Wethersfield Man Changes Lifestyle For Hartford Marathon

From Eversource: On the morning of Oct. 13, Jesse Sythe will be lacing up his sneakers and stretching at the starting line –preparing to run his first-ever marathon. It’s a day he’s been training for all summer. Sythe is one of more than 150 Eversource employees running in the 2018 Eversource Hartford Marathon and its other races that day. But for the Eversource system operations trainer, the marathon is more than conquering 26.2 miles or finishing within a certain time – preparing for it has been a life-changing experience for him and a valuable life-lesson for his kids.

“Health is a big driver for me. I’ve lost 20 pounds since I started training,” said the Wethersfield resident. “But my biggest motivation is my role as a foster parent. I want to inspire my kids to accomplish their goals in life by accomplishing a big one of my own. They’ve been able to see all the hard work that I’ve put into getting here, and now they will see it pay off.”

In the past three years, Sythe has fostered 11 different children and teenagers with his wife and biological son. His family motivates him to push through his rigorous training schedule, which involves three shorter runs during the week, and one longer run on the weekend. Towards the end of his training, Sythe was running close to 40 miles every week.

“There were some days I didn’t want to run,” Sythe said. “But I still got up, put my gear on, and I did it. I have people counting on me. I don’t want to let myself down or them.”

Thousands of other runners from across the country and beyond will be joining Sythe for the Eversource Hartford Marathon. Close to 125 Eversource employees will be volunteering that day – handing out water on the course, awarding medals at the finish line, and cheering on the runners along the way.

This is the fifth year Eversource is sponsoring the Hartford Marathon and will be powering the possible again on Saturday, Oct. 13, at 8 a.m. as the races kick off near Bushnell Park in Hartford.

Eversource (NYSE: ES) transmits and delivers electricity to 1.2 million customers in 149 cities and towns, provides natural gas to 232,000 customers in 73 communities, and supplies water to approximately 197,000 customers in 51 communities across Connecticut. Recognized as the top U.S. utility for its energy efficiency programs by the sustainability advocacy organization Ceres, Eversource harnesses the commitment of about 8,000 employees across three states to build a single, united company around the mission of safely delivering reliable energy and water with superior customer service. For more information, please visit our website (www.eversource.com) and follow us on Twitter (@EversourceCT) and Facebook (facebook.com/EversourceCT). For more information on our water services, visit www.aquarionwater.com.

Image via Eversource