Perky runs in Boston Marathon
Sports reporter
It was a cold day and the race was in jeopardy.
More than 20,000 runners had been training endlessly for the event, but the cold temperatures, five inches of forecasted rain, and nearly 50-mph gusts of wind still weren't enough to cancel the Boston Marathon.
Teresa Perky was glad it wasn't.
The former Marion resident finished in the middle of the pack April 16 in the country's biggest race.
"I was just hoping to finish the race," Perky said of the terrible conditions.
Not only did she finish, but the 49-year-old set a personal record with a time of three hours, 51 minutes, and 46 seconds.
"I was looking at my watch during the race and thinking, 'I'm making pretty good time,'" she said.
There was a point where she walked for about 20 yards and talked to a fellow runner next to her. She told him she couldn't believe that she was walking after being on pace to her best ever time.
"He was like, 'Get going,'" she said.
When she did cross the line it was good enough to finish about 8,000 spots ahead of her start number, which is based on qualifying time. Her official finish was 10, 957.
"I love to run," Perky said. "It goes back to the days when I ran for [coaches Marion Ogden and Rex Wilson]."
But in those days Perky was more of a sprinter, and it wasn't until seven years ago when distance running began to pique her interest.
She ran a half marathon with her husband, and then three full marathons. The third time was a charm she said, qualifying for the Boston Marathon with a time of 3:54.40 in a sanctioned 26.1-mile marathon in Duluth, Minn.
When she finally made the trip to Boston, she had her own cheering section. Her husband, son, brother, and sister were waiting for her at the finish line.
"That just added to the excitement," Perky said.
The excitement of running hasn't left Perky even after accomplishing her goal. She will run in the same marathon in Duluth this summer that allowed her to qualify for Boston.
And as for the granddady of them all: She said it's not out of the question.
"I have a passion for running," she said.
A passion that lasts far beyond 26 miles.
