with my time this year. And everything worked out again with seeing people on the course. Everyone was where they were last year, no problems finding anyone in the crowds.”
Taking advantage of the training program offered by John Hancock, one of the chief sponsors of the race, Zraunig felt well-prepared despite a few setbacks during the build-up to Monday.
“In December I hurt my leg a bit, needed to get it looked at and rest,” she recalled. “In the middle of winter, I fell on a patch of ice and hurt my back. But what I learned this year, most importantly, was to be more patient with resting to heal before I started my training up again. I think that was very important in my preparation.”
That preparation led her to the faster time, and an unforgettable trip through the iconic course.
“There’s nothing like running the Boston Marathon,” said Zraunig, who completed her fourth marathon overall. “The crowds are amazing. They get you through it. If you have your name or your initials on your clothes, they’re yelling at you and encouraging you.”
With the race now over, Zraunig said she’s planning on watching next year’s edition from the crowd. She’ll still be involved in some way shape or form, however. After raising a large chunk of money in Paula’s memory and backing that up on the course, she’s deserving of a little time away.
“I’m happy it’s over and I’m still processing the whole experience of it, what I was running for. I’m sure I will be for awhile,” she said. “No matter how hard or easy it is for people, it’s an experience you can talk about for the rest of your life.
“I’m going to take a break now but I’ll never say never about doing it again in the future,” Zraunig said about future marathon prospects. “I want to be a spectator again. But I’m going to look into volunteering with John Hancock, help people prepare and train from that aspect of it. We’ll see.”