It’s that time of year again! Twin City Track club sending off some phenomenal runners to run THE Boston Marathon. The Super Bowl, World Cup, Major Leagues equivalent for runners. Though who knows what any of those terms mean, we’re runners, we only follow runner lore.
Let’s see who all was sent out this year:
Nathan Beamguard
Jeremy Bush
Myron Coulson
Donnie Cowart
Mitch Monroe
Miguel Perez
Ted Poulos
Alicia Rider
Julie Sutter
Maddie Stambaugh
Maleah Chumley
Marlana Riley
That’s quite the list… hey wait a second, a few of those names are not track club members! Alright, ya caught me. I added a couple stowaways. Let me introduce you to them before we get into all the Boston hubbub. They’re pretty cool runners, I’m sure you’ll like them!
Maddie Stambaugh is practically a local legend, though not Strava wise, but pretty close, at this point, a bit more akin to Donnie Cowart in terms of being well known in the community and being a competitive runner. She was a track club member for years until she moved out of the area. She’s often seen running in elite level races like she did for Swamp Rabbit, and she’s travelled to a few countries for races as well! Maddie hasn’t forgotten about her club friends though, as she comes back to visit pretty frequently and will also volunteer or participate in some of the local races. She participated in my very first article with the club, which was also about Boston. So, when it came to writing this one, I thought of her again – talk about a full-circle moment.
Maleah Chumley is actually a friend of mine from high school. She joined the cross-country team, and she hasn’t looked back – s you should with being a runner. She faced some personal battles during her time, I’ll let her tell those stories if and when she’s ready. But in true runner fashion, she persevered, and she’s come back stronger for it each time. After she graduated high school, she let running go to the back burner for a while as she enjoyed powerlifting for a few years. Running never left her mind though as she’s been slowly making her way back to it for a while. She’s been living out in London, England for the last 2 years for school. During this time is when she conquered her first marathon, and conquer isn’t a strong enough word, as she qualified for Boston on the first go! It’s been nothing short of an honor to call Maleah a friend all these years as she’s a positive influence, really kind and I’ve enjoyed every moment watching her growth throughout growing up in this sport.
Marlana Riley is a local runner who joined the community relatively recently. She’s generally into fitness as a whole but has only recently begun to focus more on running, starting marathon training two years ago. Like Maleah, she smashed her first marathon, qualifying for Boston in the first attempt. Boston itself was only her 3rd marathon. If you see these ladies around, be sure to give them their well-deserved Strava kudos!
Now that the strangers’ introductions are out of the way and we’re all friends now, we can get to the real meat and potatoes of this article.
Nathan Beamguard:
2025 made for my 6th in-person Boston plus the bonus virtual one in 2020. I almost feel this question about favorite moments of the weekend can answer itself as it never changes. I love getting to spend time with friends on this memorable trip and getting to be in the corral leading to the start. All the buzzing excitement really gets the motor of the legs moving. This trip doesn’t have any exciting wow factors or abysmal falling apart so it’s nothing too special this time around, though some may say that’s actually a good thing. The only thing that threw me for a bit of a loop that was different was struggling on the hills for the first time. Beyond that, this one aligns with my other Boston trips. With this being more of a lackluster year in the way of big, unexpected events during the race, the weather was really nice this year, unlike the heat and rain the past two Bostons. So, I’m glad I didn’t need to adjust strategy specifically for the weather. The weekend went fairly well all things considered, the one thing I wish I could have changed was the struggle on the hills. However, that’s a marathon for you, just comes with the territory sometimes. Afterwards I rewarded myself with some beer and more carbs of course. Gotta refuel after depleting all that energy! The training for Boston also wasn’t anything special, it aligns a lot with my usual training, though I did do a few more uphill and downhill centric runs. I’m happy to say I had another successful Boston trip and can’t wait for the next!
Donnie Cowart:
I always enjoy the crowd support as it’s an incredible experience. Fans throughout the race and they are loud! The enthusiasm from the colleges was unmatched from any other race of fan groups. The energy from them still has me buzzing days later. The weather was on point, so I didn’t need to adjust any strategy for my race, which is a blessing. I rewarded myself after with a cinnamon roll as those hills rocked me to the center of my body and soul! One thing I would change is my outward look. I wish I would have stayed more positive; this could have made a difference on a day where not much was going right for me. This training cycle was a bit different as I trained as hard as my body would allow in order to really give it my best shot. The fans are really something else as they will show up no matter what, I find this to be incredible. I was really struggling at some points, and I think the crowd seemed to notice and got even louder. I appreciate the support more than they will know.
Alicia Rider
This is my 9th time running Boston. After doing this the first handful of times, I knew what to expect, but Boston is always magical. I plan to qualify again. I want to run it one more time to get to 10 and then I will pass the unicorn torch to another hard-working runner. This will allow me to check off other races that interest me from a fun perspective. My favorite moments were spending time with friends that were there. The race itself is amazing, but nothing beats catching up with other people and meeting new ones. Despite having quite the resume built up at this point for Boston experiences, this one was tough because I only had 7 weeks of running before the marathon. I was injured in December and January. Didn’t start running again until February and then got an upper respiratory infection. So, I highly don’t recommend that training style. The cross training I could do on the bike just didn’t carry over fitness wise. So, I was just happy to finish this year. I wish I could’ve actually had a full training cycle. But you take what you can get sometimes and do what you can with what you have. I did confess my undying love for the woman that gave me a can of coke on the course. I may have asked her to marry me. Outside of those challenges, the weather actually wasn’t in that mix which was nice. It was probably one of the best Boston runs I’ve done, weather wise, though I will always prefer it to be under 40 degrees. Since I was just running to finish this year, I actually did all of the things you weren’t supposed to do. I spent a lot of time on my feet, walking and exploring. And just had a zero-stress year. It was a nice change not having the pressure of a time goal. My final words to everyone – Congratulations to all those that earned their spot and ran their race. Regardless of if it was your personal best or your personal worst, no one can take away your finish and your grit it took to get there!
