Michael Cooney Set to Race His 21st Boston Marathon

Chelmsford resident and veteran marathoner Michael Cooney started distance running after taking a hiatus from the sport during college.

Now, he has the chance to run his 21st Boston Marathon, and his 33rd overall marathon. He also runs for the Whirlaway racing team, which has won eight team titles at the Boston Marathon in recent years--something Cooney hopes it will do again this year. Patch asked Michael Cooney some questions to see what he has taken away from all of his marathon experience.

What previous running experience do you have? I ran the quarter-mile in high school, took about six years through college and then started running long distances at age 27. I’ve been running now for 22 years. Every day I get up at 5 a.m. and go for a run. It clears my mind. I do race, but I do it for myself.

Have you run any previous marathons? I’ve run the Boston Marathon...I’ve completed 20 of them. This will be my 21^st finish.

What do you like or dislike about marathon racing? I enjoy the fact that I can put a lot of hard work into it and it has a payoff. For the shorter races, someone can beat me who didn’t train as hard as I did, but were younger, or quicker. The marathon - it just doesn’t happen. You have to put the time in. You can only push the body so far.

Have you had any problems training through the winter? It’s been a horrible, horrible winter. I train in the mornings, I train before school, so snowstorms are horrible. I do go to the gym and run on the treadmill when I have to. I just don’t like it.

Have you had any trouble with injuries while training? I have tendonitis in my knee and arthritis...I’ve been getting through that with the help of a few doctors. I’ve got some lubricant in my knee...a special lubricant that keeps your knee joints lubricated.

In your opinion, what sets Boston apart from other races? I think the Boston Marathon has gone in the wrong direction in the last 5, 6 years. I’m not happy at all with it. There’s too many people, it’s too crowded. It’s a circus-like atmosphere. 26,000 people in that tiny little town, it’s very difficult to get to it now, to get to the starting line. It’s very consuming for me, and emotionally, physically, it’s very draining. 

In like '87 and '89, there were 6,000 runners and it was a wonderful experience, it really felt like it was a special event in my life, to get to that race. Now I feel like anyone can run the race. But the charities it benefits, I understand that part of it. It’s really good for those charities. There’s a lot of money being raised for a lot of good reasons. It takes away from me, as an athlete, for a special marathon to have it not be so special anymore.

How will you feel when you cross the finish line? The funny thing about Boston is I run on a team, so if the team runs well, I feel happy. If the team doesn’t run well, I don’t feel happy. So it’s kind of a weird thing for me. Last year I was disappointed with my time a little bit, but our team won the team award, so it helps.

When I’m running the race, I just know if a teammate’s behind me, I want be in the top three, because only the top three get a crystal bowl  and bragging rights of course for your teammates. I’ve been fourth three times on the team, and I didn’t get anything. But it’s nice to be on the winning side.