Boston 2012: Alyssa Held

According to the official Boston Marathon website,  many South Enders have registered to run in the 2021 Boston Marathon. For the days leading up to the marathon, we will feature some of our South End marathoners and encourage you to cheer each of them to the finish line! 

Name: Alyssa Held

Marathon Experience: This will be the first marathon for Held, a South End resident. 

“I was apprehensive but figured I have been running for so many years that why not give it a try?” She said of her decision to run this year. “The first thing I did was tell everyone I knew that I was going to do this so I wouldn't back down! Then I found a novice training program online and consulted everyone I knew who had ever done this before.” Held began training in January, and said she has felt good the entire time. She also stated the mental aspect is what troubles her the most.

Reason for Running: Held works as a chef, and decided to run to support the Food Project, an organization that is involved with the local food movement, and is dedicated to making healthy fresh produce accessible and affordable to underserved families across the state. 

“As my training continued I began to feel like I needed to make this run more meaningful,” said Held. “After all, it is just by sheer luck that I got this number that is highly coveted—I did not earn it in the least! I decided to run for a charity. Since I am old and slow I figured no one would choose to sponsor me so I chose my own sponsor!”

She began with a modest fundraising goal of $500, but has far eclipsed that figure to date. 

Click here to support Alyssa Held.