Julie Sutter:
With this being my first Boston, I appreciate how much Boston the city and people support the race. Everyone was excited for all the runners who were there and super supportive. This is the biggest difference I noticed compared to other marathons. I BQ’d at Boston 2025, but no plans to go back in 2026. I have other races and events to experience, so I will pass the torch to someone else. I think my favorite moment of the weekend is the start line and starting the race. I ended up being in Wave 3 (Blue), corral 1 which put me right at the starting line. It seemed like I was “leading” the race, even though I know that to not be true. But the crowd, volunteers and runners are all super pumped. Also, seeing my family at mile 25 was a huge boost, I am super appreciative of them traveling to be there and support me. The weather luckily did not require any particular changes in strategy. I followed it as planned. It wasn’t a perfect race, my legs were definitely feeling it from mile 18 onward, the race started to feel tough around then. That course and the hills are no joke; you definitely have to dig deep when your quads are yelling at you to stop. Despite this challenge however, I was able to end up with an 8 min PR, so I’ll take it. Afterwards, I rewarded myself with a hot shower and a giant plate of fries smothered in clam chowder to replenish. The training cycle for this race was LONG. Though I had a lot of support from fellow TCTC members that either were actively training for their own races or currently are training for other races. Some folks did workouts with me, put together training plans and just overall gave encouragement throughout. This was a huge help during this training and just overall gave me encouragement throughout. In general marathon training, Boston goer or not, does start to wear on you after 16 weeks.
Maleah Chumley
This was my first Boston Marathon, and it was definitely one to remember! Initially, I planned for this to be my one-way ticket back home to the states after living in London for 1.5 years, but I was hired into my dream job and had to secure my graduate visa and move flats my final weeks before Boston.
With all of this going on I believe this, and the international flight, hit my immune system fairly hard, but I went into this race with the mindset that I was only doing it for the experience. This mindset allowed me to fully embrace the experience and enjoy it as much as I could! Compared to other marathons, I’ve never felt more supported every step of the way! There were always volunteers, medical assistance, police, porta potties, water, and amazing crowds along the way. The race doesn’t completely open up to running your own race like other marathons without weaving too much around other runners (and adding a bit of mileage), so I think enjoying the race is the best approach! You made it to Boston! I think that’s a feat in itself.
I actually really enjoyed the lead up to the race for my favorite moment(s)! Again, because I was a bit under the weather and I was going into the race with the mindset of having fun, it really allowed me to connect with others to hear their stories in the Athlete Village and on the bus. Running can be a lonely sport at times but knowing that there are so many people around you before, during, and after the race with such unique stories is such a motivator to keep going and be thankful for your body and its abilities.
As far as any changes that occurred in my strategy, I will not lie – I had no strategy. I don’t usually have one going into marathons. The distance is very long and anything can happen. I think it’s best to just take each mile as it comes. As far as the weather, it was apparently the best Boston’s seen in years. I do agree – we lucked out with the temperature and no wind – but as someone training in London, it was a bit warm, sunny, and dry. I found my mouth was dry for most of the run and I was a bit dehydrated (and very sunburnt) by the end. For any changes I wish I could have made, I would practice fueling more! I know part of the reason my head was swimming was due to my allergies or cold or whatever I had, but I also hadn’t experimented with a true 3-day carb load prior to the marathon weekend. I definitely switched my diet up quite a lot (potentially overdoing the carbs), and my body actually started revolting against taking anything down by mile 18. Other than weather, the other challenges that existed were (again) not being able to take on fuel at the “hardest part of the race” and also toilet breaks. Again, that all comes down to practice! A lot of people would probably say a major challenge is Heartbreak Hill, but I didn’t find it too difficult since I went into the race knowing it would be challenging and that it would get easier on the other side. Absorb the atmosphere and power up those Newton Hills.
As far as post-race festivities, my mom and my aunt drove all the way from Delaware just to see me run at one point during the race. I think it was a reward to get lunch and spend time with them since I only get to see them a couple times per year. (I also got CAVA, which doesn’t exist in England!). During my training, I definitely was my fastest during the marathon block, but I did run my slowest time (with bathroom breaks). I wish I had dedicated a bit more energy to strength training, but marathon training is a lot! I actually signed up for a few HYROX races to hold myself accountable and competed in Spain in February and March. And to wrap things up, My biggest pieces of advice are to enjoy the race (this is your celebration dance of the training you’ve done), take in the atmosphere (the runners and support will get you to the finish), be patient and prepared to run a little blocked in, and remember that this is a marathon not a sprint (literally).
It is awe-inspiring to see how many different runners had different experiences and goals all in the same race. Regardless of how you all did, Strava Kudos to EVERYONE! I think Alicia said it best in saying that no matter how you did, you earned your ticket, and no one can take that from you. Everyone should be proud of themselves for their performances leading up to, during and I hope very much treating themselves after to celebrate. Which I see quite a few of you did in different ways from enjoying the town or replenishing those lost calories. Can’t wait to see what the next group of Boston runners bring.