Running to Relax: Kevin Peters Prepares for His Second Boston Marathon

Originally from Canada, Kevin Peters moved to Massachusetts in 1998 and has lived in Northborough for the past six years. Peters officially began running marathons in 1999, when he signed up for the NYC Marathon. This year marks his seventh marathon, and his second Boston Marathon.

A lifelong runner (at least his adult life), Peters runs 5Ks and 10Ks fairly often, with his favorite being the Northborough Applefest race. Training for the Boston Marathon, though, has been more difficult than he expected.

"I have struggled through some running related injuries that have limited how much training I can do," Peters said.  "So my only goal is to finish.  I did set a personal record of 3:58 in Philadelphia in the Fall so I'm not really disappointed to be just running for fun right now. I worked on attaining that goal for a long time, so I am still feeling satisfied.  Eventually those competitive juices will push me to try and go faster, but that isn't in the cards for Boston on Patriots Day. The only way my diet seems to change while in training is that I eat a lot more!"

Peters said what attracts him to the sport of running is "you get back what you put into it." What he says might be considered counter-intuitive, running, for him gives him a chance to decompress and relax.

"Distance running, at least for me, is a somewhat slow, almost meditative, activity," he said.  "It's the polar opposite to the rest of my life, which is extremely busy."