Boston is the oldest annual marathon and one of the most prestigious road race events in the world. RCSI students have participated in the event since 1999 and past runners still hold cherished memories of this unique experience.
Alongside its age status, Boston is also one of the most competitive marathons and qualifying times are highly challenging. Pick up any book on running or marathons and the Boston race is sure to feature. This year the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) filled its 26,000 slots in one day leaving thousands of runners bitterly disappointed.
Many of whom had trained all year and who would have qualified within the time limits. RCSI’s involvement in the race stems from graduate Dr John V Coyle (Class of ‘62). Thanks to him, there is always huge interest in the team when they arrive in Boston – from meeting the Mayor to attending various pre-race events. RCSI would like to extend its sincere thanks and appreciation to Dr Coyle for supporting their efforts for more than a decade.
This year the participating runners have decided to go the extra mile! They plan to raise funds for Breast Cancer Ireland whose mission is to offer Ireland a translational approach to the treatment of Breast Cancer. Breast Cancer Ireland aims to achieve this by speeding up discovery and treatment of patients diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Their efforts involve working closely with clinicians and scientists throughout the country.
If you come across the team members around the college waving their sponsorship cards please reach into your purse or wallet. That’s the easy part! Think about the difficult part – the 26.2 miles the runners will cover in their efforts.
While some 43 elite athletes from all over the world will compete for the coveted first place, RCSI offers its own winning trophy. The John V Coyle Perpetual Trophy is presented annually to the first RCSI runner to cross the finish line. Last year, the honour went to GEP Medicine student Simon Clifford with an impressive time of 3’15”. To get to the Boston starting line Simon and the team had to do battle with a certain ‘ash cloud’. They were aboard the last Irish flight to take to the skies before the infamous cloud brought air travel to a standstill. No doubt Simon will be working hard to put his name on the trophy again this year.
RCSI wish the team all the very best in their endeavours. Go Surgeons Go!
