Monday morning, four local road runners — Ty Thurlow of Littleton; father and daughter, Dave and Tamara Goodrich of Houlton; and Gwen Jones, also of Houlton — took a plane from Boston to Albuquerque, supporting a worthwhile running cause — the One Run For Boston cross-country relay.
The organization helps raise money for victims of last year’s bombing.
Runners participating in the event are given a fundraising page, which enables them to gather sponsors for the One Fund Boston. More than 1,250 runners signed up and have raised more than $168,000 so far.
Thurlow ran the Boston Marathon a year ago, but thankfully, he had finished the race before the bombs went off at the finish line.
This year, The One Run For Boston cross-country relay started in Santa Monica on March 16. One Run For Boston will travel through California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Local runners will pick up with the record-breaking non-stop running relay in Albuquerque. The relay is set to reach Boston on Sunday, April 13, two days prior to the first anniversary of the bombings.
Organizers of the relay have been overwhelmed by the response they have received from those injured in the tragedy many of whom have expressed a wish to be involved in the event.
The 3,300-mile route is divided into 336 stages across 14 different states. Most stages are around 10 miles with some as long as 22 miles. Each stage can accommodate up to 25 runners.
Goodrich will be running stage No. 102, while Thurlow signed up to run stages No. 102 through No. 106 in rural New Mexico, from Vaughn to Ft. Sumner, beginning yesterday. The total distance of the five stages equals 64 miles.
“I’m running because the cause is worthy, the event is a challenge and filling the world with a few more good vibes can only help,” Thurlow said on his sponsorship page.
Goodrich said of his participation, “I’m running because I like challenges and I want to support the challenges of those impacted by the Boston Marathon bombing as they continue their healing process.”
Tamara Goodrich and Jones will unofficially run the relay, as a support system for Thurlow and Goodrich.
Supporters may follow the relay via a live tracker map, photo gallery and blog. Or, visit the event website at www.onerunforboston.org.
