Running for Fun and Fundraising, Credit Union Officials Participate in Boston Marathon

BOSTON-Aside from their daily duties in the credit union industry, a number of officials hit the streets of Bean Town April 18 to participate in the 109th running of the Boston Marathon. Sixty-year-old Joe Boyle, NAFCU director of planning, programming and special projects, admitted two days after the 26.2 mile race that he was feeling "a little tight in my quads but overall very good." This was his first time at the Boston Marathon, but his eighth marathon overall. Even though Boyle did not meet his goal to finish the race in under four-and-a-half hours-he completed it in 4:48:41-he still felt good about another goal: finishing the run with his patient-partner, Timmy, a young boy with Cerebral Palsy. He ran with nine other credit union officials through Credit Unions of Massachusetts Kids at Hear program to raise funds for the Children's Hospital of Boston; Boyle alone raised $12,000. "It's just an extremely worthy cause," he said. All the training was worth it, he said. "The memories are going to stay with me for a long while," Boyle said, calling the crowd support "magical" and, at times along the course, eight people deep. Both Boyle and CUNA Director of Grassroots and Political Involvement Gretchen Graf, who also ran the race, could not say enough about the people cheering them on along the sidelines. Kids were handing out orange slices and popsicles to runners as they passed by and people put up their own money to offer water bottles along the course, Graf said. Though it may be hard for some to understand running that much "for fun," that is exactly why Graf did it. She explained that it is a great stress reliever. And, "It's an easy sport. It's something that you don't need other people around to do," she added. Boston is one of the more prestigious marathons, Graf explained, because you actually have to qualify for it. She qualified about a year and a half ago she said, with a time of 3:38; Graf, 30, needed 3:40 to qualify in the women's 18-35 category. She ended up completing the marathon with a time of 4:25:18, despite waking up with a cold, twisting her ankle twice in the first four miles, and warmer than ideal weather conditions. U.S. Central Product Analyst Andrew Ferris and Senior Technology Officer Stan Skwarlo also completed the race. Ferris' run also benefited the Children's Hospital of Boston. -

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