Hanscom AFB, MA Hanscom FCU director Ray Phillips will complete his 100
th marathon this year when he runs his 17
th Boston Marathon. Like most journeys, this one began with a wish that became a plan, then blossomed to something bigger. Heres the inspiring story.
Ray ran his first marathon at age 50. He jumped right in, completing 11 races in two years. Living in the greater Boston area, Ray dreamed of running the Boston Marathon, but his four-hour finishing times would not qualify him for a race number.
Ray got his opportunity in 2000 through Boston Childrens Hospital, running to raise money for their foundation. Along the way to his first race, Ray met his patient partner Andy Martin, Jr and his family. Their relationship started when four-year-old Andy charmed Ray and his wife Susan.
Andy was born with spina bifida, a birth defect involving the spinal cord. Andy was a frequent patient at Childrens, enduring multiple surgeries and other treatments. Ray took inspiration from Andy, knowing that a 26.2 mile run was nothing compared with what Andy faced every day.
Andys sly sense of humor made for great stories. On race day, Andy would wait for Ray at the top of Boylston Street. "What took you so long?" became his refrain as Ray carried him on his back, and later pushed him in a wheelchair to the finish line.
Andy kept each finishing medal, declaring they had won the race, again and again. For Ray, it did feel like winning, and he knew Andy deserved every medal. When he turned 18, Andy completed the race himself in the wheelchair division, finishing the race in 2014 and 2015. This year, medical issues have interfered with Andys training schedule, so he didnt enter the race. But hes already planning for 2017.
Ray runs about six marathons a year, including races in Vermont, New York, Miami, and, of course, Boston. As he approached his 100
th marathon, Ray revealed his not-so-secret motivation. "Every year at the finish line, Andy and I renewed our commitment to each other and the race. I would have stopped long ago if it hadnt been for Andy," Ray asserts.
Will there be a 101
st race? Of course. Ray already has his eye on a new goal. In only eight years, at the age of 76, Ray plans to run his 25
th Boston Marathon. And, no doubt, Andy Martin will be there to cheer him on to the finish line.
To learn more about the campaign, visit
www.hfcu.org/marathon.
