Adams Man Takes On The Boston Marathon For Good Cause
 Brian Alarie of Adams is running to raise funds for the American Liver Foundation in this year's Boston Marathon. |
ADAMS, Mass. — A local runner is committed to running the Boston Marathon to raise money for the American Liver Foundation.
Brian Alarie likes to run.
In fact, the Adams native can cross the New York City Marathon and the Chicago Marathon off his list. However, at the age of 51, Alarie has decided to take on Boston, which some consider one of the hardest 26 miles, 385 yards in the country.
"This is the pinnacle ... I have done five marathons, and I am really proud of these marathons and all the work that it took," Alarie said. "But the question that always comes up is 'well, have you ever done Boston?' And with my ego deflated, I say 'no.' "
Yet, Alarie is not putting himself through the trials of preparing for a marathon with a stretch of road nicknamed "Heartbreak Hill" for the sake of conversation. Alarie is fundraising for liver health and prevention of liver diseases and cancers.
"The treatment for this stuff is very exhausting with all the steroids and it can really wipe people out," he said. "So I want to raise money for research that will find better treatment and cures."
Alarie said there are two ways to qualify for one of the most competitive marathons in the world. He said an average of 30,000 people can qualify for the race while other marathons allow 50,000 to run. He said individuals have to qualify for Boston by running another marathon under a certain time, but even if you qualify you may not make the cut if there are faster runners.
"Even if I trained my fanny off, I would never be fast enough to qualify," Alarie said. "It is just way out of my reach. So the other way of doing it is joining a charity."
Alarie said he chose the AFL because liver disease is something he is familiar with. He said as a probation officer, he has seen many perish from issues related to the liver.
"I just run into so many people that have different types of liver disease and you are kind of helpless," he said. "I thought this was an important way for me to give back. I understand what they are going through."
Be that as it may, one does just sign up to run the Boston Marathon to kick in a few bucks for a good cause. Alarie chose to use the word "binding" when discussing his acceptance. He said only after filling out lots of paperwork and guaranteeing that he will raise at least $5,000 he was accepted.
"I have been hesitant because, honestly, I wasn't sure I could raise that much money, and if you have been accepted, you sign your name to it and they don't care if you fund raise or not," he said. "They are going to get that $5,000 ... one way or another."
He said if he falls short he has to pay the rest out of pocket.
"It's pretty scary but it's something I really wanted to do so I bit the bullet," Alarie said. "I was going to give it my best shot, and this will make running this marathon so much more worthwhile."
Alarie said soon after being accepted he started fund raising. He said he spends sometimes two hours a night writing thank you letters and preparing. As of now, he has raised $2,080 and has some ways to go before the race in April. However, he said he was confident he would raise the money and is happy to run for the cause no matter what.
"It's pretty special when I am out there, even if really sucks and the wind is blowing in my face, I think about the people that have donated this money," he said. "I want to earn their donations. It's their hard-earned money, and I need to be out there doing the best I can."
The work does not stop after the fund raising, and Alarie still has to get outside and pack on the miles.
He said he has always trained for fall marathons and that spring marathons, like Boston, yield a completely different training condition: Winter.
"I love running but it hasn't been a lot of fun ... you are wearing five layers of clothes, a full ski mask, gloves, and hats," Alarie said. "The ice freezes to my eyebrows ... I get a snowball type freeze under my chin in my mask from the freezing sweat, and ... it is just not as easy to train in."
He admitted to being worried about the race, raising money, and the harsh winter training conditions, but after a visit to Boston Marathon finish line, where the bombings occurred in 2013, his fear went away.
"Once I saw that I knew I was doing the right thing. Right across the street they had one of the shops where the bomb went off and there were still flowers there," he said. "People were still putting flowers there, and to see that finish line and to see that shop with the flowers was really something special."
Alarie is enthusiastic to say the least. With Patriots Day, the permanent day of the race, just around the corner, Alarie is ready to run rain or shine.
"I don't know what is going to happen when I cross that finish line, but it is going be something special and something I will remember," he said.
People can donate to Alarie personally or through his Run for Research page on the American Liver Foundation website.
There will also be a pasta and chicken fundraising dinner at the PNA on Saturday, Feb. 7, from 4 to 7. Tickets are $12.
Tags: boston marathon, charity, fundraiser, running,
