Thirteen seconds.
So close.
Trish Newsom had reached her long-time goal of running
in the legendary Boston Marathon.
She ran the first qualifying race with two minutes to spare on Boston's official time requirements, but her team held an additional performance qualifier to determine who would take a limited number of slots.
Local marathoner Trish Newsom will compete in the Boston Marathon with Team Hoyt. A fundraising 5k is being held March 10 to help Newsom earn contributions for Team Hoyt.Newsom, a 42-year-old Dayton school teacher who has been running marathons for a decade, wasn't quite fast enough.
"I was heartbroken," Newsom admits. "Now I look back and I realize God had a plan."
Two months after her disappointing run time and long weeks of trying to find another team to join, Newsom received an email from Team Hoyt, a charity team.
She was in - running with a team with two men she had long admired.
Team Hoyt is named for Dick Hoyt and his son, Rick. Rick has cerebral palsy and can't walk or speak, but loves sports. When he was 15, he asked his father to push his wheelchair in a 5-mile run. More than 30 years later, Dick and Rick Hoyt have completed over 1,000 races, including marathons and Ironman triathlons.
This year, Dick - now 71 - will once again push his son in the Boston Marathon, the 30th time they have run it.
Their charity, Team Hoyt, helps those who are physically disabled become active members of the community. Newsom says she has long admired the Hoyts, so running with them on April 16 will make an already special day even more special.
"I'm humbled and honored to run alongside them; it's a story of unconditional love," Newsom says. "It's brought together this amazing group of people in the journey of a lifetime."
Raising Race Funds
To run with Team Hoyt, Trish Newsom must raise $5,000 for the Hoyt Foundation. Her friends and fellow runners have organized a 5k fundraiser to help raise the money.
What: Run with Trish 5k
When: March 10, 8:30 a.m. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m.
Where: River Park, Pavilion No. 3
Registration Fee: $10 (cash or checks to Hoyt Foundation)
For more information contact: Gina McDaniel, gbenarunning@yahoo.com; Dan Woughter, dwoughter@msn.com; or Trish Newsom, trish.newsom@yahoo.com