Led by Coach Don Megerle, the Tufts Marathon Team takes to the streets to prep for Boston—and make up for last year
Don Megerle has been coaching the Tufts Marathon Team for 12 years now, working to get the runners into peak shape for the 26.2-mile race year after year. Last year’s tragedy hasn’t put a dint in his efforts. “I’m encouraging them to do something that they thought a year ago they could never do—and they will all do it on April 21,” says Megerle.
Fifty-nine runners on the Tufts team were stopped short of the Boston Marathon finish line last year, and 56 of them are competing again, ready to fulfill their dreams, part of a Tufts team of more than 150 runners this year. “What it’s going to be like for them—that’s going to be beyond words, beyond words,” Megerle says.
Tufts has fielded a marathon team since 2003; runners raise money to support nutrition, medical and fitness programs at Tufts, including research on childhood obesity at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.
Steffan Hacker can be reached at steffan.hacker@tufts.edu. Taylor McNeil can be reached at taylor.mcneil@tufts.edu.